.'.

~-

,~,

.i

WJlSl'
NEWSLETIER

Vol. V
HAFS
Secretary

Editor - Gene Shaffer FitzPatrick

- ADELE SCHARR

ADELE SCHARR spent the school year 1968-69 teaching art in

Central High School in St. Louis, Mo. The summer of
1969 DEL studied art in Mexico, Her hobbies: hooked
rugs, weaving, metal tooling or enameling and oil
painting.
The National Bank of North America in New York informed the
Order of Fifinella that ALINE RHONIA BROOKS is now deceased and the bank had acted as executor of her estate. The letter was dated July 22, 1968.
BETTY GILLIES attended the April Reunion but could not stay
the full three days. She left on Saturday to pack for
her trip to Australia the following week.
NANCY BATSON CREHS is teaching her seventeen year old son
Steve to fly in the Taylorcraft they recently refinished. On week-ends NANCY tows gliders at Crystalaire,
Calif. in a Super Cub. She hopes to also get her glider rating. NANCY flew the only "tail dragger" in the
1969 Powder Puff Derby and joined the "Disqualified
But Alive" girls who got caught at Huntington, W. Va.
by weather and did not finish the race.
BARBARA JANE ERICKSON LONDON is presently working as a
salesman at Aztec Aircraft Corp., Long Beach Airport.
Daughter Terry, age 20, has her commercial license and
is presently working on her Instrument rating. Terry
has done considerable ferrying and hopes to make aviation her career. Daughter Kris is 19 and not yet a
pilot. Husband Jack is a long-time pilot and flies now
for fun. Jack retired from the Air Force two years ago.

43-1
Secretary

- DOTTIE YOUNG

MARJORIE KETCHAM DEACON passed away January 5, 1968 in

Sunnymead, Calif. MARJORIE was stationed in Romulus,
Michigan during the HASP and was assigned to DEL
Sctarr's cadre. Her husband, M.L., and three teenage
children survive.
DR. BYRD HOWELL GRANGER is an associate professor of English
at the University of Arizona.
DR. GRANGER was recently
guest speaker before the Prescott Corral of Westerners
and spoke on "Folklore Along the Colorado River." As a
recognized authority on folklore she has published many
books, also eight other books on various phases of aviation and literature.
Prior to World War II, DR. GRANGER operated a public
relations and advertising agency in New York City. During the war she served as commanding officer of the WASP
squadron at Palm Springs, Calif. She piloted light
bombers and fighters from factories to points of embarkation.
DR. GRANGER received her AB degree at Grovcher College,
Baltimore, Md.; her MA degree at the University of Arizona; and her PhD at UCLA, where she has also been a visiting professor lecturing on folklore.

43-2
Secretary

December 1969

- MARION SCHORR BETZLER

ELLEN GERY died of cancer sometime before 1967. TONI CHAPIN

43-3 wrote that ELLEN visited Lookout Mountain, Tenn.
once when she was on the pro golf tour. ELLEN had
flown the mails in Mexico for six months after the WASP
deactivation, but never got paid so she returned to the
States to play golf. During the WASP ELLEN was based
with the WAFS in Romulus, Michigan.
IRIS CUMMINGS CRITCHELL is a lecturer and certified flight
instructor at Bates Foundation for Aeronautical Education at Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif.
ROSS KARY ANDERSON has been instructing since WASP deactivation. ROSS was a certified flight examiner in the
Dakotas before being accepted by the FAA as General
Operation Inspector (CADO) at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
ROSS is the first woman to hold such a position with
the FAA.
MARY TUFTS TROTMAN O'BRIEN and her husband John were in Portugal during the April Reunion.
MARION SCHORR BETZLER flew solo in her ninth Powder Puff
Derby this year. MARION also earned her A.T.P. rating
before the race. She was very busy with publicity for
"LIKE" (the first soft drink just for girls), her sponsor. MARION's husband Chuck flew in the race plane to
the start at San Diego. Chuck, who was a test pilot
for Curtiss Wright and North American Aviation, now owns
and operates a United Rent-All store. MARION is busy
instructing at Lane Aviation at the Columbus International Airport. The Betzler's have two sons--Rick,
who is in the Navy and stationed in California and
Michael who is in his second year at Ohio University.
Those attending the 25th WASP Reunion from this class were:
FRAN DIAZ GUSTAVSON, BETTY EAMES JOINER, ALMA JERMAN
HINDS, MARTHA WAGENSEIL DA VIS and CAROL FILLMO~

43-3
Secretary

- ESTHER POOLE BERNER

LAURINE NIELSEN was appointed in June 1967 to the FAA's

Women's Advisory Committee on Aviation and has had a
chance to visit with several WASP's on the Committee.
In 1968 RENE went on a ten-day pack trip with HENRIETTA (HANK) RICHMOND, 43-4 in the Mt. Jefferson Primitive Area in Oregon.
ELSIE DYER MONACO is now living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Her husband is with the FAA attached to the U.S. Embassy. Their son is a student at the University of
Washington studying oceanography.
VIRGINIA CRINKLAW is now VIRGINIA CRINKLAW PIERCE and has
lived in Alturas, California since February, 1969.
EMMA COULTER WARE spends most of her summers in Alpine,
Colorado where the family likes to ride horses in the
summer and ski in the winter. Daughter Nina is out of
college; Judy was in Grenoble, France during the winter
skiing season; Wende is in high school and the tripplets are now eleven years old.
DR. DORA DOUGHERTY STROTHERS missed the WASP Reunion because
she was on her yearly tour of active duty with the Air
Force at Dayton, Ohio.

BETTY ARCHIBALD FERNANDES has migrated 1:ack to Tucson, Ariz.

Her hus1:and Dick is an executive pilot and BETTY is a
traffic controller for the FAA.
ESTHER POOLE BERNER was named Director of Aeronautics for
the State of Indiana qy Govenor Edgar Whitcomb. This
honor came as a complete surprise to ESTHER as soon as
she arrived home from the Indio Reunion in April. She
has been with the Commission on Aeronautics since 1960
and is the first woman to hold this highest office in
the commission for the State of Indiana.
ANNE M. SHIELDS stopped qy Idyllwild, California on her way
to the start of the PPD at San Diego. ANNE and DORIS
GEE 44-1 had not been together since the late 1940's in
Philadelphia and had a lot of "catching up" to do.
KAY MENGES BRICK sends the following to all concerned.
"Thunderbold P-47 Pilot's Association announces that the
gals are welcome to join if they flew jugs. Membership
is $10 and this includes a silver jug pin and a quarterly, which has been great to date. They also have a
yearly get-together with a short meeting and 1:anquet."
This organization was spawned in the slipstream of Republic's big Wing Ding of 1961, was'formed in 196) and
has a marvelous built-in headquarters facility at the
Wings Club in New York. If you join, you will be helping
to perpetuate a unique organization of which you will be
a privileged member. Complete facilities of the Wings
Club will be at your disposal whenever you are in N.Y.
For further information contact Mr. Robert T. Forrest,
Thunderbolt P-47 Pilot's Association, Wings Club, Biltmore Hotel, 4)-Street & Madison Ave, New York City 10017.
BEA MEDES is reported to have moved from Tustin, California
to Portland, Oregon.
4)-4
Secretaries FAITH BUCHNER RICHARDS and MADGE RUTHERFORD

