Editor’s note: Robin Olney of Surfside, Seal Beach, read the last Vets Voices column in the Sun regarding Jim Bailey of Rossmoor. She contacted Vets Voices author Bill Thomas and asked if he could write the following about the WASP of World War II and mention her mother Faye Wolfe (Olney), who was a well-known WASP and passed away in 1986 at the age of 65.
If not for the wartime services of the WASP, hundreds of our male fighter pilots would not have had fighter planes to fly against our enemies in World War II. These were women pilots in civilian life but chose to join the WASP to transport fighter planes across the oceans, to deliver their planes to our male fighter pilots. Of the 25,000 women pilots who applied, only 1,900 were accepted, including Faye Wolfe.
After they completed four months of military flight training, 1,074 earned their “wings” and became the first women to fly military aircraft. Before getting their “wings” Faye Wolfe and other WASP trained on the Stearman PT-17, the Fairchild PT 19, and eventually went on to the advanced trainer, the AT-6, a pursuit plane.
After receiving her wings she was stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. Upon graduation each WASP received different assignments to various airbases. Their primary duty was to learn to “fly the Army way.”
They were not trained for combat; they did not receive gunnery training, nor any formation flying or aerobatics, but learned the maneuvers to recover from any position. After training, the 19 groups were stationed at 120 air bases across the USA. Their mission was to relieve male pilots for combat duty.
The WASP flew 60 million miles of operational flights from aircraft factories to ports of embarkation and military training bases. They also towed targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice; simulated strafing missions, and transported cargo. In three years, the WASP delivered 12,650 aircraft of 78 different types.
Thirty-eight WASP fliers lost their lives while serving in the war; all in accidents; 11 in training and 27 on active duty. Though promised militarization, they were civilian pilots for expediency, and when the bill to give them veteran status made it to Congress, the war was winding down, and lobbyists convinced lawmakers their service was no longer needed.
They didn’t complain much, everyone was happy the war was almost over. Not until the USAF erroneously announced that women were being trained for the first time in military aircraft, did the WASP object, and Congress granted them Veteran status in 1977. In 2010, to honor the pioneering women pilots of WW II — the WASP were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Nowadays, A group of WASP fans and supporters are trying to raise money to have a float in their honor at this year’s Rose Bowl Parade. The rationale for the float is that despite the Congressional Gold Medal, the story of these amazing women is still not widely known.
To help change that, the idea was to have a float that tells their story at a parade that’s viewed by roughly 70,000,000 people each year. Unfortunately, this group was not experienced at fundraising and thought they could reach their goal with individual contributions online.
They need to raise about $200,000 for the float builder, and have almost reached the goal, but still need about $40,000 more — by this Thursday! This group —Wingtip-to-Wingtip, a 501c3 organization made up primarily of sons and daughters of the WASP pilots (now in their 90s)—thought a last minute appeal might spark last minute contributions to make the float a reality. To donate, go to the link: www.WaspFloat.com.
A new documentary about the WASP is airing this month on PBS stations: “We Served Too” a film by Jill Bond. See: http://www.wstthemovie.com/index.html Hurrah for the WASP… more brave women who helped win World War.
Bill Thomas of Rossmoor is a Veteran of World War II, and Past Commander of VFW Post 4048,and American Legion Post 857.Contact Bill at vvbthomasvets@gmail.com
MEETINGS of the Seal Beach American Legion Post 857, and the Seal Beach Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4048 are held in Building 6 of the Naval Weapons Station on Seal Beach Blvd, (south of Westminster Blvd.). They both have a “Social Hour” starting at 6 p.m. Their “regular” meetings start at 7 p.m. The American Legion meets on the third Thursday.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars meet on the fourth Tuesday. A gate pass is required.
