WASP Profiles | CAF RISE ABOVE

Take a closer look at the lives and accomplishments of some of the WASP. New profiles are added regularly and will grow as the staff and volunteer of the CAF RISE ABOVE continue their tireless efforts to research and share the remarkable stories of these important American figures.

Evelyn Sharp

Evelyn Sharp (A) October 1, 1919 – April 3, 1944 WAFS “The Originals” October, 1942, Evelyn Sharp was hired as a ferry pilot in the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron of the Air Transport Command. On

Barbara Poole Shoemaker

Barbara “Puddles” Poole Shoemaker January 28, 1917 – September 23, 2008 Class: WAFS, The Originals Training Location: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Planes flown: PT-19, PT-26, AT-6, AT-17, B-24, C-47, P-38, P-39, P-47, P-51,

Dorothy Fulton Slinn

Dorothy Fulton Slinn October 14, 1918 – February 11, 1985 Class: WAFS Training Location: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Planes flown: PT-19, PT-26, BT-13, AT-6, A-20, B-25, B-26, C-47, P-38, P-39, P-40, P-47,

Elizabeth Whitlow Smith

Elizabeth “Betty” Whitlow Smith December 29, 1920 -June 16, 2011 Class: 43-W-2 Training Location: Houston Municipal Airport (Tex.) Planes flown: B-24, P-40, P-47, P-51,, PT-19, BT-15, AT-6, PT-17, A-24 Assigned bases: Love Field (Dallas, Tex.)

Nancy E. Nesbit Staples

Nancy E. Nesbit Staples April 10, 1921 – November 10, 2006 Class: 43-W-4 Training Location: Houston Municipal Airport (Tex.) and Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: PT-19, AT-11, B-34, B-25, C-45, C-47, C-53, UC-78 Assigned

Betty Pauline Stine

Betty Pauline Stine September 13, 1921 – February 25, 1944 Class: 44-W-2 Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, September, 1943 Betty was born in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas. She attended

Elizabeth “Betty” Wall Strohfus

Elizabeth “Betty” Wall Strohfus WASP, Class 44-W-1 “But what I loved was that the planes I flew never asked if you were a man or a woman; they flew just as well for me as

Dora Dougherty Strother

Dora Dougherty Strother November 27, 1921- November 19, 2013 Class: 43-W-3 Planes flown: AT-6, AT-11, A-24, A-25, BT-13, B-25, B-34, B-17, B-29, PT-19, PQ-8, L-4, L-5 Training Location: Houston Municipal Airport (Tex.) and Avenger Field

Margaret Phelan Taylor

Margaret Phelan Taylor WASP Class 44-W-5 September 20, 1923 – July 1, 2015 Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, AT-11 Base assigned: Stockton Army Air Base (Calif.) “I learned to fly to be able to join the

Shirley Slade Teer

Shirley Slade Teer Class 43-W-5 April 4, 1921 – April 26, 2000 Planes flown: B-26, B-29 Assigned bases: Love Field (Dallas, Tex.) Dodge City Army Air Base (Kan.) Harlingen Army Air Field (Tex.)

Marion R. Tibbetts

Marion R. Tibbetts January 5, 1915 – Nov. 28, 2001 Class 43-W-6 Planes flown: PT-19, BT-13, AT-6, B-24, C-47, UC-78 Assigned bases:Romulus Army Air Base (Mich.) and Greenville Army Air Base (Greenville, Miss.) Born January

Marian J. Toevs

Marian J. Toevs May 13, 1917 – February 18, 1944 Class: 43-W-8 Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, July 10, 1943 Graduated: December 17, 1943 Assignment: Engineering test pilot Assigned bases:

Gertrude Tompkins Silver

Gertrude ‘Tommy’ Tompkins-Silver October 16, 1911 – disappeared October 26, 1944Class: 43-W-7Graduated: November 13, 1943Assignment: Ferry pilotAssigned bases: Love Field (Dallas, Tex.) and Pecos Army Air Base (Tex.)Planes flown: AT-6, AT-17, UC-78 Gertrude Tompkins Silver was