MINTON

NANCY LEE BAKER writes that the 1967 Alaskan flood will be
the topic of conversation for many years. None escaped
its fury. NANCY had just purchased a home on July 14
and was still quite unsettled when the rains started on
July 24. "The water came up 34 inches in my living
room, which is 56 inches above my front yard. My house
had two stories, so the cat and I sat it out in the upstairs, living in luxury with a camp stove, a quart of
water and plenty of canned foods."
KATHERINE LOFT STREHLE is instructing at Opa-Locka Airport
in Miami, Florida.
INEZ WOODWARD WOODS spent one year traveling in Europe and
Africa with her husband Jack (retired) and daughter
Bar1:ara, a junior high student.
INEZ is on a two-year
leave from the Los Angeles city schools where she has
been in the curriculum department.
INEZ developed the
course of study in Aeronautical Science (2 semesters)
for five Los Angeles high schools. With further refinements INEZ and four other people worked under the
federally funded Apex Project to develop the course of
study as the "best course developed to date". The
State of California Education Department accepted the
finished product for use in any California high school
and the FAA reprinted it for resale around the world.
All of this happened just before INEZ left on her long
17,000 mile trek through 1968. Their trip was planned
to visit the fascinating parts of each European and
African country they touched. INEZ's only commentl
"It's a beautiful world I"
MARY HINES GRANT lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
She was "lost"
to the WASP roster for years. Richard and Mary have
four children.
HELEN M. SCHAEFER works at the San Bruno Police Department
in California.
ISABEL STEINER KARKAU raises and shows Great Danes. She also
has a family that keeps her busy.
VI THURN COWDEN and fourteen other WASP's around Los Angeles
~
a get-together in March to alert everybody about

the 25th Reunion in Indio. Among those attending the

Japanese dinner werel 4)-7 EMERALD DRUMMOND; 44-1 GENE
SHAFFER FITZPATRICK, DOLORES MEURER REED, and CATHERINE
MURPHY; 44-2 KAY CLEVERLY PERTERSON; 44-) JULIE JENNER
STEGE and PATRICIA NETHERCUTT WEAVER; 44-5 DOROTHY MEYN
RITSCHER and DOLLY SEXTEN WETHEY; 44-6 MARY ELIZAB~
SHOEMAKER RICKABOUGH SZABLASKI, GERRY TRIBBLE VICKERS
and BETTY JANE WILLIAMS; 44-10 MARY THOITS and HALLY
STIRES.
MADGE RUTHERFORD MINTON was the WASP responsible for getting
the Fifinella pins made for the 25th Reunion.
They are
different from the original pins in that the background
is now silver to commemorate our 25th anniversary.
MAIX:Eand Sherman have a new book which was released in
August 1969. The title is "VENOMOUS REPTILES" and MADGE
says "we do mention those big rattlesnakes which used to
hibernate in the gullies of the long North~South runway
at Avenger and then come out to bask on the runway in
the warm Spring sun. This caused lots of cockpit
trouble and sometimes a go-around in the pattern again."
MARY BOWLES NELSON has moved to San Marcos, reports DORIS
GEE 44-1. MARY had been living in Idyllwild, Calif.
4)-5
Secretary - MARGARET RAY RINGENBERG
BETTY GREEN is active in the Missionary Aviation Fellowship
in Fullerton, Calif. This group of dedicated people
train missionaries to use light planes to reach inaccessible regions in their 'missionary work.
COLONEL PAT PATEMAN is scheduled to go to Viet Nam soon.
HELEN IRENE FREMD DeGRAY has been living in Miami, Florida
since returning to the States from Brazil. Her three
Brazilian-born children are now grown. IRENE has done
no flying since "those wonderful old days of the WASP".
The family enjoys the Florida climate and go shelling,
skin diving, surfing and swimming.
IRENE and her hus1:and own DeGray Design Inc., which engineers, designs
and fabricates for production and processing equipment.
JERRY HARDMAN JORDAN still has six of her nine children at
home. The family takes many trips for their vacations.
Edward is Director of the management systems and data
automation MUCOM, Picatinay Arsenal, near Succasunna,
New Jersey.
ELLEANOR B. KURTEN SCHAFFER works in the post office at Monrovia, Calif.
LT. COL. JULIA LEDBETTER could not attend the WASP Reunion
in Indio because she was attending a WAC recruiting
conference at that time.
JILL McCORMICK made a supreme effort to attend the Reunion.
JILL had just returned home from a series of hospital
bouts with arthritis.
Her comment upon returning from
the Reunion to Indiana I "It sure is a great adventure.
Enjoyed every minute of it." JILL flew to California
in a Bonanza piloted by ESTHER BERNER POOLE 4)-) and
accompanied by BETTY PETTITT NICHOLAS, 44-7 and MARTY
MARTIN WYALL, 44-10.
HELEN DETTWEILLER has traded the sands of Palm Desert, Calif.
for Portland, Oregon reports JENNIE HRESTU, 4)-4.

4)-6
Secretary - ELIZABETH McGEORGE SULLIVAN
VELMA M. SAUNDERS sent her regrets via telegram to the Reunion. She is living in Montevideo, Uraguay, S.A. (NOTE I
The office does not have her address).
DOROTHY HOPKINS HENESY had a delightful reunion with WASP's
stationed with her in Dallas and had not seen for 24
years. DOROTHY now lives in Pompano Beach, Florida and
visited ROSA LEA l'!EEKFULLWOOD 4)-4 and GRACEY JONES
PUTNAM 4)-6 in Texas-in 1968.
-----LANA CUSACK BOXBERGER married INSTRUCTOR GERRY BOXBERGER
(Pappy Birdbrain to his students at Sweetwater, who were
then known as "Boxberger's Bird Brains").
SEE GERRY
under Instructor News.
LORENA DALY DARR is proud to announce that her eldest son

graduated from the University of California, Davis

campus last Spring. Her middle child is also attending
the same school. LORENA'S youngest son is a freshman
this year at the University.
All this was done on her
own because LORENA is a widow. Of course, the boys were
a great help.
BETH G. GIBBONS lost contact with the WASP's over the years.
JEAN PARKER ROSE 4)-7 is responsible for locating BETH,
who is a mother of four and a legal secretary.
FRANCES SNYDER TANASSY and husband moved to Indianapolis in
January, 1969. Col. Tanassy is retired from the Air
Force and now employed at Allison's.
Their son Corky
lives in San Diego, Calif.
CAPTAIN MARION R. TIBBETTS is stationed in Germany with the
49th Tactical Fighter Wing. MARION is personnel officer.
JOANN GARRETT is in the Clinical Research Center of the National Institute of Mental Health in Fort Worth, Texas.
CAROL WEBB COOK and her husband operate a motel on Guam. She
has not returned to flying but says she would like to
get back in the air again.
LOLA PERKINS RICCI drove to the Reunion with her husband Edwardo from Los Angeles.
LOLA says there were so many
familiar faces at the Reunion that she can hardly wait
to see the list of all who were there, and those she
might have missed.
ANNA FLYNN MONKIEWICZ is department head of the Medical
Record Library in The Dalles, Oregon. Aside from being
mother of six, ANNA writes for a hobby. Several of her
short humorous articles have been published I "No Sting
For the WASP" in the April-May, 1966 issue of Private
Pilot under the pen name of Enid Hanlon; and "Have You
Heard This One?" in the April, 1968 issue of the VFW
Magazine under the pen name of Bill Hanlon.

