Transcript from Amy Goodpaster Strebe
Author of:
Flying For her Country: The American and Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II
and also
Desert Dogs: The Marines of Operation Iraqi Freedom
Both books published by Potomac Books
Questions asked by Gabrielle Dang [email protected] Answers from Amy Goodpaster Strebe [email protected] -February 5, 2015
Gabrielle Dang: What are some counter arguments toward WASP and Jackie?
Amy Goodpaster Strebe: War has traditionally been viewed as man’s domain where women play a secondary and less important role. It’s hard for us in the year 2015 to imagine that it was once revolutionary to think that a woman could fly military aircraft. Today we take for granted women flying our fastest and most sophisticated military jets into combat. But before the WASP, the idea of women flying in the military was an anomaly. Throughout history, war has afforded women the opportunity to move outside their traditional roles as wives and mothers, and work in an area that in peacetime would have been off limits to them. Initially, Jacqueline Cochran faced opposition from both the War Department and the U.S. Army Air Corps. If it were not for the support of General Hap Arnold, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Cochran’s idea to bring women pilots into the war might never have gotten off the ground. But even after the WASP program was put into motion, the women pilots still faced opposition and discrimination from male commanding officers at their units who did not feel women should be allowed to fly in the military. The WASP’s wartime role was to replace the male pilots who were flying in combat. But once the war began to wind down and the men started returning home from overseas duty, opposition to the WASP ignited again as they were now perceived to be taking jobs away from the male pilots. The irony is that when the WASP were officially disbanded on December 20, 1944, planes remained grounded for days, unable to be delivered to their units, because male pilots were not trained to fly them. One of the arguments at the time against women flying in the military, was that they were perceived to be weaker than men and not strong enough to fly military aircraft. It was also thought by some men (erroneously of course) that flying and the stress involved in operating an aircraft, could be detrimental to a woman’s ability to conceive and bear children. My WASP friend Jean McCreery, told me once that she got a real kick out of that theory, since she went on to give birth to and raise 10 children after the war.
Gabrielle Dang: How is Jackie a leader?
Amy Goodpaster Strebe: Jacqueline Cochran was an effective leader who understood the tenacity and persistence that was required to make her flying program a reality. She was known to be abrasive and headstrong, and it was probably these character traits that made her successful. When you talk to the WASP themselves, you will find those who loved Jackie and who understood her methods, and you will also find those WASP who mistrusted her and believe she actually hurt the very program she created. Some of the women veterans I have spoken to feel that it was Jackie’s fault that they were not militarized and were ultimately disbanded before the end of the war. There were also some WASP stationed at Camp Davis in North Carolina, who were angry at Jackie for her decision not to investigate plane crashes at the unit that were suspected to be caused by sabotage, for fear of casting a negative light on her program. But regardless of how she was perceived personally by the WASP themselves, Jackie was well respected as a pilot, and is still considered to be one of the most accomplished aviators in history.
Gabrielle Dang: What kind of legacy did she leave and how did she change the privileges women have now?
Amy Goodpaster Strebe: Many of America’s contemporary women military pilots credit the WASP with giving them the opportunity to fly. In today’s U.S. military, women are permitted to fly every type of aircraft into combat, and they have Jacqueline Cochran and the WASP to thank for that. Without Jackie’s perseverance and take-charge attitude, women may not have had the opportunity to fly for their country during World War II. Opportunities for women in aviation were still limited after the war, and it would take several more decades before they were allowed to return to the cockpits of military aircraft. But the contributions of Jacqueline Cochran and the WASP of World War II paved the way for today’s women pilots to achieve equality in military aviation.
Gabrielle Dang: Do you think the outcome of World War II would have been the same if WASP weren’t involved?
Amy Goodpaster Strebe: That’s a difficult question to answer because there is no way of knowing for sure. I think the best way to answer this question is to look at what the WASP accomplished during the war. From September 1942 to December 1944 the WASP, who numbered just over 1,000, ferried aircraft from factories to airbases throughout the United States. They operated from 110 facilities and flew more than 60 million miles in 78 different types of aircraft, from the smallest trainers to the fastest fighters and the largest bombers. Their assignments included: towing targets for air-to-air gunnery practice, and ground-to-air anti-aircraft practice, engineering test pilots, ferrying, instrument instructors, transporting personnel and cargo, simulated strafing, training navigators and bombardiers, smoke laying, night tracking missions, flying drones, and slow timing engines, and flying the B-26 Martin Marauder and the B-29 Super Fortress to prove to the male pilots that they were safe to fly. The WASP performed every duty inside the cockpit as their male counterparts, except combat, and 38 women pilots gave their lives in the service of their country. The achievements of the WASP can best be summarized in the words of General Hap Arnold, when he addressed the last graduating class on December 7, 1944: “You and more than 900 of your sisters have shown that you can fly wingtip to wingtip with your brothers. I salute you. We of the Army Air Force are proud of you. We will never forget our debt to you.”
