Post- Pearl Harbor, women worked in a variety of positions previously closed to them, though the aviation industry saw the greatest increase in female workers. Though women had been joining the work force in greater numbers since the hardships of the Great Depression, the entry of the United States into World War II completely transformed the types of jobs open to women.īefore the war, most working women were in traditionally female fields like nursing and teaching. Considered civil service employees and without official military status, these fallen WASPs were granted no military honors or benefits, and it wasn’t until 1977 that the WASPs received full military status. More than 1,000 WASPs served, and 38 of them lost their lives during the war. More than 200 former pilots attended the event, many wearing their World War II-era uniforms. Capitol, the WASPs received the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian honors. pilots for active duty in World War II.ĭid you know? On March 10, 2010, at a ceremony in the U.S.
They ferried planes from factories to bases, transporting cargo and participating in simulation strafing and target missions, accumulating more than 60 million miles in flight distances and freeing thousands of male U.S. These women, each of whom had already obtained their pilot’s license prior to service, became the first women to fly American military aircraft. One of the lesser-known roles women played in the war effort was provided by the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs. The Coast Guard and Marine Corps soon followed suit, though in smaller numbers. In the Navy, members of Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) held the same status as naval reservists and provided support stateside. WATCH VIDEO: The Hidden Army of Women That Helped Defeat Hitler
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