Millicent Young, one of the earliest members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, died last week at age 96. The WASPs were a civilian group of women pilots created in the 1940s by the merging of two other civilian flying services designed to free male pilots from non-combat chores like ferrying airplanes and towing targets for gunnery practice.
WASP Millicent Young Dies in Colorado Springs
Key Takeaways:
- Millicent Young, an early member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), recently passed away at age 96.
- The WASPs were a civilian group of women pilots formed in the 1940s to free male pilots for combat by performing non-combat flying duties like ferrying and target towing.
- To join, women like Young needed a civilian pilot's license, passed a military physical, and covered their own training costs, with 1,102 ultimately becoming the first U.S. women to pilot military aircraft.
- Young, who flew AT-6 Texans towing targets, was highly decorated, earning her wings from General Hap Arnold and later receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011.
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