WASPs of World War II

Resulting from a shortage of male pilots in World War II, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program was created in August 1943, made up of female civilian pilots serving under military command. These women pilots were used to fly planes within the US, to free up male combat pilots for overseas duty. They had the privileges of officers, but were never formally adopted into the Army Air Force (AAF) even though they had been led to believe this would happen. They remained civil service employees without injury or death benefits. Several attempts to militarize the WASPs failed. However, in November 1977, president Carter signed a bill granting WWII veterans’ status for former WASPs.

Photos of WASPs during World War II:
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