n 1942, Nancy Harkness Love's exceptional flying skills led to her recruitment by Col. William Tunner, who appointed her as the executive of women pilots. She quickly assembled the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), consisting of experienced female pilots, to help meet the urgent demand for aircraft delivery during World War II. Love envisioned women serving alongside men as equals, without segregation, and by June 1943, she was commanding multiple WAFS squadrons across the United States.
Following military approval in September 1942, the WAFS merged with Jacqueline Cochran’s Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) in 1943 to form the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The program aimed to train women pilots to free male pilots for combat roles and reduce manpower shortages. Despite strict requirements and financial burdens placed on trainees, nearly 1,830 women were accepted into the program, flying over 60 million miles in various aircraft types and serving at over 120 bases nationwide.
The WASP program ended in December 1944 as wartime needs diminished, but their contributions were later recognized with veteran status in 1977 after a long fight. In 2010, they received the Congressional Gold Medal, honoring their vital role in WWII. Their service demonstrated that women could perform demanding military flying duties, paving the way for future integration of women in the armed forces.
n 1942, Nancy Harkness Love's exceptional flying skills led to her recruitment by Col. William Tunner, who appointed her as the executive of women pilots. She quickly assembled the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), consisting of experienced female pilots, to help meet the urgent demand for aircraft delivery during World War II. Love envisioned women serving alongside men as equals, without segregation, and by June 1943, she was commanding multiple WAFS squadrons across the United States.
Following military approval in September 1942, the WAFS merged with Jacqueline Cochran’s Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) in 1943 to form the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The program aimed to train women pilots to free male pilots for combat roles and reduce manpower shortages. Despite strict requirements and financial burdens placed on trainees, nearly 1,830 women were accepted into the program, flying over 60 million miles in various aircraft types and serving at over 120 bases nationwide.
The WASP program ended in December 1944 as wartime needs diminished, but their contributions were later recognized with veteran status in 1977 after a long fight. In 2010, they received the Congressional Gold Medal, honoring their vital role in WWII. Their service demonstrated that women could perform demanding military flying duties, paving the way for future integration of women in the armed forces.