Overview

One of the first women in the United States to train as a military pilot, the author was part of a little-known World War II experiment called the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) program, which gave young women the then unheard-of opportunity to fly military aircraft. Marion Hodgson tells of the time in 1943 when she and other WASPs earned their hard-won wings. They learned to fly everything from open-cockpit primary trainers to P-51 Mustangs, B-26 Marauders, and B-29 Superfortresses. An unlikely volunteer, Hodgson was at first terrified of flying, but she and other WASPs succeeded not only in winning their wings but in breaking the barriers against women in military cockpits. Their existence was a well-kept secret, their wartime contribution largely unnoticed for more than 30 years. Though 38 WASPs were killed in crashes in the line of duty during the war, they had no burial benefits, no insurance, no G.I. Bill for continuing education, and no acknowledgement of a job well done. This is an action-packed story, often humorous and sometimes harrowing, told mostly through letters Hodgson wrote to a Marine pilot who later became her husband. Aviation buffs of all ages will identify with Hodgson's graphic descriptions of learning to fly and the thrill and challenge of being in the cockpit.

Full Product Details

9781931721479

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Marion Stegeman Hodgson lives in Wichita Falls, Texas, and is the mother of three, grandmother of six and great-grandmother of one.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available