4)-7
Secretary - MARY H. BURKE
LEONORA HORTON ANDERSON is a copywriter for Compton Advertising, Inc. in New York City. She moonlights at writing
aviation articles.
NONNIE keeps in contact with WASP's
who write professionally through the Aviation Writers
Association (AWA). NONNIE related an interesting experiencel
"On my honeymoon almost five years ago, my
husband's sister and brother-in-law invited us to spend
it in Vail, Colorado at a ski chalet. A friend of hers
in Minnesota had offered the chalet to her during February. The sister invited a couple over from ASPEN one
evening for dinner. Who was the gal? BETTY HAAS PFISTER 4)-511 I hadn't seen her in 15 years. A couple of
days later we drove over to Aspen and skiied with them
for the day. Small world." NONNIE also attended the
Explorer's Club banquet in December, 1968 which honored
4) Americans who shaped aviation history. Among those
attending was JACQUELINE COCHRAN.
PAT SEARES SULLIVAN's
son Gene arrived home three months
late for Christmas in 1968. In March, CES BRAV ROSE
celebrated Gene's arrival by having a Christma~-Thanksgiving Dinner with decorations and all the trimmings
for Gene and PAT SULLIVAN. Gene was in the Tonkin Gulf
serving with the U.S. Navy.
HELEN BARRICK PITTENGER teaches school and her husband is on
the Aviation Board for Kansas City, Missouri. HELEN also
had surgery this spring and missed the Indio Reunion.
JUNE EVANS McMORRIS is found again in Kansas City. JUNE met
her husband one month before graduation from Sweetwater
while on a cross-country flight. It was "love at first
sight" because they were married after graduation.
Her
husband is president of the Yellow Transit Truck Company.
WIN WOOD has moved from Idyllwild, California to San Marcos
where she is teaching, reports DORIS GEE, 44-1.
4)-8

Secretary - LOIS DOBBIN AUCHTERLONIE

JANA CRAWFORD EBERLY still plays golf regularly. James and
JANA enjoy summertime sailing with their two children.

HELEN TRIGG LUTS has permanently settled in Sacramento, Ca.,

since Col. John retired from the Air Force. John is
teaching high school English and HELEN is going to real
estate school. Their son Jack is in Viet Nam and
daughter Jonelen is in the University of Utah as a
sophomore.
HELEN and John revisited Avenger Field in
1956 and saw only concrete slabs instead of buildings.
HELEN suggested that a "statue of a girl in baggy zootsuit, helmet and goggles in hand and wearing a droopy
parachute and her eyes on the sky" would be an appropriate tribute to the bygone days.at Sweetwater during
1943-44.
MARY ESTILL FEAREY and husband Peter were returning home from
Indio and the Reunion and were pleasantly surprised to
discover that General and Mrs. Jimmy Doolittle were sitting in front of them on the flight from Palm Springs to
LAX. General Doolittle knew about the reunion and asked
about several of the WASP's he knew.
44-1
Secretary - MARY JERSHIN O'ROURKE
ALBERTA HUNT NICHOLSON is so busy with Ninety-Nine duties
that she asked JERSH to be class secretary.
ALBERTA
joined the group of downed racers at Huntington, W. Va.
when storms blocked the route to the finish line at
Dulles for the Powder Puff racers.
HARRIET KENYON CALL says it is great to be west of the Mississippi again. Lance and HARRIET sold their fixed
base operation in Pittsburgh and are now living in St.
Louis and back in the charter flying business again.
MARDO CRANE was honored as the founder of the Powder Puff
Derby by riding in a special car in a historical parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Centenniala Days of Inglewood, Calif. MARDO entered as a
contestant for the first time in the 1969 Powder Puff
Derby and ended up with the )4 other weathered-in.
planes at Huntington.
MARDO is president of the "Disqualified But Alive" club. The race was such a memorable experience that MARDO started revising her new
book telling the Powder Puff Derby Story. ~~DO is
also still showing her Cairn Terriers.
GENE SHAFFER FITZPATRICK is a certified flight instructor and
taught her daughter Kay to fly. Kay got her private
pilot's license on her seventeenth birthday in May 1969.
GENE and Kay flew in the PPD this year and joined the
DBA group. Kay thought the Derby a marvelous experience and wants to make aviation her career. Mike is a
sophomore in high school and on the swim team. Husband
Jim is a non-pilot and prefers golf.
DOLORES MEURER REED flew as co-pilot in a Cardinal with JEAN
PARKER ROSE 43-7 in this year's PPD. These two racers
were-0ne of the last to land at Dulles before the race
was over. DOLORES is presently recovering from foot
surgery and will renew her instrument rating and resume
her golf when she is up and around again.
FRANCES L. JOHNSON has worked in civil service since 1957 and
spent a couple of years in Pakistan with the Corps of
Engineers.
After six months back in the States, FRAN
went to Italy with the Corps and stayed seven years.
She has now taken up skiing in Colorado Springs with
time off to work on her stamp collection and play golf.
FRAN has a married son and four grandchildren living
in California.
Yes, she still has her red Porsche
Super 90 she brought back from Europe in 1966.
NADJA GADOWSKI KOSTUK was the only one from Bay 8 who did not
make the Reunion, due to recent gall bladder surgery.
GADGET recently took a shuttle plane down from LaGuardis to Washington National to spend the day with MARY
JERSHIN O'ROURKE. After a most pleasant day of getting
caught up on the reunion and class news, over drinks and
lunch, GADGET flew back to Trumbull, Conn. She and her
husband have a son Ken, who just graduated from high
school.
GADGET also does volunteer hospital work, which
she sandwiches in between bridge and bowling. Husband
Bill also had surgery this spring.

DORIS GEE is still selling real estate at Idyllwild, Calif.

DORIS says things are pretty dull since WIN WOOD 43-7,
DOT SWAIN LEWIS 44-5 and MARY B. NELSON 43-4 left the
area~RIS
remembered more words to songs we used to
sing at Sweetwater in the "room parties" at the Reunion.
CATHERINE MURPHY attended a Municipal Treasurer's Conference
in Denver during August.
MURPH is the treasurer for
the City of Arcadia, Calif. She brought along her uniform blouse to the Reunion to show it still "hangs
loose".
MARY JERSHIN O'ROURKE and husband are back in Washington,DC.
Col. O'Rourke is Deputy Director of the Air Force Budget. They were recently on a short tour at Robins AFB,
Georgia. JERSH still does volunteer work with the Air
Force, keeps house and generally tries to stay out of
trouble. A new granddaughter also takes up her time.
MARY KOTH McCABE had a busy summer as her twenty-two year old
daughter Kathy got married.
MARY's husband is a 1-1aster
Bridge player. After the reunion MARY stayed for a few
days with EILEEN KEALY WORDEN in Los Angeles.
IKIE,
~~Y, DOLORES REED, JEAN ROSE and GENE FITZPATRICK flew
to Long Beach for lunch and a post-reunion session.
BETTY WALL ROBERTS spent a week in Los Angeles with her sister
Julie after the Reunion.
BETTY's son Mike was stationed
on a U.S. tanker, so she got to see him in Long Beach.
BETTY did all the tourist sights, including Disneyland
before returning to Minnesota and her job in the assessor's office.
DOROTHY KRASOVEC EBY lives in Los Altos, south of San Francisco with her Pan American pilot-husband and sons David
18 and Don 11. DOROTHY was trying to prove to her three
men that she could ski as good as they could and broke
her leg proving her point. DOROTHY was hoping to be in
a walking cast for the Reunion, but that didn't work out
either. She recently resoled in a Cessna 150, then took
her husband up for a ride and sold him on small airplanes.
Now they own a Skylane and do quite a bit of flying together as a family.
RUTH CRAIG JONES and IDA CARTER came together from Oklahoma
City for the Reunion. RUTH reports she and SKIP have
been 99 members for twenty-four years but have never
flown a TAR: however, have worked feeding, watering and
sleeping the contestants when they stopped at OKC.
Lillie Pearl Bragg Laska,who dropped out on instruments
and went to Alaska to live, often flies the race says
RUTH.
44-2
Secretary - MARGE GILBERT STEWART
MARGE STEWART was unable to attend the Reunion and asked
FRAN SMITH TUCHBAND to send in a report. FRAN said that
this class had the distinction of a member traveling the
farthest to attend the Reunion and Clyde Campbell was
adopted as Den Father to 44-2.
VIRGINIA DULANEY ruu1PBELL and her husband Clyde came all the
way from Christchurch, New Zealand to attend the April
Reunion at Indio. During their stay in the U.S. they
took in their daughter Christina's graduation from Marietta College in Ohio. Their son Kim is a sophomore
there. The CAMP BELLS are living in a lovely home which
they bought from an architect this spring. This busy
family also entertains during their summer (our Christmas season) at their seashore home, "The Populars".
Clyde is sales director for the Firestone Rubber Co.
ELIZABETH MacKETHAN MAGID and her husband, who is executive
VP of the Orange BlossoD, Trail Assn., have been working
on a publication of a map and guide through Florida's
Orange Blossom Trail and the Toll-free scenic route to
the Keys. KIT had brochures on display at the Reunion
and will be happy to mail a brochure to anyone upon request. KIT's interest is in the field of writing and
she has had many articles published during the last ten
years in Motor Boating, Air Force J1agazine, U.S. Lady&
Parents.
Her previous record as executive secretary is
formidable I in the office of Secretary of the Air Force

