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.
Margaret Burrows “Margy” Sanford Oldenburg July 29, 1090 – March 7, 1943 Class 43-4 Margaret was the first Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) trainee killed in an accident. Margaret Burrows Sanford Oldenburg was born in
Dorothy Eleanor Olsen (née Kocher July 10, 1916 – July 23, 2019 Class: W-43-4 Training Location: Houston Municipal Airport (Tex.) and Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: Long Beach Army Air Base (Calif.) Planes flown: B-13, PT-19,
Rose Alice Palmer September 30, 1921- April 1, 2008 Class: 44-W-6 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: Courtland Army Air Field (Ala.) and Buckingham Army Air Field (Fort Myers, Fla.) Planes flown: PT-17,
Suzanne U. DeLano Parish November 13, 1922 – May 12, 2010 Class: 44-W-6 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6 Assigned bases: Bryan Army Air Base (Tex.) Parish was born in New
Francie E. Meisner Park July 25, 1919 – February 10, 2002 Class: 44-W-10 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: Goodfellow Army Air Field (San Angelo, Tex.) Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, PT-19 Francie
Catherine Parker Chatham 1921 – August 25, 2016 Class 44-W-9 Planes flown: PT-17. BT-13 Bases served: Marana Army Air Field (Ariz.) Catherine Parker Chatham was a lifetime resident of Bryan, Texas, and her ancestors were
Marie O’Dean Bishop Parrish February 25, 1922 – February 24, 2022 Class: 44-W-4 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, B-26, UC-78 Assigned bases: Greenville Army Air Base (Greenville, Miss.) and
Beryl Marjorie Owens Paschich June 25, 1920 – May 12, 1990 Class: 44-W-3 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: Dodge City Army Air Base (Kan.) and Majors Army Air Field (Greenville, Tex.) Planes
Anita L. “Sister Teresa” Paul May 21, 1924 – March 29, 2010 Class: 44-W-6 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, UC-78 Assigned bases: Altus Army Air Field (Okla.) Two-dozen pages into
Jean Hanmer Pearson February 17, 1915 – 2010 Class: 43-W-7 Training Location: Houston Municipal Airport (Tex.) and Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: BT-13, PT-19, C-47 Assigned bases: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Jean was
Helen Richards Prosser August 2, 1921 – October 23, 1976 Class: WAFS, The Originals Training Location: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Planes flown: PT-19, PT-26, BT-13, AT-6, AT-17, B-25, C-47, P-38, P-40, P-51,
Nadine Bernice Ramsey August 28, 1911-1997 Class: 43-W-5 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: Love Field (Dallas, Tex.) and Long Beach Army Air Base (Calif.) Planes flown: PT-19, BT-13, UC-78, AT-6, P-38, P-39,
Mabel Virginia Rawlinson March 19, 1917 – August 23, 1943 Class 43-W-3Entered Army Air Force flight training: Houston Municipal Airport, Houston, Texas, January 15, 1943Graduated: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, July 3, 1943Training location: Houston Municipal
Katherine Thompson Rawls June 14, 1917 – April 8, 1982 Class: WAFS, The Originals Training Location: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Planes flown: PT-19, PT-26, BT-13, PT-22, AT-6, AT-17, A-20, B-25, B-26, C-47,
Betty Jo Streff Reed June 20, 1923 – June 22, 2013 Class: 44-W-7 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: Columbus Army Air Field (Miss.) Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, AT-1 “Never let go
Ola Mildred Rexroat August 28, 1917 – June 28, 2017 Class: 44-W-7 Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6. PT-19 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned bases: Eagle Pass Army Air Base (Tex.) “I just did
Florence G. “Shutsy” Reynolds Class 44-W-5 Reynolds, though she does not fly anymore, is often awakened by dreams where she is back in the sky, at the controls of a military airplane, remembering the
Ruth Eunice Franckling (Reynolds) January 12, 1919 – May 15, 2007 Class: 43-W-2 Training Location: Houston Municipal Airport, Texas Planes Flown: PT-19, PT-22, BT-13, AT-6, AT-19, AT-19, A-20, B-24, B-25, C-47, P-38, P-39, P-47, P-51,
