Women Airforce Service Pilots (W.A.S.P)
This year’s parade proudly welcomes Dr. Rachel McClain, Ph.D., the newly appointed Executive Director of the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas, as an honored guest and VIP. Dr. McClain represents the extraordinary legacy of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the first women to fly U.S. military aircraft during World War II. Between 1942 and 1944, 1,074 women graduated from Avenger Field in Sweetwater, logging over 60 million miles and ferrying 12,650 aircraft of 78 different types, including fighters like the P-51 Mustang, bombers such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress, and trainers like the AT-6 Texan. These trailblazers freed thousands of male pilots for combat duty and performed critical missions: ferrying planes from factories to bases, towing targets for live-fire training, and conducting engineering test flights.
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Today, Dr. McClain’s leadership ensures that their courage and achievements continue to inspire future generations. As she joins us in Leavenworth, we honor not only her vision but the enduring spirit of every WASP who broke barriers and soared into history.
During World War II, Nancy Harkness Love and Jacqueline Cochran independently proposed using female pilots in the US Army Air Forces (USAAF). Love sought out established female fliers, while Cochran looked to train emerging aviators. At the height of the war, female pilots across the United States answered the call to help their country.
The twenty-eight women who joined Nancy Love in the WAFS (Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron) are known as "The Originals." These women averaged 1,100 hours of flying time and were among the most highly skilled and experienced commercially licensed female pilots. Stationed in Delaware at New Castle Army Air Base, the WAFS were among the first to fly nearly every aircraft in the USAAF inventory. Four “Originals” modeling WAFS uniforms. Left to Right: Barbara Poole in winter flying gear, Evelyn Sharp in a flying uniform, Esther Manning in a duty uniform, and Barbara Erickson in a dress uniform.
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Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran began petitioning for the use of female pilots in the military only 25 days after Hitler invaded Poland. In conversations with the President, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and top USAAF officials, Cochran promoted the proper training of female pilots to fly couriers, transports, and ambulance aircraft. Additionally, she wanted the women to have official military standing, claiming hundreds, if not thousands, of patriotic female pilots would join the cause. Though Gen Arnold had called the idea "utterly unfeasible," stating that women were too "high-strung," Cochran's persistence paid off. In early 1942, Gen Arnold sent Cochran to Great Britain to work with the Air Transport Auxiliary, which already employed women to fly transport aircraft. She returned stateside in September 1942 and was appointed Director of the Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) in Houston, Texas
Among their ranks were aviation pioneers such as Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran, program director and first woman to fly a Lockheed Hudson bomber across the Atlantic (June 1941) delivering it to the Royal Air Force for wartime service. “Jackie” Cochran, served as a WASP and later Air Force Reserves from 1942-1970 and obtained the Rank of Colonel. She flew more than 60 million miles in 78 types of military aircraft including the Lockheed Hudson, the Seversky AP-7 (P-35), the P-51 Mustang and the Canadair F-86 Sabre Jet (in 1953) breaking the sound barrier. She received the Distinguished Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. ​​​
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Nancy Harkness Love, founder of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) 1942, which later merged into the WASP program. She was instrumental in organizing women pilots to ferry aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII. Nancy Love was the first female pilot to fly the iconic North American P-51 Mustang, one of the most advanced fighter aircraft of WWII. She was qualified to fly over 20 types of military aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, P-39 Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, C-47 Skytrain, AT-6 Texan. Her versatility made her on of the most accomplished ferry pilots of the war.
Barbara “BJ” Erickson, a key leader among the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Erickson was appointed Commanding Officer of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) at Long Beach Army Air Base in California. She oversaw ferrying operations for the 6th Ferrying Group, ensuring safe and efficient delivery of military aircraft from factories to operational bases. Barbara Erickson was qualified to fly multiple aircraft including the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, P-39 Airacobra, B-17 Flying Fortress, C-47 Skytrain, and the AT-6 Texan. Her versatility demonstrated the WASPs' ability to handle nearly every aircraft in the U.S. inventory.
Hazel Ying Lee was among the first Chinese American women accepted into the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program in 1943. She trained at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, and became a ferry pilot for the U.S. Army Air Forces. Hazel Ying Lee broke barriers as one of only two Chinese American women in WASP history. She was known for her skill and determination, often flying advanced fighter aircraft during ferry missions. Hazel Ying Lee was qualified to fly numerous military aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang, P-39 Airacobra, P-40 Warhawk and AT-6 Texan. In November 1944, Hazel Ying Lee was killed in a mid-air collision while ferrying a P-63 Kingcobra in Montana. She was the last WASP to die in service, and her sacrifice highlighted the risks these women faced even outside combat zones.
Evelyn Sharp (Center)
Evelyn Genevieve Sharp one of the most accomplished early aviators and a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) who tragically died in service. Evelyn Sharp was among the first women accepted into the WASP program. Before joining, she was already a highly experienced pilot and flight instructor, logging 2,950 flight hours—an extraordinary achievement for the era. She was One of the youngest women in the U.S. to earn a commercial pilot’s license at age 18. Evelyn trained hundreds of male pilots before joining WASP, contributing significantly to the war effort even prior to her official service. On April 3, 1944, Evelyn Sharp was killed in a crash while ferrying a P-38 Lightning. She was only 24 years old. Evelyn Sharp is remembered as a trailblazer in aviation and honored at the National WASP WWII Museum and through memorials in Nebraska.
Dora Dougherty (Top)
Dora Dougherty joined the WASP program in 1943 and quickly became one of its most skilled pilots. She was selected for a special assignment to demonstrate that women could successfully fly heavy bombers, a task that changed perceptions about female aviators in the military. In 1944, Dora Dougherty and fellow WASP pilot Dorothy “DeDe” Johnson were chosen by Boeing to fly the B-29 Superfortress, the largest and most advanced bomber of the time. Their successful flights proved that women could handle the B-29, helping to convince skeptical male pilots and commanders to accept the aircraft for combat missions. After WWII, Dora Dougherty earned a Ph.D. in Aviation Education and became a respected flight instructor and human factors engineer for Bell Helicopter. She was inducted into multiple aviation halls of fame and received numerous honors for her contributions
Johnson (Right)
Dorothy Eleanor “DeDe” Johnson was one of the highly skilled WASP pilots selected for a groundbreaking assignment in 1944 to demonstrate that women could successfully fly the B-29 Superfortress, the largest and most advanced bomber of its time. Alongside Dora Dougherty, Johnson flew the B-29 Superfortress during test and demonstration flights at Eglin Field, Florida. Their successful flights convinced skeptical male pilots and commanders that the B-29 was safe and manageable, helping accelerate its acceptance for combat missions.