Women with Silver Wings

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The thrilling true story of daring female aviators who helped the U.S. win World War II, only to be forgotten by the country they served. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already flying as a flight instructor in Hawaii. During a lesson, she and her student narrowly escaped the bombing. When the U.S. Army Air Forces sought women pilots for the war effort, Fort eagerly responded, becoming one of over 1,100 women who earned their silver wings through a rigorous selection process. The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), founded by Nancy Love and Jacqueline Cochran, provided women like Fort the opportunity to serve and demonstrate their aviation skills. Although not authorized for combat, WASP members trained male pilots and ferried aircraft across the country. Tragically, thirty-eight of these women lost their lives during the war. Despite the program's success, Congress disbanded the WASP as the war's tide turned, sending the women home. Nevertheless, the bonds they formed remained strong, and in the following decades, they united to fight for recognition as military veterans and to reclaim their place in history.