Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Women as Pilots During World War II


 
During the war, the United States was faced with a shortage of pilots, so in order to help with this, the government allowed for the training of women in this area. These women were known as Women Airforce Service Pilots or in others words for short WASPS. About 1,100 women were recruited for the job of getting trained to fly loaded planes filled with ammunition and were capable of firing weapons. Despite the fact that these women had the same dangers to face as men they did not receive the same compensated pay if they were hurt or they died. Despite this, many women were willing to fill the shoes of men to serve for their country. Some paid the $500 to receive a pilot's license and then enlisted to serve one of the most active duties that were available to women during this time. The program was cancelled after two years and only a few women were able to find piloting jobs after the fact, so many returned to their family farms or started to have families.

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