Fly Girls – Part 10 – Legacy

Reforger ’89 – Someplace in Germany.

The Blackhawk came in low over the trees. The downdraft from the blades caused the branches to sway and the last of the autumn leaves to fall down in a manmade hurricane. Then it cleared the edge of the trees and hovered in over a soccer field behind the building. It turned in the air and then set down.

General Griffith had arrived.

A few minutes later, the flight crew came towards the building. The pilot removed his flight helmet. I was astonished to see that wasn’t a he. The pilot was very much a she. She was a CW-3 and she carried herself among her male flight crew like the boss she was.

Later, I had the chance to ask her what had led her to becoming a helicopter pilot in the Army.

“That’s easy,” she said. “My next door neighbor was a WASP in WW Two.”

THE TRUE STUFF –

Jackie Cochran-

The thunderclap boomed out of the sky above the Mojave Desert and Chuck Yeager smiled. A few years before, he was the one who had made the thunderclap. Since then, there had been a lot of them. Some he’d made. Some were made by others.

But this thunderclap caused by an airplane breaking the sound barrier was a first.

He was standing outside of Poncho’s looking into the Mojave sky. His eyes saw the faint trail of the contrail from the Canadian F-86 Sabre. His friend Jackie Cochran was at the controls of that jet and she’d just became the fastest woman alive.

“Poncho,” he yelled into the bar. “You fixing Jackie a steak tonight?”

Poncho Barnes, owner of Happy Bottom Riding Club and aviator herself replied, “You damn right I am. And one thicker and bigger than you miserable peckerwoods ever got. That’s my girl up there.”

After the disbanding of the WASP program, Jackie stayed in aviation. For her efforts during the war, she was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. But she also did a lot of other things.

With the war over, she reported on global affairs. She was in the Philippines and witnessed General Yamashita surrendered. She was also the first American woman in Japan following the end of the war. And she covered the Nuremberg trials in Germany.

She officially went into the Air Force Reserves in 1948 as at Lt. Colonel. She was promoted to full bird in ’69 and retired in ’70.

She also spearheaded something called the Mercury 13. That was a program that many thought would put the first American woman in space (wasn’t meant to). it’s interesting that there would be a congressional hearing about the program. The focus was to determine if the astronaut program was discriminating against women. Always the champion of women, Jackie reversed course here. She testified against sending the girls up.

Some historians think that her motive was entirely selfish. That if a decision was made to send one of the women up, it wouldn’t have been her.

I think she understood it (it wasn’t an official NASA program) wasn’t about putting a woman in a Mercury spacecraft. It was about seeing if they could meet the physical criteria of being an astronaut. That they did.

But then we’ll never know what her motivations were and we’d have to wait for Dr. Sally Ride to take a rocket into the sky to get our first American Woman in space.

Jackie ran for congress in 1956. Her opponent was Dalip Singh Saund. She lost to him and some say it bothered her all her life.

Jackie passed away on 9 August 1980.

This link has information I just skimmed over here. I think you’ll find it interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Cochran

Nancy Love –

“Come on, ” the doctor urged. “One more push.”

Nancy did as she was told. Summoning the last of her strength, she pushed. Pain crashed through her and all at once, it was gone.

The cry of a baby echoed in the room.

“It’s a girl, Mrs. Love,” the nurse said.

And just like that, the torture of the last few hours was over. A smile came to her face.

A moment later, the child, now clean and wrapped in a blanket was brought and placed on her. Two precious eyes looked at her in wonder.

While Jackie was punching holes in the sky, Nancy was making a different kind of contribution to the world. Some would say it’s the best kind of contribution. She did what a lot of women did following the war.

She became a Mother.

Following the war, her and her husband Robert had the rare opportunity to receive awards on the same day.

And after that, she dropped out of the newspapers. She and Robert would found what eventually became Allegheny Airlines.

But she’d never fly for them. Instead, the only flying she did was to fly the kids in a Beechcraft Bonanza.

She did join the Air Force when it was founded and retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel.

Some said she slipped into a period of depression over how her girls were treated in the military. It must have been hard because she pushed hard for a bill that would get them at least some recognition.

She never lived to see it.

Nancy died on 22 Oct 76.

I’m sharing a poem she wrote:

I can fill my cup of dreams

When silver springs are far.

If I can find a firefly,

I can reach a star.

Even I, by wishing,

Can wear the Magic shoon,

Even I, by dreaming,

Can reach up for the Moon.

—Hannah L. Harkness, Milton Academy Magus, Dec. 1929

Afterwards-

Over the course of time, several attempts were made to recognize the WASP and the vital service they’d conducted. There were notable efforts made by Sen Barry Goldwater as well as efforts by Rep. Patsy Mink and Linda Boggs.

Someplace, somewhere, opposition usually surfaced and it just never happened.

Finally, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation allowing that the WASP fall under the GI Bill. It was 1977 and the Girls were finally issued “real” Honorable Discharges for their service. In 1984, they were awarded World War II Victory Medals and assorted other decorations. Many were accepted by their children or grand-children.

On July 1, 2009, the WASP were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Barrack Obama and the Congress of the United States.

The efforts and dedication of this fine group of women have served to inspire women everywhere. They encouraged them to push out of the norms and reach for the Heavens. Some of the women they’ve inspired include Jerri Cobb, Desert Storm pilot Kelly Hamilton, Astronaut Eileen Collins and 2024 Miss America Lt. Madison Marsh.

Today, it’s not at all unusual to see a lady flying a commercial jet or a military aircraft (Lt. Marsh drives the F-16). I know General Griffith’s chopper pilot was flying him over the battlefield. And of course, we’ve had more than a few female astronauts, some of whom have died pushing back the frontier. And we have women training for the Artemis Moon Missions.

Legacy-

The AT-6 gleamed in the morning sun. The polished metal was so bright, I was thankful for built in sunshades in my glasses. My friend Craig Carlson and I were touring these historic aircraft and I was standing in line with a bunch of kids to look it over.

As I stood waiting, I couldn’t help but admire the dedication the man had to the craft. He was showing it off like a man would a thoroughbred racehorse. Or maybe a classic car. Every kid who looked at it was hoisted to look up into the cockpit.

Finally, it came my turn.

“You got room for a kid who never grew up?” I asked the pilot.

“Sure, come on up.”

We talked about the plane and then he asked, “Have you ever heard of the WASP pilots.”

“As a matter of fact, I have,” I said.

“My mother was one of them. And she flew this very aircraft.”

“Really?” was all I could say.

“Yeah. She’s the one who inspired me to learn to fly.” He chuckled. “Truth be told, until I was ten, I thought everyone’s mom had been a pilot.”

Wow, what a hero to have in the family.

I asked her name, he told me, and my sieve-like memory promptly lost it. If I had half the brains I claim I do, I’d have done an on camera interview right there.

Today, I look at the pictures I took. And I recall talking to the son of a WASP. While I wrote this I got online and wanted to find out if any of the Girls were still alive. According to Google, as of 11 Apr 25, there’s still 69 of them alive.

And I realize these Ladies left us something priceless.

A legacy in the air.

And we still owe them a debt of honor.