Dear CAF Rise Above Team,
Our names are Ikksha Das (Kiekie) and Rachel Kwak. As part of our AP U.S. History class’s service project at Van Nuys High School, we decided to create a memorial dedicated to honoring the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).
To recognize their legacy and the injustice they faced, we created a memorial statue and research paper titled The Silent Ascension. Our project reflects not only the WASPs’ undeniable skill and courage, but also the way their service was erased from national memory for decades. What struck us most was the injustice these women faced: performing the same duties as military men, flying over 60 million miles in wartime aircraft, and still being denied military benefits, honors, and even funeral rites. The quote that most powerfully reflected this injustice was from a WASP herself:
“If a man died, they wrapped his body in a flag. If a woman died, they sent her home at her family’s expense.” It reminded us why remembering their legacy is so important and taking down the gender barrier was crucial.
Our memorial, The Silent Ascension, is meant to be located at Minter Field, California, one of the WASP training sites, and symbolizes both remembrance and justice. A cracked runway base honors their fractured legacy, with etched names like Elizabeth Maxine Chambers and Violet Cowden paying tribute to their service. A clay plane lifts off from the broken surface, symbolizing the rise of their long-overdue recognition, while surrounding pebbles and a Tunnel of Forgotten History beneath the base reflect the hardship, sacrifice, and silence they endured for decades. We hope that this symbolism showcases the WASPs in an enlightening manner as a part of our memorial.
Thank you for the work CAF Rise Above continues to do in preserving and sharing the stories of these pioneering women. We hope our project adds to the conversation and honors their legacy in a meaningful way.
Warm regards,
Ikksha Das (Kiekie) & Rachel Kwak
Van Nuys High School