Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II: Exploring Military Aviation, Encountering Discrimination, and Exchanging Traditional Roles in Service to America

The article focuses on the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of the World War II. Although they often encountered discrimination, the extraordinary women of the WASP explored new opportunities and opened new doors for women in military aviation and space exploration by exchanging their traditional roles to become civilian air pilots for the United States military during World War II. From towing targets to flying fighters, they refuted the mistaken belief that women were less capable than men as pilots. Despite a challenging beginning, they successfully organized to relieve male pilots for combat duty, and under the direction of Jackie Cochran and Nancy Harkness Love, two accomplished female pilots, the WASP exceeded the expectations of the military. Their contributions and accomplishments remained unrecognized by the military for over thirty years, but the WASP's explorationinto new arenas of aviation had a significant impact on future generations of women.