DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of the story carved into the official marker out on this stretch of Texas highway — so hold on, because this one's something else. Avenger Field. Three miles west of Sweetwater, out here in Nolan County.
The marker calls it the site of World War II drama, and friends, that is not an overstatement. Let's go back to November 17, 1942. Twenty-eight trainees — the first twenty-eight — entered a women's flying training detachment at Houston Municipal Airport.
That's where the program began. Modest start. You'd have no idea what it was about to become.
Then on February 21, 1943, the whole operation relocated to Avenger Field, and that's when things got historic. Of twenty-five thousand applicants, only 1,830 were accepted. You want to talk about a selective program — that's it right there.
And of those 1,830, 1,074 went on to earn their wings and fly sixty million miles for the United States Army Air Forces, earning high praise for their record along the way. Now, the commanding general of the Air Forces himself — General H.H. Arnold, known to everybody as Hap — personally requested that Jacqueline Cochran serve as director of women pilots.
That's the kind of institutional weight this program carried at the top. The WASPs had civil service status rather than military. They lived under military discipline, in army barracks, but that's a distinction that would matter deeply to the women who served.
They trained just like male cadets — learning to fly United States Army Air Forces planes. The seven-month course included 180 hours of ground school and 115 hours of flight training. They started on light planes and advanced from there — until WASPs were flying every air corps craft in use at the time.
Every one. Think about what they were asked to do. WASPs ferried planes.
They towed targets — live targets, while gunners practiced shooting at them. They flew tracking missions, smoke-laying missions, searchlight missions, strafing missions, simulated bombing missions. They did radio control flying, tested aircraft, gave instrument instruction, and performed many other duties besides.
These were not desk assignments. And what did they wear doing all this? Early on, they flew in what the marker affectionately calls zoot suits — ill-fitting GI coveralls that were designed for somebody considerably larger.
For dress they had tan slacks and shirts. Eventually, the santiago blue uniform was officially adopted and worn by graduates. Small thing, maybe.
But it meant something. The women came from all walks of life — wives, sisters, sweethearts of servicemen, many of them hoping to help hasten the war's end. Women staff advisors supervised their nonflying activities.
Three women held key staff roles: Ethel A. Sheehy as WASP staff field executive, Nancy Harkness Love as WASP staff executive of the ferrying division, and Leoti Clark Deaton as WASP staff executive of the training bases. Now, Avenger Field didn't begin its wartime life with the WASPs.
British Royal Air Force cadets trained there from June 22 to August 1, 1942. U.S. Army Air Forces arrived in April of 1943.
But when the WASP trainees came, something shifted permanently. Their arrival made Avenger Field the only military coeducational flying field in United States history. The only one.
Ever. The last class of WASPs graduated on December 7, 1944. Thirty-seven WASPs gave their lives serving their country.
That's the number the marker leaves you with, and it deserves to sit there a moment. Thirty-seven. The WASP wings — with a diamond lozenge — signify what the marker calls women's pioneering wartime flight achievements.
Sixty million miles. Thirty-seven lives. One field, three miles west of Sweetwater, that changed what was possible.
That's Avenger Field.
What the marker says
Site of World War II drama. Here girls, like male cadets, learned to fly United States Army Air Forces planes. WASPs had civil service status rather than military. Of the 25,000 applicants, 1,830 were accepted; 1,074 won wings and flew 60 million miles for the U.S. Army Air Forces, receiving high praise for their record. At the request of the Air Forces' Commanding General H.H. ("Hap") Arnold, Jacqueline Cochran became director of women pilots. On November 17, 1942, when the first 28 trainees entered the women's flying training detachment at Houston Municipal Airport, the program began. On February 21, 1943, it was relocated at Avenger Field, 3 miles west of Sweetwater. The last class of WASP's graduated on December 7, 1944. British Royal Air Force cadets trained at Avenger Field June 22-August 1, 1942. U.S. Army Air Forces April of 1943. Arrival of WASP trainees made Avenger the only military coeducational flying field in United States history. WASP's came from varied backgrounds. Many were wives, sisters, or sweethearts of servicemen, hoping to hasten war's end. Women staff advisors supervised the nonflying activities of WASP trainees, who lived under military discipline: In army barracks. Trainees flew in "zoot suits" (ill-fitting GI coveralls), and had tan slacks and shirts for dress wear. After the santiago blue uniform was officially adopted, it was worn by graduates. Originally, the seven months course included 180 hours of ground school, 115 hours of flight training. From light planes, WASPs advanced to fly every air corps craft in use at the time. WASPs ferried planes; towed targets; flew tracking, smoke-laying, searchlight, strafing, and simulated bombing missions; did radio control flying, tested aircraft, gave instrument instruction; performed many other duties. Thirty-seven WASPs gave their lives serving their country. Ethel A. Sheehy was WASP staff field executive; Nancy Harkness Love, WASP staff executive-ferrying division; Leoti Clark Deaton, WASP staff executive-training bases. WASP wings, with diamond lozenge, signify women's pioneering wartime flight achievements. (1972)