Author of:
Flying For her Country: The American and Soviet Women Military Pilots of World War II
and also
Desert Dogs: The Marines of Operation Iraqi Freedom
Both books published by Potomac Books
Questions asked by Gabrielle Dang [email protected] Answers from Amy Goodpaster Strebe [email protected] -February 5, 2015
Gabrielle Dang: What are some counter arguments toward WASP and Jackie?
Amy Goodpaster Strebe: War has traditionally been viewed as man’s domain where women play a secondary and less important role. It’s hard for us in the year 2015 to imagine that it was once revolutionary to think that a woman could fly military aircraft. Today we take for granted women flying our fastest and most sophisticated military jets into combat. But before the WASP, the idea of women flying in the military was an anomaly. Throughout history, war has afforded women the opportunity to move outside their traditional roles as wives and mothers, and work in an area that in peacetime would have been off limits to them. Initially, Jacqueline Cochran faced opposition from both the War Department and the U.S. Army Air Corps. If it were not for the support of General Hap Arnold, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Cochran’s idea to bring women pilots into the war might never have gotten off the ground. But even after the WASP program was put into motion, the women pilots still faced opposition and discrimination from male commanding officers at their units who did not feel women should be allowed to fly in the military. The WASP’s wartime role was to replace the male pilots who were flying in combat. But once the war began to wind down and the men started returning home from overseas duty, opposition to the WASP ignited again as they were now perceived to be taking jobs away from the male pilots. The irony is that when the WASP were officially disbanded on December 20, 1944, planes remained grounded for days, unable to be delivered to their units, because male pilots were not trained to fly them. One of the arguments at the time against women flying in the military, was that they were perceived to be weaker than men and not strong enough to fly military aircraft. It was also thought by some men (erroneously of course) that flying and the stress involved in operating an aircraft, could be detrimental to a woman’s ability to conceive and bear children. My WASP friend Jean McCreery, told me once that she got a real kick out of that theory, since she went on to give birth to and raise 10 children after the war.
Gabrielle Dang: How is Jackie a leader?
Amy Goodpaster Strebe: Jacqueline Cochran was an effective leader who understood the tenacity and persistence that was required to make her flying program a reality. She was known to be abrasive and headstrong, and it was probably these character traits that made her successful. When you talk to the WASP themselves, you will find those who loved Jackie and who understood her methods, and you will also find those WASP who mistrusted her and believe she actually hurt the very program she created. Some of the women veterans I have spoken to feel that it was Jackie’s fault that they were not militarized and were ultimately disbanded before the end of the war. There were also some WASP stationed at Camp Davis in North Carolina, who were angry at Jackie for her decision not to investigate plane crashes at the unit that were suspected to be caused by sabotage, for fear of casting a negative light on her program. But regardless of how she was perceived personally by the WASP themselves, Jackie was well respected as a pilot, and is still considered to be one of the most accomplished aviators in history.
Gabrielle Dang: What kind of legacy did she leave and how did she change the privileges women have now?
Amy Goodpaster Strebe: Many of America’s contemporary women military pilots credit the WASP with giving them the opportunity to fly. In today’s U.S. military, women are permitted to fly every type of aircraft into combat, and they have Jacqueline Cochran and the WASP to thank for that. Without Jackie’s perseverance and take-charge attitude, women may not have had the opportunity to fly for their country during World War II. Opportunities for women in aviation were still limited after the war, and it would take several more decades before they were allowed to return to the cockpits of military aircraft. But the contributions of Jacqueline Cochran and the WASP of World War II paved the way for today’s women pilots to achieve equality in military aviation.
Gabrielle Dang: Do you think the outcome of World War II would have been the same if WASP weren’t involved?
Amy Goodpaster Strebe: That’s a difficult question to answer because there is no way of knowing for sure. I think the best way to answer this question is to look at what the WASP accomplished during the war. From September 1942 to December 1944 the WASP, who numbered just over 1,000, ferried aircraft from factories to airbases throughout the United States. They operated from 110 facilities and flew more than 60 million miles in 78 different types of aircraft, from the smallest trainers to the fastest fighters and the largest bombers. Their assignments included: towing targets for air-to-air gunnery practice, and ground-to-air anti-aircraft practice, engineering test pilots, ferrying, instrument instructors, transporting personnel and cargo, simulated strafing, training navigators and bombardiers, smoke laying, night tracking missions, flying drones, and slow timing engines, and flying the B-26 Martin Marauder and the B-29 Super Fortress to prove to the male pilots that they were safe to fly. The WASP performed every duty inside the cockpit as their male counterparts, except combat, and 38 women pilots gave their lives in the service of their country. The achievements of the WASP can best be summarized in the words of General Hap Arnold, when he addressed the last graduating class on December 7, 1944: “You and more than 900 of your sisters have shown that you can fly wingtip to wingtip with your brothers. I salute you. We of the Army Air Force are proud of you. We will never forget our debt to you.”