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WASPs – Women Airforce Service Pilots
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WASP – Women Airforce Service Pilots
In September 1942, during World War II, the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) was formed under the leadership of Nancy Harkness Love. The purpose of the WAFS was to ferry aircraft from factories to bases. The WAFS had commercial pilot licenses and volunteered as civil service employees for the United States military.
The formation of the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) was approved by General Henry “Hap” Arnold about the same time. The program, under the leadership of Jacqueline Cochran, was formed to train women to ferry planes. As with the WAFS, the women of the WFTD were civilian employees. Although these women were expected to follow military orders, as civilian employees they had no rank or benefits.
In August 1943 the WAFS and WFTD were merged into the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), with Jacqueline Cochran in command.
Although the WASPs began with ferrying duties, they eventually were used to break in new aircraft, for flight instruction, for towing gunnery targets and for flying radio-controlled planes.
It had been the intention of General Arnold and Jacqueline Cochran for the WASP to become a part of the military. In December 1944, with a bill before Congress, the shortage of pilots lessened. As a result, the WASP program was disbanded.
Recognition of the WASP and the service they had performed was all but forgotten until 1979 when, with the aid of Senator Barry Goldwater, the WASPs were given some benefits as veterans.
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