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The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)

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(sound effects ) you are in the cockpit of a B-24 Liberator bomber airplane during WW2. The date is 1943 and you are the test pilot for this plane. You fly in a steady line, watching as the world underneath you shrinks to where homes become tiny specs and cars look like the size of ants crawling on roads linked together. You are a WASP.

The Women Airforce Service Pilots- or WASP was formed on August 5, 1943, and according to the Air Force Historical Support Division website the WASP were actually originally formed when two services WAFS- the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, which was a service in which women transported training airplanes from the factories to military bases. And WFTD- the Women’s Flying Training Detachment, which was …show more content…

A little less than 1,100 women all volunteers, made up WASP. These women flew every type of military aircraft available back then including the heavy bomber planes. Also according to the article: Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls on npr’s website these women also ferried newly made planes from factories to military bases and departure areas all over America. In fact according to the Air Force Historical Support Division website WASPs ferried over 50% of the combat aircraft within the United States during ww2. Also the WASPs tested planes that had recently been fixed or overhauled. These women also flew with targets in the air for ground and air gunners to practice their shooting. Finally these women also served as flight instructors as …show more content…

Although their recognition to the public may have taken a while their spirit had never faltered. The WASP were incredibly brave and served their country with pride. Margaret is just one of the many WASP stories to be told and it is one that is very inspiring. Even if they may not have known it the WASP were making a statement every time they took off in a airplane whether it was to the doubters that doubted women’s abilities during ww2 or the people in future generations that would be retelling their forgotten stories and experiences in the war. People were seeing this statement, Eleanor Roosevelt saw it by saying: “This is not a time when women should be patient. We are in a war and we need to fight it with all our ability and every weapon possible. Women pilots, in this particular case, are a weapon waiting to be used." That statement that the WASP made to people everywhere will never be forgotten again. These women made history by being the first women to ever fly American military aircraft!

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