(Stuart Symington); Executive Office of the President

(Truman): Air Force Missile Test Center (Cape Kennedy);
secretary to the producer of motion picture "Johnny
Tiger" with Robert Taylor.
44-3
Secretary - JEANNE liAGNER SIMPSON
CECILY ELMES CRAWFORD is an active member on Social Rehabilitation Committee of the Friends Church. In 1967
CECILY was crowned queen of the Junior League ~ardi
Gras Ball.
MAXINE MANOGUE HARVEY is a housewife and mother of four
children. MAXINE never left Texas after WASP deactivation. Art is her main interest and although she is
able to sell some of her works, it is not her livelihood.
RITA EDNA MURPHY WISCHMEYER has been finally located in
Dallas, Texas.
44-4
Secretary - GREY ALLISON DUNLAP
HAZEL STAMPER HOHN brought her year-old baby to the Indio
Reunion. Aside from her domestic duties, HAZEL finds
time to write an aviation column for the Carson City,
Nevada newspaper.
The Hohn's oldest son is in college
and aviation is his interest. How could he help it
with both parents flying since he was an infant. HAZEL
also writes and sells her work along with taking university courses. Busy gall
FLORINE PHILLIPS SCAIFE was married in 1968 and still lives
at her Hinsdale address.
Her sister, ROSALIE PHILLIPS
JOHNSON, 44-9 lives in Princeton, N.J.
FRANCES STANDAFER ACKER's oldest son was married in February
1969 following his graduation from the U.S. Air Force
Officer's Training School. The couple are now stationed at Vance AFB in Enid, Oklahoma where John is in
pilot training.
PATRICIA GIBSON works in the History Department of the new
Oakland (Calif.) museum.
DORIS B. TANNER is working on her dissertation for a PhD at
Vanderbilt University.
Her WASP background will be
helpful because she is doing research on women's participation in World War II.
44-5
Secretary - JEN HILL MOSELY
MILDRED TAYLOR MARSHALL (a lost Fifi) just happened to read
the October 1968 AFHF Newsletter about the WASP 25th
Reunion in Indio, Calif. She lives in Naples, Italy
with her husband, Maj. General W. W. Marshall.
General
Marshall is Chief of Staff of Air South, Allied Forces
Southern Europe. Their only child Patricia is a student
at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
GENEVIEVE LANDMAN RAUSCH with several of her golfing friends
each year sell UNICEF greeting cards and stationary in
order to do community service to the city of Danville,
Ill. GENEVIEVE teaches golf each winter in the YWCA gym.
(see classified ad)
CODYE GWEN CLINKSCALES LINDER teaches biology in the Fairmont East High School in Kettering, Ohio. Husband Jay
is principal engineer in the Miami Conservancy District.
Walter is a junior student in Bowling Green State U;
Barbara a freshman at Eastery Kentucky State U; and
Cody is an eighth grade student.
DARLENE CALKINS ENO has been working towards her college degree in education since 1962. She is in her final year
with a major in history at George Mason College of the
Uni versi ty of Virginia. DARLENE's hus 1:and Arthur is
with the FAA. They have three daughters.
DOT SWAIN LEWIS returned to Arizona after spending the summer
in Idyllwild, Calif. DOT teaches at the Orme Ranch
School in Arizona.
It was like "old times" at the Reunion with DOT strumming her "git fiddle".

44-6
Secretary - JEAN HIXON
AVA HAMM RICHARDSON and family live close to the new International Airport at Houston, Texas because husband
Ralph is with Braniff Airways. They have three children, live on a lake where everyone swims and all:are
boating enthusiasts.
AVA's flying is strictly with
Braniff and she devotes full time to the public practice
of Christian Science healing.
BEVERLY BEESEMYER and PAT CROSS own and direct the BEVERLYCROSS Agency. The agency specializes in finding the
employee to fit the job and they concentrate on business and professional positions such as advertising,
accounting, business management, engineering, insurance,
legal, motion picture publicity, TV research, real
estate and manufacturing.
Their clients are individually choses for the position and their success is wellknown in the Beverly Hills (Calif.) area for the past
15 years.
JUSTINE F1ETCHER WOODS was found by Mrs. "Dedie" Deaton. She
has been traveling around the world with her Air Force
husband. They are presently stationed at Sheppard AFB,
Texas. Col. Woods and JUSTINE have three children.
FRANKIE LOVVORN BRETHERICK moved to Florida just before the
Reunion in April and could not attend. Her husband Joe
is a mechanical engineer and FRANKIE is a registered
nurse.
VERNEDA RODRIGUEZ McLEAN was astonished to find a former
room-mate during the post WASP days living in her vicinity of Washington, D. C. VERENDA and COL. PAT PATEMAN had a wonderful evening together reading PAT's
recent WASP NEWSLETTERS, and catching up on what each
had done over the years.
SUE BOOTH HUFF has only her 18-year old daughter home now.
Terry is in Viet Nam as a copter pilot and Andy is also
in the Army.
MARY SHOEMAKER SZABLOWSKI is a social worker for the city
schools in Fullerton, Calif. Husband, Edmund, is field
representative in the accounting department for General
Motors. Their daughter Karin is a high school student.
BETTY JANE WILLIAMS is still with Lockheed in Burbank and
has taken on the project of getting the WASP movies in
order. B.J. is working through the Air Force Reserves
and says it might take a little time to get the four
films together in a more presentable condition. B.J.
has also acquired, together with some business partners,
an ocean-going houseboat "which would serve as a great
spot for a local reunion. She has a front stateroom,
aft stateroom, and three decks, so should be able to
accommodate 15-20 people for a get-together."
44-7
Secretary - BETTY PETTITT NICHOLAS
PEG PARISH GARLAND is active in the Burlington, Vermont
League of Women Votors.
PAT BLACKBURN BONASINGA was married in 1968 to Joe Bonasinga
and is still in Quincy, Ill. Joe is with the NBC
station.
JEAN LANDA just soloed in 1969 after 23 years of folded wings.
BERNICE DANNEFER PINKERTON now lives in Kansas City. James,
her husband, was transferred from Rome, Italy to the
main office of Trans World Airlines.
REXIE REXROAT is still in the control tower at Santa Fe, N.
M. and has a chance to chat with WASP's who fly by. Not
long ago DAVE LAMB, instructor, came to the tower to say
hello during a flight as captain on Texas Airlines.
"Birdlegs" Jo REED 44-7, called in from her Mooney on
her way back to Denver from the Indio Reunion.
If you
flying WASP's every pass close to SAF say SOMETHING to
REXIE when you are flying over, or better still, stop in
for a chat. REXIE is a sometimes pilot on a Schweizer
2-32. She and her son, Forest McDonald (12) have lived
in Albuquerque and REX IE works in Santa Fe, sixty miles
north. For fun REXIE skiis, paints and is a member of

the Albuquerque Witchcraft Association.

