Veterans History Project Collecting WASPs’ Heroic Stories

The Veterans History Project is reaching out to the remaining WASPs and their families and friends, asking that they share their experiences.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, October 23, 2023 at 03:34 PM ET

Verified

Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) Frances Green, Margaret (Peg) Kirchner, Ann Waldner and Blanche Osborn (left to right) leaving their B-17 Flying Fortresses, Pistol Packin' Mama, at the four engine school at Lockbourne AAF, Ohio. [Photo: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The article emphasizes the diminishing number of Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) and the urgency to capture their stories before they are lost.
The Veterans History Project (VHP), established by Congress, actively collects and archives the experiences of veterans, including the WASPs, at the Library of Congress.
WASPs performed vital noncombat flying roles during WWII but were not recognized as veterans until 1977 and often kept their service a secret for decades.
VHP encourages veterans and their families, including those of "Code Girls," to share their stories through oral histories, letters, photographs, and other documents to preserve American military history.

See a mistake? Contact us.

This year I celebrated my 20th trip to EAA AirVenture. The annual event is marked by a group photo shoot by Women in Aviation. For many years, the members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), wearing their distinctive blue pants and white blouses, were always in the front row in a place of honor.

This year, there were none. This was not a surprise, as many of these women, part of what Tom Brokaw dubbed “The Greatest Generation,” are too frail to travel. Before they head West, the Veterans History Project wants to capture their stories.