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donutboof t1_ixfnloc wrote

Reply to comment by breetome in WASP pilot Nancy Nesbit seated in the cockpit of an AT-6 Texan at Love Field in Dallas, 1944. Colorized. by ectheow3

I’m the grandson of a WASP, 44-w-7. In addition to ferrying pretty much everything in the inventory, they also trained pilots, towed targets, and did checkout flights on repaired aircraft. Last year, I actually had the chance to fly an AT-6 flown by my grandmother at Avenger Field!

As a kid, I went to many of their reunions. They were an incredible group of ladies, decades ahead of their time. Returning to civilian life was HARD for most after their wartime experiences. It was really incredible to see what so many did later in life, too.

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katchoo1 t1_ixh03sh wrote

I remember seeing a film about the women who went to work in the war effort in a women's history class in college. It had the inspiring propaganda footage and photos we've all seen, women in coveralls and such, and the women like the WASPs. And then interviews with them as older women (probably filmed in late 70s/early 80s) almost all of them talking about how much some of them wanted to keep going in the workforce but they were all summarily fired to make room for the "fellas" returning from the war. Really felt like it was the most meaningful period of their lives for many and they missed it when it was over. Kind of gives another level to the Baby Boom -- give those ladies something to do at home so they get the hell out of the workforce! I'd always seen the inspiring side of it but it was a bummer to see how the women went from homefront hero one day to selfish jerk the next for staying in a factory job that a man "needed".

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GermsDean t1_ixhym62 wrote

That’s amazing! I read a really great book that I would highly recommend to any aviation nerds like myself called Winning My Wings by Marion Stegeman-Hodgson about her experience in the WASP program.

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