As Women Veterans Day approaches, a WWII pilot reflects on her service
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - In just two days, our country will celebrate Women Veterans Day.
It's a day filled with honor, but for one group of women, it took decades to be officially recognized and given the respect.
The story of the women Air Force service pilots, or "WASPS," begins in the early 1940s.
It was a program born out of necessity and fueled by young women pilots from all across the country who answered the call to duty during World War II.
With so many men away at war, women who already knew how to fly were called on for military service domestically.
Shirley Chase Kruse learned to fly at the age of 18, but joined the Air Force service at age 20.
"We all flew for our own pleasure before, and now we are in with the military training and all of the rules and regulations, and it was a lot to contend with," Kruse said.
This was a time when women were not given the same benefits or privileges as male service members.
In fact, WASPS were considered civilians, even though they flew military missions domestically and were trained just like the men who were at war.
"Then to be de-activated with nothing other than pay for your own trip home, and it was kind of a letdown feeling because I thought the government never did what they actually told us they were going to do," Kruse said.
Their official veteran status wasn't granted until 1977, after decades of fighting for it.
"That was the happiest day…we called each other and it was almost unbelievable, because we waited so long," Kruse said.
Today, stories like Kruse's live vibrantly and vividly on display at Texas Women's University in Denton.
Katherine Sharp Landdeck is a professor and author, who has dedicated her work to making sure WASPS are never overlooked again.
"I think it's important to remember the WASP and remember the work that they did in the war because it really shows that women can do these things, women can fly these airplane, women can be pilots," Landdeck said.
"This is a group of women that was forgotten for decades," Landdeck said. "From the 1940s all the way through the 70's and 80's, and they decided they didn't want to be forgotten."
As for this veteran pilot, she wants all women to know that the door to aviation has been blasted open for them.
"They don't have to go into piloting," Kruse said. "There is so many phases of flying, and there are so many opportunities today for them, and I have encouraged a few in my time to do that. So, that's a feather in cap."
"I wouldn't have changed it for anything…it's something I have always remembered, my military training," Kruse said.
Kruse will turn 100-years-old this month and still loves talking about her service to this country.
