The Women with Silver Wings

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The thrilling true story of daring female aviators who aided the U.S. in World War II, only to be forgotten by the nation they served. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air, having left Nashville's debutante scene for a new life as a flight instructor in Hawaii. During a lesson, the bombs fell, and she narrowly returned to safety. When the U.S. Army Air Forces sought women pilots to support the war effort, Fort was among the first to respond, becoming one of over 1,100 women to earn her silver wings through the Army's rigorous selection process. Founded by pioneering pilots Nancy Love and Jacqueline Cochran, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) provided women like Fort the opportunity to serve and demonstrate their skills as aviators. Although not authorized for combat, the WASP trained male pilots and ferried aircraft across the country. Tragically, thirty-eight WASP lost their lives during the war. Despite this, Love and Cochran's initiative was initially seen as successful until Congress disbanded the program, sending the women home. However, the bonds they formed endured, and in the following decades, they united to fight for recognition as military veterans and to reclaim their place in history.