WWII Women Airforce Service Pilots:
Exchanging Traditional Roles, Exploring Military Aviation, and Encountering Discrimination
Process Paper Word Count: 497
Exhibit Word Count: 500
Danielle Garcia
Priscila Garcia
Senior Division
Group Exhibit
Our history fair topic is the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). To select a topic we brainstormed ideas and searched the internet. When we came across the WASP we began to fall in love with them and were captivated by these valiant women who served as civilian pilots during WWII. We admired how they contributed to women’s rights in the military which lead the way for other women into the awe-inspiring world of military aviation.
We began our research at various libraries and obtained books which lead us to other sources. The website for Texas Women’s University - Women’s Collection (the official WASP archive), has provided us with a plethora of useful information. The 1940’s Houston Air Terminal Museum allowed us to see the location that they trained at in Houston. The oral histories from the Library of Congress provided many interviews that allowed us to hear their stories directly from the WASP. We visited the National WASP WWII Museum, in Sweetwater, Texas, two times. Our first visit was in January but we went back on May 28th for the WASP Homecoming. This allowed us to interview thirteen of the WASP that were there. We also interviewed the guest speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Mau, to get the perspective of a current female pilot. We also met Erin Miller, the granddaughter of Elaine Harmon, and discussed her fight to have the WASP inurned at Arlington Cemetery. We also met the Education Coordinator for the Commemorative Air Force and discussed the possibility of getting actual goggles from WWII for our display.
The decision to do an exhibit was based on our success last year when we placed fifth at Nationals. We feel that a visual exhibit is the best way to express our ideas and creativity. We used a wooden tri-fold board and added metal and rivets to resemble an airplane. The colors of our board were inspired by the WASP mascot, Fifinella. We purchased the pilot’s helmet, graduation wings, the replica of the Congressional Medal, and the Fifinella patch from the WASP Museum.
Our topic, Women Airforce Service Pilots, relates to this year’s theme “Exploration, Encounter and Exchange” in many ways. At the height of World War II, more than a thousand women left their homes for the opportunity to become the first women in history to fly for the U.S. Air Force. They volunteered as civilian pilots in an experimental program to see if women could serve as pilots to relieve men for overseas duty. They exchanged their traditional roles, such as housewives and teachers to become pilots in the military and explored military aviation. WASP encountered danger in the air as well as gender discrimination because many people, especially men, were not ready for these women to serve in the military. Under the determined leadership of Jacqueline Cochran, Nancy Love, and General Hap Arnold, the WASP exceeded beyond all expectation. Thirty years later, these women encountered further resistance while trying to receive Veteran benefits, but eventually triumphed.