Edwards honors WASP through flight

  • Published
  • By Airman Stacy Garcia
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  In honor of the Air Force's 60th Anniversary, Edwards gave one of the first Women Airforce Service Pilots the opportunity to once again fly with the service.

Members of the 445th Flight Test Squadron here invited Margueritte Hughes Killen, former WASP member, to board a KC-135 Stratotanker and fly over Edwards Oct. 13.

Members of the 445th FLTS were able to hear about Ms. Killen's experience as a WASP as she took the KC-135 flight. The Airmen who flew with her said they gained a greater understanding and appreciation for the women who served in WASP through their interaction with Ms. Killen.

"We really appreciated her visit," said Master Sgt. Craig Eyre, 445th FLTS. "We appreciate all she did. We wanted to give a little back to her by giving her the flight on the KC-135."

Ms. Killen who was born in Superior, Arizona, May 16, 1924, was one of the 25,000 women who left their homes to join the men fighting during World War II by becoming a pilot for the Army Air Force at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas.

Of the women who applied to become pilots only 1,830 were accepted and 1,078 were able to earn their wings to become part of WASP.

Ms. Killen's first flight was at the age of nine when she and her brother rode in an old World War I Jenny. Later, in junior high school, just after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ms. Killlen got her first opportunity to fly in the cockpit of a plane -- an opportunity that sparked a life-long passion for her.

"Since I had no money, I begged the airport manager to give me any job in the place." Ms. Killen said. "I cleaned, fueled, did minor repairs, and directed transit traffic. I even cleaned bathrooms."

Ms. Killen never asked for a dime just flying time. By the age of 16, Ms. Killen was able to fly solo and at 18 she passed her commercial and flight instructors rating, making her the first woman in Arizona to do so.

At the age of 19 Ms. Killen received a telegram that the WASP program lowered the age limit for female pilots and requested her application. Ms. Killen said she wasted no time and applied on the spot. She was then interviewed at Jackie Cochran's Headquarters at the Pentagon and was accepted immediately.

During the middle of her training Ms. Killen received word that her husband, Lt. Fred Hughes, a B-24 pilot, had been killed. With this terrible news, Ms. Killen kept focus on her mission at hand and continued her training and received her wings as squadron commander on Oct. 18.

After her training, Ms. Killen went on to become one of the first women to fly an American military aircraft.

Ms. Killen soon came to find out, however, that as a WASP member -- unlike the nurses -- they were not given military status. They were considered civilian service pilots. However, she said that did not stop her from flying.

"I flew whatever I was told to," Ms. Killen said. "I just said 'yes sir,' and I flew."

She flew AT-6s, AT-11s and BT-13s with missions that included two- and four-hour missions, six nights a week, with several other bombardier missions. A task that was very risky. Over the period of a year, 38 WASPs lost their lives during their flying missions.

"These women were denied any military benefits, honors or gold stars, not even so much as the American flag to be draped over their coffins," she said.

Thirty five years after their deactivation congress recognized their military service and granted them the veteran status she always felt they deserved.

Ms. Killen remained on active flying status with WASP until it was deactivated Dec. 20 1944.

Ms. Killen, much like she did as a young girl, says she still looks for every opportunity to take to the skies.

"I'm 82, and I'm going to keep flying until I can't anymore" said Ms. Killen.