The National WASP WWII Museum

History

In 1943, the Women's Flying Training Detachment and Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron flight schools merged to officially establish the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).

Due to its climate, facilities, and abundance of new planes, the newly organized WASP established its headquarters at Avenger Field near the West Texas city of Sweetwater.

On February 21, 1943, the first class of WASPs arrived and in April 1943, it became the first air base in history to train only women pilots.

During the course of the WASP program, more than 25,000 women applied for training, but only an elite 1,074 were graduated. Of those chosen, 38 died serving their country.

Materials under copyright.

Contact

Ann Haub

(325) 235-0099

ann@waspmuseum.org

Address

210 Avenger Field Rd, Sweetwater, TX 79556

At a Glance

Basic statistics about this partner.
8,062 Items	26 Types	78 Titles
4 collections	12 Decades	13 Languages
376 Counties	49 States	99 Countries
521,652 Usage	7 years, 3 months ago Partner Added	3 years, 5 months ago Last Updated

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[Cornelia Yerkes commercial airman medical certificate, 1951]

[Letter from Cornelia Yerkes, June 5, 1943]

[Letter from Cornelia Yerkes, February 23, 1945]

[Bobby Willis, Elizabeth Mitchell, Betty Heinrich, and Cornelia Yerkes]

[Postcard from Cornelia Yerkes to Fred G. and Frances Yerkes, November 17, 1944]

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Cite This Partner

Here is our suggested citation. Consult an appropriate style guide for conformance to specific guidelines.

The National WASP WWII Museum, partner contributing to The Portal to Texas History. University of North Texas Libraries. https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/partners/WASP/ accessed May 9, 2024.