Helen Richey November 21, 1909 – January 7, 1947 Class: 43-W-5 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Planes flown: PT-19, BT-15, B-25, C-47 Assigned bases: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) and Fairfax Army
Margaret Ray Ringenberg June 17, 1921-July 28, 2008 Class 43-W-5 Planes flown: PT-17, PT-19, AT-6, B-24, C-45, DC-3, PT-26, L-2, L-4, C-54 Bases assigned: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Margaret was introduced to the
Gleanna Roberts January 11, 1919 – June 20, 1944 Class 44-W-9, Trainee Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas in June, 1944 Gleanna was born in Sharon Center, Johnson County, Iowa. She
Marie Michell Robinson May 23, 1924 – October 2, 1944 Class 44-W-2 Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, in September, 1943 Graduated: March 11, 1944 Training location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assignments:
Verneda G. Rodriguez McLean January 11, 1918 – March 19, 1982 Class 44-W-6 Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, C-45, UC-78 Assigned bases: Moore Army Air Base (Mission, Tex.) Verneda G. Rodriguez McLean was an American aviator and served
Alyce Stevens Rohrer September 07, 1922 – February 01, 2024 Class: 44-W-4 Planes flown: PT-17, PT-19, BT-13, AT-6, AT-11, UC-78 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned bases: Perrin Army Air Base (Sherman, Tex.) “Excuses
Barbara Donahue Ross March 25, 1920 – August 21, 2010 Class: WAFS Training Location: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Planes flown: L-5, PT-17, P-39, P-40, P-47, P-63, C-47, A-20 Assigned bases: New Castle
Mary Eleanor Martin Sabota Class 44-W-3 February 5, 1918 – November 23, 1999 Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, AT-10, B-25, B-26, P-40 ,P-63 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned bases: Dodge City Army Air
Adela “Del” Riek Scharr August 10, 1907 – March 11, 1998 Class: WAFS Training Location: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) Planes flown: PT-17, BT-13, AT-6, AT-9, P-39 Assigned bases: New Castle Army Air
Bettie Mae Scott (A) July 26, 1921 – July 8, 1944 Class: 44-W-3 Entered Army Air Force flight training: Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, October, 1943 Graduated: April 15, 1944 Training location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.)
Dorothy E. Scott February 16, 1920 – December 3, 1943 WAFS “The Originals” October, 1942, Dorothy Scott was hired as a ferry pilot in the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron of the Air Transport Command. On
Margaret June “Peggy” Seip June 24, 1916 – August 30, 1943 Class 43-W-5 Training Location Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Margaret Seip was a trainee killed in an accident on August 30, 1943 with her instructor Calvin
Helen Jo Anderson Severson November 2, 1918 – August 30, 1943 Class 43-W-5 Training location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) April 6, 1943 Fun fact: Number of Trainees: 124 trainees, 85 graduates. This was the first class
Dawn Y. Rochow Balden Seymour July 1, 1917 – July 18, 2017 Class: 43-W-5 Training Location: Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.), Buckingham Army Air Field (Fort Myers,
Marie Ethel Cihler Sharon (A) April 21, 1917 – April 10, 1944 Class 43-W-4 Entered Army Air Force flight training: February 14, 1943 at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas Graduated: August 7, 1943 Training location: Houston
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 “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 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 “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.)
Helen Wyatt Snapp May 1, 1918 – January 20, 2013 Class: 43-W-4 Training Location: Houston Municipal Airport (Tex.) and Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: New Castle Army Air Base (Wilmington, Del.) and Camp Davis
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
Alice Jean May Starr July 17, 1920 – June 28, 2023 Class: 43-W-4 Training Location: Houston Municipal Airport (Tex.) and Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Tex.) Assigned Bases: Romulus Army Air Base (Mich.) Planes flown: B-25, C-47,