(Explain that
please - Ed.)
BETTY ROTH CROSS operates a photographic repair shop, an
avocation which turned into a profitable business. She
and her husband, Guy, live on a small acreage with crops
in walnuts and almonds. They have three children, one
son in college and a son and daughter in high school.
They also raise dogs.
44-8
Secretary - JOAN GOUGH FROST
VIRGINIA FISHER WISE's son John is a student of engineering
at Florida State University.
He received his private
pilot's license the summer of 1968 at the CAP flight
training school in Lawton, Oklahoma. Returning via jet
from the Indio Reunion to home in Florida VIRGINIA said
"per chance they were forced to deviate due to bad
weather en route and the jet flew directly over Sweetwater, which put the cap on a memorable weekend."
MIMI KEIR ESSERTIER suffered a long illness and died December
1967. MIMI was the wife of Independent Star-News editor Edward P. Essertier in Pasadena, Calif. Besides
her husband MIMI is survived by four sons and a daughter.
At an early age her parents moved to Englewood, N.J.
MIMI graduated from Dwight School and Finch Junior
College in New York City. After her WASP service MIMI
was a newspaper correspondent and magazine writer in
New Jersey before moving to California in 1948 with her
husband.
BETTY SLOAN (EIDSON) KINGDON married Fred W. Kingdon, Jr.
(husband of EDNA COLLINS KINGDON, 43-1, who passed away
in January 1966 from cancer.) Fred is with the FAA and
BETTY is in charge of the private pilot course in six
high schools in the Atlanta public school system. They
live on a "mini farm" in College Park, Georgia, where
they raise horses and Shetland sheep dogs. Recently
Fred and BETTY visited Pete and DOTTIE YOUNG in their
home in Oklahoma when they picked up a horse trailer
in Oklahoma City.
The following clipping was received from the Auburn, Calif.
AUBURN JOURNAL dated January, 19691
DR. MARY LAMY, on the staff of the Placer County (Calif)
Office of Education, and Dr. Helen Strickland returned
in January 1969 from a memorable trip to the foot of
Mt. Everest in what must have been the first expedition
by women through this spectacular country.
The hiking party included three Sherpas, who served as
guide, cook and waiter plus nine porters who carried
baggage packed in baskets weighing 65 pounds each on
their heads and backs.
They walked from 8-15 miles per day over many steep
ridges, each night making camp in the open. No vehicles
were seen during the entire trip, but the area was inhabited with farmers who terraced the mountainsides to
provide space for rice, corn and potatoes.
The country is cut by many swift rivers, which were
spanned by narrow swinging bridges. Many of the bridges
were built by Sir Edmund Hillary who took this route on
his successful climb of Mt. Everest.
Fifteen days were required to reach Thyanboche, a lamasery at the foot of Everest, their destination.
The
party hiked from 6.00 AM to 4130 PM and the average altitude was 10,000 feet rising in places to 13,000 feet.
The two women had only two days of rest, one of which
was spent at the lamasery, where they marveled at the
spectacular view of Mt. Everest and adjoining peaks.
A slightly different route was taken on the way back
down making it possible to cut four days off the treck,
for a total of 30 days hiking.
A retired British army officer in Katmandu, the capital
of Nepal, made the arrangements for Drs. Strickland and
LAMY to visit Thyanboche.
The pair visited Tokyo, Bangkok and Hong Kong on their 6-week journey.
DR. HELEN is a guidance consultant for the Placer County
school system.

44-9
Secretary - BETTY STAGG TURNER
MARGARET J. PHILLIPS donated to the Order of Fifinella files
a copy of the 1943 Life Magazine which featured the
cover story of the WASP. It is wonderful to have a
nearly perfect issue for the permanent record.
MARJORIE OSBOURNE NICOL is a widow with five children, ages
5 to 18 years. Her husband died about four years ago.
Since that time MARJORIE has traveled extensively and
finally settled in Vancouver, British Columbia.
She
is teaching English to incoming Czecks.
ESTHER STAHR CUDDINGTON and husband live in Farmington, Ill.
"I.J." is head of the Cuddington Insurance Agency.
BETTY MARTIN RIDDLE and husband flew out to the Indio Reunion.
Howard is executive pilot out of Rockford, Illinois.
Their oldest daughter is married and BETTY is now a
grandmother.
Steve is a heliocopter pilot for the Army.
Their youngest child is in grade school.
MARIE "COOKIE" JACOBSON ONES I teaches art in the Murray
School District of Concord, California, but found time
to organize the Bay Area girls for the Reunion. The WASP
had a big publicity spread in the Oakland Tribune and
this turned up some lost Fifi's. There are something
like 54 WASP's in the Bay Areal
KAY KLEINECKE has lived in Europe since 1950. a year after
graduating from the University of California in Berkeley.
At present KAY lives in Rome, Italy buying antiques for
sale in the United States. Kay's most unusual job was
in 1955 when she served as pilot for an English editor
and flew his English training plane. Her flights ranged
from Casablanca to Metz, France; Frankfurt, Germany; and
Rome, Italy. KAY extends an invitation to all Fifi's
visiting Rome. She lives in a small apartment, but can
serve as guide and/or reservation assistant to all who
come. Just ask RUTH HAGEMANN WHEELER, 43-5, who visited
KAY many times in Rome.
HELEN JOHNSON CANNON was in Florida attending the National
School Board Convention and could not attend the Indio
Reunion. HELEN plays golf every day with her husband
Robert, who was manager of the Tropicana Hotel on the
Las Vegas Strip.
MARGARET GEE is a physicist at the University of California
(Berkeley) Radiation Lab.
MILDRED HOUSE FERREE is employed at Wellesley College. She
has-a-50n going to England and a daughter going to
Russia this year.
44-10
Secretary - SARA PAYNE HAYDEN
MURIEL MORAN teaches kindengarten in Honolulu. She was
Stateside the summer of 1968 and visited in Florida and
New Orleans with LOUISE MAGOON THOKEY 44-10.
ETHEL LYTCH MILLER is living in Colorado Springs, Colo. Marv,
her husband, is a full colonel and one of the command
directors of the Combat Operations Center in NORAD in
the Cheyenne mountains.
Marv and THEL met at Sweetwater.
They have two sons and one daughter in college and their
youngest daughter is a senior in high school.
Tish, the oldest daughter of MARY JANE LIND SELLERS and Colonel Colemand Sellers is attending the University of
Colorado in Boulder. COLEMAND is retired from the Air
Force.
MARGARET EGER TEMME and JEWEL ESTES live close together outside Kansas City, Mo. JEWEL is very artistic and together they make figures for nativity scenes. Before
entering the WASP training, JEWEL was a member of the
Texas Wing of Women Fliers (TWOWF) along with other
women who became WASP's. The TWOWF had their basic
training at Kelly, Brooks and Randolph Fields.
FRANKIE YEARWOOD BILLINGS is a professional photographer in
West Memphis, Arkansas.
She is a retired Captain in the
Air Force Reserve.
DOROTHY NAGEL IRELAND received so much response from her
efforts to rent her apartment in Hawaii that she is now

in the Hawaiian Apartment Rental Business.

