Posted on 12/13/2008 8:54:09 PM PST by NormsRevenge
An airplane doesn't respond to gender. It only responds to skill."
- BETTY JANE WILLIAMS
Betty Jane sat in the den of her Woodland Hills home praying for another couple of years, the last time I saw her.
"Dear Lord, please don't take me until I clean up that back room," the 86-year-old retired Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel was saying.
The Lord listened. He gave Betty Jane almost three more years to clean up that back room filled with her flying service medals and commendations, thousands of black and white photographs and dozens of yellowed newspaper stories of heroism, sadness, joy and memories that could fill a history book.
Betty Jane died Monday, and if her afterlife is anything like her life down here for 89 years, she's probably giving free flying lessons to every woman in heaven and then trying to unionize them.
Every A-list female star in Hollywood would kill to play the life of Betty Jane Williams in a movie. She was that fascinating.
She grew up in a rural Pennsylvania town during the Depression, constantly bugging her father for flying lessons he couldn't afford.
--snip--
Betty Jane signed up for a civilian pilot program the government had started to include teaching women to fly because men pilots were soon going to be very busy fighting overseas.
--snip--
Betty Jane had learned to fly. Now all she needed was a chance to get in the cockpit. Along came Pearl Harbor.
The Air Force began the WASPs - Women Airforce Service Pilots - and Betty was one of the first to join. Her first job was flying combat-weary planes to repair depots.
--snip--
It took 34 years for Congress to pass legislation recognizing the WASPs' service to the country and granting them veteran status.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailynews.com ...
A 1944 photograph of pilot Betty Jane Williams in a P-40 at Randolph Field, Texas. (2-27-06 - WOODLAND HILLS - COPY PHOTO )
Former WWII Pilot Betty Jane Williams is being inducted into the Women in Aviation, International, Hall of Fame. Here she poses in front of her "ego wall" in her Woodland Hills residence.
Real American heroes come in all shapes and sizes!
Over here
Now that is one extremely cool gal! :-)
We should cement a Medal of Shame on the gravestone or other monument of every congresscritter who opposed this. (And yes, this opens me to challenges regarding changing mores... is there an alternative?)
For the daughters ping!
PING
“Here she poses in front of her “ego wall””
My “gentle bride” refers to hers as her “I love me wall”. Thought about putting all of my “stuff” up in my office, but decided I couldn’t stomach looking at all of my pictures, and hers, in the same day (neither could any of you) so mine were all relegated to the filing cabinets in the basement.
At least Betty was self-concious about it. I told the wife that her accomplishments would be even more impressive if she didn’t have her wall at all. Sorta’ like the retired career pilot that doesn’t own a leather jacket and never has. Now that is the mark of a pilot’s pilot!
Still, the argument can be made that the Williams wall was an excellent method of organizing all of those items. A great bit of history to be sure.
RIP. She is what America is made of, great story. Another great American is gone. Betty Jane surely has happy skies ahead.
Thanks for posting this.
Great positive post.
Lady deserves more than 15 minutes of fame.
Thanks for a great read.
Reminds me of someone
Who?
Patty where the heck is my beer Wagstaff
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