Celebrating
the Human Spirit Radio Spot
Segment 16: Those Amazing Women and Their Flying
Machines
Come back in time. 1942, Allies losing on all
fronts. Roosevelt
orders every able bodied Air Force pilot to fly
combat missions. But
who will do the domestic military flying? Aviator
Jacqueline Cochran
has an idea: women pilots! With the blessing of
then Col. Hap Arnold,
The Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs) is born.
In their few
years of service, WASPS will fly over 60 million air
miles of wartime
duty, flying every plane in the US arsenal. 1078 will
earn their wings
and 38 will die in the course of duty. And when they
are disbanded, it
will be decades before women are allowed back into
the cockpits of
military planes.
I know. Mama was a WASP. This year is the 60th
anniversary of those
amazing women. My sister and I go with Mom to her bi-
annual WASP
reunion. We watch bodies becoming frailer, eyesight
dimmer, and
memories slower. And yet, when they talk of what they
did, their place
in history—I swear they shine. I see their courage,
their love of
flying, their pride in country. and the sacrifice for
which they would
gladly give their last full measure of devotion.
This is Eileen McDargh celebrating the spirit of
the WASPS.
You can hear the segments live at www.1410.com by going on line and listening
at 7:50 am CST every Friday.
McDargh
Communications
(949) 496-8640
Eileen@EileenMcDargh.com
www.EileenMcDargh.com
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