World War II gave woman her wings

POMEROY, Wash. – At a time when women were restricted from many occupations, Elizabeth Munoz became one of the first in the country to fly military aircraft during World War II.

“Women were considered not quite up to doing most things,” said the 92-year-old Pomeroy veteran. “You could only be a teacher, a nurse, a clerk or something like that.”

But in 1942, America was faced with a shortage of pilots.

“They were losing pilots very heavily,” Munoz said. “The outcome of the war was not all certain.”

At the request of Gen. Hap Arnold, famed female pilot Jacqueline Cochran began a program to train women to become military pilots. The Women Airforce Service Pilots program began.

On Dec. 20, 1944, WASP was disbanded. Those women could join the military, but they wouldn’t be able to be pilots again, Munoz said.

“That was kind of a letdown,” she said. “When we went in, the promise was if we succeeded, we’d be brought in and militarized. They didn’t need us anymore. So we went back to whatever we were doing.”

For Munoz, the decision to get involved was something of an afterthought. It was her final semester at Washington State University (then called the State College of Washington), and with room left in her schedule she decided to enroll in a civilian pilot training program.

“I thought this would be kind of fun,” she said, adding it was also a requirement for women to fly in the military. “You’ll find many of the WASPs came in this way. You had to have a private license. The men didn’t. They just went in.”

After graduation, Munoz, then 26, took the testing required to join the WASP program.

Members of the WASP program were given the rank of second lieutenant – a significant push forward for women in the military. At the time it was more for reference, and the rank didn’t apply once the program was disbanded, Munoz said.

Women were kept in the United States and did not fly combat missions, but they provided a way to replace male pilots, who could then be sent out of the country and into battle.

As a WASP, Munoz ferried planes, taxied officers, delivered parts and provided training for fighter pilots.

“We instructed cadets on instrumental flights,” she said, “which was the last thing they did before going into combat.”

Munoz also had the opportunity to test aircraft that had recently been repaired.

“You had to go up and just see if it functioned like it needed to,” she said, “and usually it did. They didn’t trust the mechanic much, maybe.”

While kept out of actual combat, Munoz said she – and, she believes, most of her fellow WASPs – didn’t find it unfair.

“The women had never had the opportunity to do anything like this before,” she said. “I don’t even know if they wanted to go into combat. Russian women, all the while, were flying in combat all the time. I don’t think I especially wanted to get into dog fights.”

She has no plans to attend the Congressional Gold Medal award ceremony March 10 at the U.S. Capitol.

“I think it’s nice for the group,” she said. “I don’t think it’s that important to me. When I was flying, my work was what was important.”