DOROTHY is
fortunate to live both in California and Hawaii and can
be contacted qy travel agencies in the Los Angeles area
for Hawaiian rentals.
(See Classified Ad). DOROTHY
was recently in Boston to visit her son in early October.
CAROLYN LUMPP GROWCOCK took off January 1969 with her husband on his semester sabbatical leave. Most of their
time was spent in Spain and the Mediterranean area.
All three of their younger children are now in college.
Nancy at San Francisco; Austin and the boys at the University of Texas. Fred and CAROLYN hope to visit Russia, Poland and Turkey before returning to Texas.
MARGARET WERBER GILMAN and husband have two children. Jane
is in high school and Charles is a student at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gilman is the chief veterinarian for the New York Racing Association.
ANN "ROONEY" ATKEISON, our new business secretary, attended
the 1968 Mexican Olympics. ROONEY came to the Indio
Reunion in her Dodge Motor Home with a bunch from Ft.
Worth.
AILSA CONNOLLY SIMONSON writes for the Crosqy, North Dakota
newspaper, Divine County Journal.
CONNIE has been in
the north country since the WASP. She taught school in
Coalridge, Montana and met Air Force veteran Art Simonson. After Art was called back into the service during
the Korean War, CONNIE and Art were married in Las Vegas,
Nevada. The Simonson's have five childrenl
Kathleen
(Mrs.) Lowell Kihle of Madison, Wisconsin; Cynthia, 17;
Tina, 15; Shannon, 12; and Jim, 11. Art is a well-known
farmer in Divide County, chiefly raising beef cattle.
FRANCIE MEISNER PARK's daughter Jonnie was married December
1968. Steve, her son, is still in high school and busy
with teen age part-time working.
Steve is also on the
school wrestling team.
The father of MAJOR NINA K. MORRISON passed away September
1968. He suffered from emphasema several years and had
been living in Hawaii with GAPPY. Buriel in Beaumont,
Texas. GAPPY has bought a house near Honolulu and will
be stationed at Hickam AFB until July 1970.
SARA PAYNE HAYDEN spent three weeks in Curacao in the Caribbean in March, then jetted out to Indio for the Reunion.
SARA has just started her fourth term as Commander of
the Methuen Women's Post 417, American Legion and has
been honored with a life membership.
SARA says they
still have parades in Methuen and she will be marching
November 11 and May 301
JUNE WOLFE LECKIE was unable to attend the Reunion because
~as
scheduled for surgery in June and was restricted to staying at home. JUNE had her gall bladder removed.
EMILY CHAPIN is assistant engineer at GPL-Singer (General
Precision, Inc.) Aerospace Group. EMILY came to GPL
in 1956. She graduated from Welesley College, and
prior to joining the last class of the WASP, EMILY was
in England flying for the Air Transport Auxilliary.
(See ATA article).
RUTH REES PHILLIPS has the Welcome Mat out on a ranch strip
about 150 miles south at Gagle Pass. Check the WAC
sectional for Sierra Hermosa. Strip 4500'long.
RUTH
has lots of bedsl
UNCLASSIFIED
& INSTRUCTORS
L.F. ROBERTS, JR. flies an Aero Commander 680 in his work
covering four southern states for Stanley Home Products.
GERRY BOXBERGER ("Papa Birdbrain") married LANA CUSACK BOXBERGER after Sweetwater days. He is a Captain for
American Air Lines on the west coast.
MRS. "DEDIE" DEATON has a remarkable collection of WASP
memorabilia which includesl all of the wings, Fifi
patches, complete file of our newspapers, class books
and all photos taken qy the Air Corps at Avenger Field.
FRED BUNYAN was instructor on UC-78's at the Ferry Command in
Romulus, Michigan. HAZEL STAMPER HOHN has not corresponded with him for some time, but says FRED is probably
still a jet test pilot. All WASP's in the Third Ferry
Group may remember FRED.

JACQUELINE COCHRAN spoke to the Redwood City, Calif. Zonta

Club in January on Amelia Earhart.
Many Ninety-Nines
and WASP's were present as guests of the Zonta Club's
yearly emphasis on Amelia Earhart's contribution to
women in aviation.
Zonta has a scholarship program to
support women working toward advanced degrees in aeronautics and related fields. MISS COCHRAN is an active
Zontian, as was Amelia Earhart.
ELMER RILEY, Director of Training at Sweetwater, is still
flying and associated with the G & H Flying Service at
El Monte, Calif.
FLIGHT SURGEON N. O. MONSERUD operates a medical clinic with
three other doctors in Cloquet, Minnesota.
DR. MONSERUD
and his wife Evelyn attended the April Reunion in
Indio.
CLASSIFIED

ADS

WAIKIKI, HAWAII - Apartments for rent, all sizes and more

luxurious than hotels and less expensive.
Completely
furnished with both weekly and monthly rates. Write I
DOROTHY NAGEL IRELAND, 19019 Blackhawk Street, Northridge, Calif. 91324.
UNICEF GREETING CARDS & WRITING NOTES ordered through GEN~VIEVE LANDMAN RAUSCH. Pricel $1.50 per box and calendars @ $2.50. Address I 1109 Wilkin, Danville, Ill.
Phone. Area 217 446-2726
WANTED I To purchase 44-6 Classbook.
Never had an opportunity
to buy one as I left Avenger right after graduation enroute to Romulus, Michigan.
Write. RUTH WEST~IrlliR
NEYMARK, 100 State Street, Boyne City, Michigan 49712
WANTED I To purchase WASP wings. I am presently wearing a
borrowed one on my Air Force uniform. Writel Lt. Col.
Ann R. Johnson, Hq 7AF, Cmr 2, Box 12772 APO San francisco, Calif 96201
WANTED.
Copy of original WASP roster. Write I Mrs. Clifford
E. Deaton, 2311 Roberts Avenue, Wichita Falls, Texas
76301
WANTED.
One pair of WASP wings. Michael L. Scott is a
serious collector of military aviation wings and now
has over sixty different types of wings used since
World War I. These wings have belonged to Capt. Eddie
Rickenbacker, Maj. Richard Bong and Col. James Jabara.
Please send WASP wings to Fifi Headquarters to be forwarded to Mr. Scott of Pikeville, Kentucky.
WANTED lOne
pair of WASP wings. Mr. Lee K. Carr of Bay City,
Texas has a collection of military wings and makes interesting sketches about each one for items on display.
He
requests a pair of WASP wings to "enrich" his collection.
ACQUISITIONS

FOR THE WASP FILES

"THERE I WAS " by Bob Stevens, Aero Publishers, Inc. Fallbrook, California.
Donated by Major Nina K. Morrison.
The WASP's are featured in cartoons and comments under
the 78th Fighter/Bomber Group.
OFFICIAL PHOTOS taken at Houston and Sweetwater (152) and 34
smaller pictures.
Mr. Hank Erdmann also sent two copies
of the "Fifinella Gazette" issues #1 and #3. These were
printed in Houston, Texas and the Editor was Byrd Howell
Granger 43-1.
DOES ANYONE KNOW? (Attached
WANDA LAVECCHIA, 1185
Beach, Florida.
This
and she may have been

to bulletin board in Indio)

Marseille Dr. Apt 109, Miami
is the singer name of Wanda Curtis
in 44-9 or 44-10?

NEW SECRETARY FOR CLASS 44-11

MARY JERSHIN O'ROURKE - 1600 E. Eads Street., #423-N
Arlington, Virginia 22202.
Any WASP who would like to be a Class Secretary, please
check in with the present class secretary and then advise
the Editor.
ALL WASP items and pictures can be sent directly to the
Editor 1 2345 Sparta Drive, Miraleste, Calif. 90732.

