Women in Aviation International (WAI) is encouraging the aviation community to honor the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) by visiting their graves and leaving flowers or other remembrances on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024.
Now in its seventh year, the #HonorTheWASP program was established by WAI to take place over the Memorial Day weekend each year.
“Our WAI members across the nation are grateful for the service and sacrifice of the formidable group of WASP who served so honorably during World War II. This group of brave and dedicated women risked their lives to do their part for the war effort and paved the way for so many of us to pursue our personal aviation dreams,” says WAI CEO Lynda Coffman.
A database of WASP gravesites, including Google maps to their locations, can be found here. The original database was provided by Texas Woman’s University (TWU), the home of the Women Airforce Service Pilots archives, and is regularly augmented through research efforts of WAI staff, association officials said.
In each of the previous six years, #HonorTheWASP participants have visited nearly 100 WASP gravesites annually.
About the WASP
The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), inducted into WAI’s International Pioneer Hall of Fame in 1993, flew for the U.S. Army Airforce from September 1942 to December 1944. Some 1,102 women wore the silver wings flying over 70 million miles and delivering 12,650 airplanes across the country during the war.
This is a great idea! I placed flowers for Margaret Phalen Taylor at Alta Mesa Cemetery on Monday!
My mom was so proud of her WASP service. And all her kids and grandkids are too
….slow salute….