World War II and the Beginning of the WASPs WASPs leaving their ship, the Pistol Packin Mama (1944)īy US Air Force, Record Group 342, National Archives The way for women to serve equally in the US Air Force. They were the first women to fly for the US military, paving Referring to themselves as “Avenger Girls,” the Women Airforce Service Pilots were superheroes of aviation. WASP Joann Garrett flew twin-engine B-26 planes and C-60 transportĪircraft at Army Air Bases in Texas and Kansas in service to her country. The WASPs completed a rigorous training program atĪvenger Field in Texas, then served in non-combat military missions across the US during the war, such as ferrying planes from factories to bases and flight-testing aircraft. She was one of 1,074 women who served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, during World War II. Seated in the cockpit of a PT-19 military plane, Joann Garrett was ready to fly. WASP Joann Garret at Avenger Field (September 1943)
Learning Resources on Women's Political Participationīy United States Air Force, Record Group 342, National Archives.Women Writing History: A Coronavirus Journaling Project.