FIFI PORTRAIT

--

BARBARA JANE LONDON, WAFS

BARBARA JANE ERICKSON LONDON - WAFS - received the Air

Medal from General "Hap" Arnold in the summer of 1944. This
award, signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, was for a
series of ferry flights from coast to coast in four different
type aircraft in a little less than five days.
BARBARA started flying in 1939 in the CPT program while
a student at the University of Washington in Seattle. She
completed all CPT classes and started instructing in 1941 in
Seattle.
"BJ" went into the Army Air Corps in September 1942 as
a WAF and was stationed at Wilmington, Delaware until January
1943. She was then sent to Long Beach as Squadron Commander
for the new ferry squadron. At one time there were over 80
WASP's stationed at Long Beach, but with transistion and aircraft check-outs the squadron stabilized at around 40 pilots;
The HASP assignment was to ferry aircraft from the factories
of Douglas, Northrup, North American, Lockheed and Boeing on
the West Coast, and from Republic, Martin and Bellon the
East Coast.
"BJ" was checked out in over 30 different type aircraft at one time. She had a 5-P rating for all single,
multi-engines (including 4 engines) and for all pursuit airplanes.
"This award represented rather a commendation for all
the WASP pilots rather than an award for an individual,"
said BARBARA.
"All the WASP's did an outstanding job of
ferrying and could do as much on any normal ferry flight.
This award was to show that the girls could and did do during the war." "BJ" received a commission of l'1ajorin the
USAF Reserves and is still active in that organization.
After the war "BJ" worked as Executive Secretary for
the Powder Puff Derby and was a member of the Board of Directors for 15 years.
###
WASP AMONG FIRST WOMEN AT SOUTH POLE
JEAN HANMER PEARSON 43-3 was in the pioneer group of
women who reached the South Pole just 40 years to the month
after Admiral Richard Byrd first flew over the South Pole.
The article appearing in the November 25, 1969 INDIANAPOLIS STAR said that the six women were flown to the pole
from the chief United States base at McMurdo and toured the
American polar station and scientific facilities . Dr. Louis
Jones, geochemist from the University of Georgia is in charge
and JEAN went along as science writer for the DETROIT NEWS.
Dr. Jones and her team will study the chemical weathering of
rocks and soil, along with salt accumulation, in the ice-free
valleys of the Antartic region.

AMERICAN WOMEN PILOTS WHO SERVED WITH THE AIR

TRANSPORT AUXILIARY IN GREAT BRITAIN DURING WORLD WAR II
Early in 1942 JACQUELINE COCHRAN was in England with
six American women pilots volunteering their efforts to the
Air Transport Auxiliary, a subsidiary of the BOAC (British
Overseas Airways Corp). MISS COCHRAN had arranged for the
women to work as civilians under an l8-month contract with
the ATA as pilots ferrying planes for the RAF. Their chief
operation was to deliver the war planes from the factory to
the airdrome maintenance units to be equipped with ar~cnt,
thence to active squadrons.
The women would then bring back
the cripples from the squadrons to the factory repair shops
at various locations in the British Islands, including Northern Ireland.
The original six women were followed by eighteen more
(traveling in groups of six) under contract and all arriving
in England by September, 1942. They were. MYRTLE RITA
ALLEN CARTER, OPAL PEARL ANDERSON AVERITT, DOROTHY RITA
BRAGG HEWITT, EMILY CHAPIN, VIRGINIA FARR, NARY ESTELLE FORD,
SUSANNE HUMPHREYS FORD DeFLOREZ, EVELYN HUDSON MARGARET
ELIZABETH LENNOX DROWN, ROBERTA SANDOZ LEVEAUX, NANCY JANE
MILLER LIVINGSTON, MARY WEBB NICHOLSON, WINNIE RAWSON PIERCE
BEASLEY, HAZEL RAINES, HELEN RICHEY, EDITH FOLTZ STEARNS,
GRACE STEVENSON, KATHERINE DEL VAN DOOZER, ANN WATSON WOOD
KELLY, LOUISE E. M. SCHUURMAN, VIRGINIA GARST and UNA GOODWIN. 'l\ro more Canadian women recruited by MISS COCHRAN were
HELEN HARRISON and GLORIA LARGE. Six other women from the
United States joined on their own after MISS COCHRAN returned to the States in November, 1942 to start the WASP program.
These were. RUBY D. GARRETT, SHELIA GARRETT, VIOL!!."!'
BEATRICE
MILSTEAD, JOAN RATCLIFF, JANE GRAHAM PLANT SPENCER and
LESLIE MURRAY, who was killed while flying in ATA.
I

The American women were recruited by MISS COCHRAN in

late 1941, just after Pearl Harbor, if they held commercial
licenses and were willing to help the British war effort.
Their first assignment was to go to Montreal for transitional training at Dorval Airport in AT-6's.
Some of the women
had flown only small trainers such as Piper cubs prior to
their training at Dorval.
The contingent was then sent via
train to St. Johns, Newfoundland and transported by ship to
Liverpool, England.
MISS COCHRAN met each group at the dock.
Each of the women served her eighteen months and was given a
choice of remaining for another eighteen months or returning
home to the United States to enter the WASP training.
According to the records, only five women returned to
the States to enter the WASP program.
They were MYRTLE ~
CARTER (44-8), EMILY CHAPIN (44-10), HAZEL RAINS (44-J), and
HELEN RICHEY (4J-5). MYRTLE ALLEN CARTER, HAZEL RAINS and
HELEN RICHEY are all deceased.
The fifth woman to return
was KATHERINE DEL VAN DOOZER, who did not enter the WASP
program on flying status, but was an Establishment Officer
at Avenger Field. She is also deceased.
A sister of
MARJORIE STEVENSON (44-8) was in England flying under this
program.
GRACE STEVENSON served J6 months on contract.
The women flew as many as JO types of war planes including single engine Spitfires, Hurricanes and multi-engine
Mitchells, Bostons, Hudsons and Beaufighters on their shuttle
flights in the British Isles. MARY NICHOLSON, who was MISS
COCHRAN's secretary when she joined ATA was the only woman
recruited by MISS COCHRAN and under contract from the United
States to be killed in ATA service.
Some of the ATA pilots remained in England even after
the war. The ATA women in England have annual reunions to
relive their experiences during those desperate days for
Great Britain.
EMILY CHAPIN has tried to contact the American women
recently, and has discovered that only two are currently
flying commercially.
MARGARET LENNOX BROWN was a flight in-

structor at Freeport, Grand Bahama Island off the coast of

Florida, and is now flying in Ft. lauderdale, Florida.
Three years ago, PEGGY was featured in the Sunday supplement
of the Ft. Lauderdale newspaper, and last July (1969) she
was AOPA's Interesting Member (page 49). NANCY MILLER LIVINGSTON operates a flying business with her husband, LIVINGSTON COPTERS, INC., in Juneau, Alaska.
Others have varing occupations.
VIRGINIA FARR operates
the V2 Ranch in Templeton, California which breed Polled
Herford cattle and Welsh Corgie terriors.
VIRGINIA's partner on the ranch is British-born and was in England during
WW-II serving as operations officer in ATA, no~ on flying
status. They both return to England every five years to
attend the ATA Reunions.
SUSANNE HUMPHREYS FORD DeFLOREZ is running the family
business which involves world traveling for Humphreys Medicine Company in Rutherford, New Jersey. ROBERTA SANDOZ LEVEAUX was married to an English officer during her tour, and
is now a guidance counselor at the University of Oklahoma in
Norman.
GRACE STEVENSON is at home with her sister, MARJORIE STEVENSON, in Holdenville', Oklahoma.
ANN WATSON WOOD KELLY, who stayed with the program in
England until 1945, is in public relations for Pan American
Airways in their Boston, Massachusetts office.
She has
recently been placed on the Women's Advisory Committee on
Aviation (WACOA) which meets twice a year with FAA in Washington, D. C. ANN and MISS COCHRAN were honored as special
guests at an ATA Reunion in 1968.
WINNIE RAWSON PIERCE BEASLEY lives on an 8-acre farm
raising horses and teaching riding in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She is a familiar visitor at the airport during CAP maneuvers as a search & rescue pilot. WINNIE's chief mode of
transportation on the ground is a motorcycle with sidecar.
She is a widow with four boys in school. WINNIE was featured in the AOPA Pilot magazine in August, 1969 as "Our Interesting Member", (page 45).
EMILY CHAPIN is assistant engineer at Singer-General
Precision, Inc. in pleasantville, New York.
She graduated
with the 44-10 class from Avenger.
All information for this article was supplied by
Emily's memory, together with help from her correspondence
with the women from ATA. Her resource book "Brief Glory.
The ~
of A.T.A."
by E. C. Cheeseman (194~EMILY
is
looking fora copy of this rare book for the ORDER OF FIFINELLA files, plus any additional information about the women
of the Air Transport Auxiliary during World War II.
1969 POWDER PUFF DERBY
Listed below are former WASP's who flew in this year's
All Woman Transcontinental Air Race.
NANCY BATSON CREWS - WAF
MARION SCHORR BETZLER - 4J-2
ANNE M. SHIELDS - 4J-5
MARGARET RAY RINGENBERG - 4J-5
JEAN PAR~ROSE
- 4J-7
MARDO C. CRANE - 44-1
ALBERTA HUNT NICHOLSON - 44-1
DOLORES MEURER REED - 44-1
GENE S~ITZPATRICK
- 44-1
LOUISE BRAND HYDE - 44-4
PATRICIA THOMAS GLADNEY - 44-8
MARTHA BLAIR GAUNCE - 44-10
ISABELLE McCRAE - 44-J
KAY MENGES BRICK 4 J,-J is AWTAR Chairman
MAXlNE:STEwARD SMITH 4J-6 was Timer and Chief
Judge at the Start