Mary Elizabeth Trebing

Mary Elizabeth Trebing December 31, 1920 – November 7, 1943 Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, February 21, 1943 and training at Houston Municipal Airport, Texas Graduated: August 7, 1943 Assignment:

Florene Miller Watson

Florene Miller Watson December 7, l920 – February 4, 2014 Class: WAFS ”The Originals” Training Location: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Planes flown: PT-19, BT-13, AT-6, P-38, P-40, P-51, P-63 Assigned bases: New

Mary Louise Webster

Mary Louise Webster June 30, 1919 – December 9, 1944 Class: 44-W-8 Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, March, 1944 Graduated: October 16, 1944 Assignment: Administrative pilot, Engineering test pilot Assigned

Bonnie Jean Alloway Welz

Bonnie Jean Alloway Welz (A) June 22, 1918 – June 29, 1944 Class: 43-W-6 Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, April 25, 1943 Graduated: October 9, 1943 Assignments: Tow target pilot,

Esther Manning Rathsfelder Shively Westervelt

Esther Manning Rathsfelder Shively Westervelt September 6, 1914 – December 1975 Class: WAFS Training Location: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Planes flown: PT-19, PT-26, BT-13, AT-6, AT-17, AT-9, C-47, C-60, P-38, P-40, P-47,

Lucile Doll Wise

Lucile Doll Wise August 1, 1920 – August 2, 2018 Class W-43-7 Planes flown: AT-11, B-25, C-45, C-60, UC-78 Assigned bases: Asheville Weather Wing HQ, (AACS) (N.C.) Kansas City, 23rd Weather Region HQ (Kan.) “Jacqueline

Rita Murphy Wishchmeyer

Rita Edna Murphy Wishchmeyer October 2, 1921 – May 3, 2015 Class: 44-W-3 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6 Assigned bases: Dodge City Army Air Base (Kan.) and Craig Army

Virginia “Ginny” Hill Wood

Virginia “Ginny” Hill Wood Oct. 24, 1917 – March 8, 2013 Class 43-W-4 Planes flown: BT-13, AT-6, B-25, B-17, P-38, P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51, P-61, P-63 Bases assigned: Long Beach Army Air Base (Calif.) Virginia

Betty Taylor Wood

Betty Taylor Wood March 1921 – September 23, 1943 Class: 43-W-4 Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, February 14, 1943 and at Houston Municipal Airport, Texas Graduated: August 7, 1943 Assignment:

Lillian Glezen Wray

Lillian “Jay” Glezen Wray Dec. 9, 1913 – August 4, 2013 Class: 44-W-9 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, PT-19 Assigned bases: Goodfellow Army Air Field (San Angelo, Tex.) During

Mary “Marty” Wyall

Mary “Marty” Wyall Class 44-W-10 “We didn’t care so much about the pay or the recognition, We just wanted to help our country win the war.” – Marty Wyall By her own recollection,

Frankie Inez Yearwood

Frankie Inez Yearwood July 10, 1921- May 30, 2010 Class 44-W-10 Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13. AT-6 Assigned bases: Foster Army Air Field (Victoria, Tex.) Frankie Inez Yearwood was, quite literally, the last WASP on record. A

Lillian Lorraine Yonally

Lillian Lorraine Yonally May 5, 1922 – December 31, 2021 Class: 43-W-7 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: BT-13, PT-19, AT-6, AT-7, AT-11, AT-17, BT-15, B-25, A-24, A-25, UC-78 Assigned bases: Childress Army

Millicent A. Peterson Young

Millicent A. Peterson Young December 22, 1922 – January 15, 2019 Class 44-W-10 Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6 Bases served: Aloe Army Air Field (Victoria, Tex) Millicent was born to George and Mary Evision Peterson

Leona Golbinec Zimmer

Leona Golbinec Zimmer August 16, 1920 – February 22, 2012 Class 44-W-2 Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6 Assigned bases: Napier Army Air Base (Dothan, Ala.) Leona was born on August 16, 1920, the fourth child