24 St. John Tradewinds, March 8-14, 2010 Women Pilots of World War II Finally Get Recognition — Local Musician To Attend Ceremony in Washington, D.C. By Jaime Elliott St. John Tradewinds Better late than never. Almost 70 years after being the first women in history to ever fly for the U.S. Military, Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) are finally getting the recogni- tion they deserve and one St. John musi- cian will be there. Jay Keefe — one third of the popular bluegrass-twinged band The Hot Club of Coral Bay along with his wife Laurie and Ike Eichenberg — will be taking a little break from entertaining this week in or- der to accept a long-over due award on behalf of his mother. Keefe will be in Washington, D.C. on March 10 to attend a ceremony in honor of the WASP, who include his late mother among their elite rank. The groundbreaking women pilots will join the likes of George Washington, the Dalai Lama, Rosa Parks and Pope John Paul II, when they are awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the high- est accolade possible for civilians in the United States. Lyda Keefe, nee Dunhman, was one of only about 1,000 women who flew planes during World War II from mid-west air- craft factories to ports of embarkation and military training bases. She was a student at Boston Universi- ty when she signed up to take flying les- sons from the Civil Air Patrol, which was offering a class for nine students — eight men and one woman, explained Keefe. “That is where my mother and father met,” said Keefe. “They both went to Boston University, class of 1942, and flew together at what was Revere Airport, which is now Logan. They both got their pilots’ licenses but he couldn’t join the Air Force because he was color blind.” “So my father joined the infantry and was an officer,” Keefe said. “He fought in Europe and the Pacific for the entire war. They got married in 1944 during the war before he got shipped to the Pacific.” As the U.S. entered World War II, it became obvious that the Air Force had a manpower shortage and women could help fill the gaps. Thanks to the unwaver- ing insistence of women pilots Jacqueline Cochran and Nancy Harkness Love — as well as the support of Eleanor Roosevelt — the WASP were created in 1942. Once the word was out, more than 25,000 women applied for about 1,800 positions. The women, who all had their pilots licenses and an average of 1,400 Women Air Service Pilots were the first women ever to fly for the American military. flying hours, voluntarily put their lives on the line for a government that barely even acknowledged them. The WASP paid their own way to get to training in Texas, and when they were disbanded, had to pay their own way back home. “They had to do all of this on their own dime,” said Keefe. “They even had to buy their own uniforms.” In total, 38 WASP and trainees were killed flying for their country, but they received no recognition, no benefits and the American flag was not even allowed to cover their coffins. Friends and fami- lies had to take up collections to pay for their final costs. While the women were all pilots, they had to receive training to learn Army paperwork and to fly by military regu- lations. After completing her training in Sweetwater, Texas, Lyda Keefe was shipped out to Romulus, Michigan near an aircraft manufacturer. “Being based in Michigan, she flew both to the east coast and to the west coast to deliver planes,” said Keefe. “And back then it was really flying by the seat of your pants. This was before radar or GPS and all she had was a compass, a speed indicator and a flight map.” “Also the planes could only fly a few hundred miles before you had to refuel,” Keefe said. “You always had to be look- ing for the next airport or base to refu- el.” Before being unceremoniously dis- banded in 1944 — the women weren't needed since men returning from Europe needed new roles to take on — the WASP flew 60 million miles in every single type of aircraft in the Air Force arsenal. Despite serving their country during World War II, the women pilots weren’t even recognized as veterans for more than 35 years, Keefe added. “Senator Barry Goldwater was instru- mental in getting legislation passed in the “She flew both to the east coast and to the west coast to deliver planes. And back then it was really flying by the seat of your pants. This was before radar or GPS and all she had was a compass, a speed indicator and a flight map.” 1970s that finally recognized the women as veterans so they could get veterans’ benefits,” he said. With the WASPs disbanded, Lyda Keefe bought her own train ticket back east and settled down to her marriage, family and career. The Keefes eventually moved to New Jersey, where Lyda raised three children — who didn’t even know about her brave and pioneering history for a long time. “When I was a little kid, I didn’t even know my mom was a pilot,” said Keefe. “One of her girlfriends was a pilot who had married a pilot and they owned an airport in New Jersey. One time we all went there to go flying and while we were cruising over New Jersey, my mom took over.” “T was amazed,” he said. “She never even told me she was a pilot. Then we found out that my mom had been a WASP and all this history.” As Lyda Keefe got older, she proudly shared the history of her flying days and service to her country, Keefe added. “Later on, after we were grown up, she started going to WASP reunions and talk- ing about the old times,” he said. “She would go to schools sometimes in her old uniform and talk about how women can do anything as good as, and usually bet- ter than, men.” While Lyda Keefe, who would have turned 89 this year, passed away 10 years ago, her son Jay will proudly accept a far too belated award. “This was a big part of her life and she was very proud of her service,” Keefe said. “She just didn’t get her recognition when she was younger. But this is very exciting.” Officials expect about 300 surviving WASPs — the youngest of which is 85 years old — to attend the March 10 cer- emonies in the nation’s capital on March 10, as the women pilots are finally recog- nized for their brave and selfless service.