Fly Girls – Part 9 -Disbanded

Note: I’m deliberately not making the term WASP plural. I know that’s proper English. The words that make up WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) is already plural. Some have weighed in saying the “s” in WASPs doesn’t need to be there. Just so you know it’s deliberate. Even if it did drive me nuts!

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Jackie Cochran sat opposite Nancy Love.

They’d heard the rumors. They’d heard the male pilots complain behind their backs how “The Girls” were cutting in on their flying time.

And now it was official.

Jackie said. “I think this is the letter we knew was coming.”

It was from General Hap Arnold. Jackie opened it with a well-worn letter opener. Slowly she unfolded the letter. She read it. She shook her head and said, “Nancy.” She handed the letter over. “We are victims of our own success.”

Nancy read the letter. “Deactivation on 20 December,” she said. Her voice had a slight catch in it when she added, “Merry Christmas to us.”

***

General Hap Arnold addressed the final class of WASP. In many ways, he was trying to honor not only the class, but every woman who’d flown as a WASP. But it was also a slap in the face. Not only to the Girls, but to him.

Time and again, he’d tried to get them to be part of the military. He’d met with resistance at every level.

John M. Costello, was a representative from California. He introduced a bill that would make the WASP part of the military. General Arnold was a hundred percent behind it. His only proviso was that a woman would stay in charge of it.

Needless to say, this went over with all the grace of a hippo at a hoedown. Male pilots lobbied against it. A news commentator went so far as to accuse General Arnold of being seduced by Jackie Cochran’s “feminine  wiles.”

The bill was defeated by a very narrow margin.

At the final class, he was no doubt deeply shamed by their treatment. Jackie introduced General Arnold, and he spoke to the final class. He said, “We of the AAF are proud of you; we will never forget our debt to you.” 

A few short weeks later, the WASP were disbanded. Since they weren’t part of the military, they couldn’t receive honorable discharges. In an effort to at least thank them for their service. General Arnold directed every base commander where WASP served to provide them with a certificate to acknowledge their service.

The WASP pilot training program graduated 1,074 graduates. Combined with Nancy Love’s “Originals,” they ferried over 50% of the aircraft within the United States during the war. WASP flew at 126 bases across the US. They towed targets for gunnery training. They served as instrument instructors for the Eastern Flying Training Command.

Thirty-eight of these women died in their service, 11 in training and 27 during missions. There final year was their bloodiest. Of the 38 girls killed in WASP missions, 23 was in 1944.

By 1944, the military training machine had turned out so many male pilots, most were just sitting around. That meant the purpose of the WASP program was now gone. And on 20 Dec 1944, each girl began heading home. Some were able to fly home on military aircraft assuming there was room. Others took the buses or trains at their own expense, of course.

And by the end of the war, the Girls were all but forgotten. Their records were marked “Classified” and “Sealed” from the public.

But that didn’t slow many of them down

Coming soon: The Conclusion to Fly Girls – Part 10 – Legacy – watch for it early next week.