The WASP Museum

Pull, pull, pull. Welcome to Avenger Field located here in Sweetwater, Texas. This airfield received its name when the local newspaper held a contest open to the whole town. The winning entry was based on a poem that referenced the need to avenge Pearl Harbor and thus Avenger Field was born. Avenger Field is home to the Women Air Force Service Pilots Training Program. Established during the height of World War II, when the United States saw an increased need for qualified pilots, the training program prepares women for non-combat aviation duties in support of the war efforts overseas. The WASP organization was founded by pilots Jackie Cochran and Nancy Love, who understood the value women could bring to the U.S. Army Air Force and began lobbying to get them trained. After several attempts, both women were granted separate programs. The Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, WAFS, and the Women's Flying Training Detachment, WFTD. The programs would be combined into one, the WASP, when the WFTD was transferred from Houston Municipal Airport to Sweetwater in February 1943. Well, hello there. Welcome to Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas. My name is Mary and I'll be your instructor today. I'm here to teach you everything you need to know to become a heart of the WASP, or Women Air Force Service Pilots. I know you've traveled from all over the country to be here today. Whether you came by rail, car, coach, or bus, I'm sure you're tired. But I see some fresh faces ready for action. So let's dive in. More than 25,000 women applied for this program. You're one of a lucky 1,830 we invited to Sweetwater. Those of you who made it here all have a few things in common. You have your private pilot's license. You passed the Aviation Cadet Qualifying Exam. You've logged at least 35 hours of flight time. And you've got a good head on your shoulders. So we're here at the WASP Museum, Women's Air Force Service Pilots. And this museum is dedicated to, I'm just going to say it, the tough ass bitches that were part of the World War II effort. These women have put our women today to absolute shame. And I'm calling this a celebrity trip. Because these women were so much a part of our ability to win World War II. This is a great story. This is the B-29 story. And you're going to love it. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress debuted in 1944. This is the year my mom was born. Due to its rushed development, it was known for engine fires. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Tibbets was assigned the task to train Army pilots to fly the plane. Due to its dangerous reliability problems, the men coined the term, Widowmaker, to describe the B-29. To show his men that the plane was both safe and reliable, he decided to train female pilots to fly the B-29. Tibbets mentioned that the B-29 was so easy to fly, even a woman can fly it. In June 1944, he met WASP Dorothy Dede-Mormon, 43-W-4, and Dora Doherty, 43-W-3, at Florida's Eglin Air Force Base to put his idea into action. After talking with the two female pilots, he decided they would be perfect for his B-29 demo pilots. Without telling the women about the engine problems, they began their B-29 training. Managing the engine temperature prior to takeoff was key to Tibbets' training. This prevented the engines from overheating and catching fire. After Dora extinguished an engine fire during flight and after only three days of training, Tibbets announced that Dede and Dora were ready to solo. Their B-29 was named Lady Bird and had Fifinella, the WASP mascot, painted on the nose. The WASP training demonstrations were successful. The men gained confidence in the B-29's abilities and resumed their training. So you know what I got for that? Boom!