WASP REUNION. APRIL ll-l} at INDIO, CALIFORNIA

We came, Qy every means available, from North, East,
South and West, away from our varied vocations and avocations, in a manner not unlike that assemblage in Texas some
twenty-five years ago. We were greeted Qy a hot desert sun
and complimentary bags of California grapefruit.
We soon
realized we shared a common problem--the need of a twentyfive year eye sight adjustment.
The s~ueals of greetings
across a room to yet another recognized ac~uaintance continued right up until departure time.
Our first get-together was for pool-side cocktails and
then the flash bulbs began to pop. A few husbands beamed
proudly as they were introduced.
A ban~uet followed and we
were seated Qy classes. More picture snapping and roaming
to other class tables, then we settled down and were welcomed Qy JACQUELINE COCHRAN, who looks absolutely terrific.
She
expressed her pride in all WASPS and in our accomplishments.
Ever-bubbling LENI DEATON told us it was her pleasure to say
that she was the only person ever to meet each one of the
WASPS, and as she spoke she recaptured each of our hearts.
BETTY JO STREFF REED, 44-7 presented MISS COCHRAN with a
memorial pla~ue she had made for her. MISS COCHRAN introduced General Chuck Yeager, pioneer with the X-i5 and other
experimental super sonic flight programs, who treated us
with a most interesting series of films of X-i5 flights,
vertical takeoff craft, delta wing and the latest giants of
the supersonic world.

ATTENDING THE TWENTY FIFTH REUNION

44-4
4}-7
44-5
44-10
4}-8
4}-7

Acker, F.
Anderson, L.
Anderson, N.
Atkeison, A.
Auchterlonie, L.
Avery, Dorothy

44-9
4}-4
44-10
44-9
44-6
44-7
4}-7

Bahl, P.
Baker, N.
Barnes, Eliz.
Beck, M.
Beesemyer, B.
Benn, V.
Bennett, A.
Berner, E.
Beyer, A.
Bishop, E.
Boxberger, L.
Boyd, Betty
Brick, K.
Bright, N.
Bristol, E.
Brown, B.
Budde, B.
Burbeck, J.
Burke, M.

BEA HAYDU, 44-7 told us she had donated her uniform and
wings to the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, and of
plans for as much representation as can be collected for a
WASP display.
Several of the present military contingent
said they were pushing for approval to wear their WASP wings
as part of their present uniform. With the serious business
concluded, a drawing of tickets found many lucky WASPS awarded one of the donated gifts.
The highlight of events was the chuck wagon dinner at the
Cochran-OdIum ranch. The spacious green lawns, a hint of
chill in the night air, ample food and drinks gave all a
spirit of jovial comradship.
It mattered not to which class
one had belonged as we met and mingled, renewing old friendships and making new ones. It became most evident that we
shared a lifetime bond with all other WASPS. JACQUELINE
and Floyd OdIum were most gracious hosts. To show our appreciation for all of her efforts, we presented MISS COCHRAN
with a special set of golf clubs and bag.

Estes, J.

4}-8
44-7
44-9

Fearey, M.
Ferguson, E.
Ferree, Mil.
Fillmore, C.
FitzPatrick, G.
Fliesbach, J.
Florey, R.
Flournoy, M.
Fohl, R.
Foran, N.
Foster, J.
Frost, J.

4}-2

4}-}

44-1
4}-4
4}-6
4}-5
4}-}

4}-7
E.O.
44-7
4}-}

4}-4
4}-7
4}-1

Saturday morning saw fifty WASPS tee off at the Cochran

Golf Course, while several busloads of non-golfers took a
tour of the Coachella Valley. We reassembled Saturday afternoon for a business meeting, called Qy MARTY MARTIN ~LL
4410. MARTY was presented with a memento to express the
appreciation of us all for the tremendous job she has done
in keeping us together with the NEWSLETTER, Rosters and wellplanned reunions.
We elected the following as new officers I
President, DOTTIE YOUNG 4}-1; Business Secretary, ANN ATKEISON; Historian, MARTY WYALL and NEWSLETTER Editor, GENE FITZPATRICK 44-1.. We all applauded when LENI DEATON announced
that the people of Sweetwater plan to erect a permanent memorial to the WASP at Sweetwater, at their expense.

44-10

Unc.

4}-5
44-2
44-1
44-10
44-10
44-6
44-}
44-4
4}-7

4}-7
44-2
44-10
44-10
44-2
4}-4
4}-4
44-10
WAFS
44-8
Unc.
44-9
44-7

4}-5
44-6

4}-5
44-10
4}-}

4}-2
E.O.
44-}
4}-8

Callaghan, C.
Campbell, Mrs.C
Campbell, J.
Campbell, V.
Carter, I.
Carr, P.
Chapin, E.
Chappell, M.
Christian, M.
Church, M.
Clark, B.
Clayton, C.
Cleverly, K.
Coakley, V.
Coleman, P.
Conley, M.
Cooke, J.
Cowden, V.
Creger, C.
Crews, N.
Crook, G.
Cross, B.
Cuddington, E.
Cunningham, J
Cutler, V.
Daley, E.
D'Ambly, J.
Davis, D.
Davis, E.
Davis, M.
Deaton, L.
DeLeat, M.
deMunzo, E.

44-1

4}-4
4}-4
4}-8
44-9
44-6
4}-8
44-8

Inst.
44-10
44-4

Gamber, R.
Carland, M.
Garrett, p.
Gaunce, M.
Gee, D.
Gee, M.
Gibbons, Bethel
Gillies, B.
Gladney, P.
Granger, Byrd
Greenblatt, E.
Goose, R.
Gustavson, F.
Gough, V.
Hailey, L.
Harding, L.
Harman, J.
Harmon, E.
Harvey, M.
Hash, V.
Hazeltine, N.
Hayden, S.
Haydu, B.
Hayes, E.
Henesy, D.
Henze, C.
Hilbrandt, K.
Hinds, A.
Hixson, J.
Hodgson, M.
Hohn, H.
Holland, H.
Hrestu, J.
Hubbard, V.
Huff, S.
Hunt, F.
Hunter, Z.
Hurlbutt, J.
Hyde, L.

44-10

Ireland, D.

44-1
4}-4

Jenkins, J.
Jenks, J.
Johnson, A.
Johnson, L.
Johnson, F.
Johnson, R.
Joiner, Betty
Jones, M.
Jones, R.
Jurnecka, R.

4}-4
44-7
44-9
44-10
44-1
44-9

4}-6
WAFS
44-8
4}-1
4}-1

44-10
4}-2
44-7
4}-}

4}-7
44-9
44-9
44-}
44-10
44-6
44-10
44-7
44-5

4}-6
44-10
44-10
4}-2
44-6

4}-5
44-4

4}-5
4}-4
44-5
44-6

4}-7

4}-1

4}-6
Upon returning to our head~uarters at the Hotel we had
yet another treat I The films taken at Sweetwater.
The old
memories were really brought to life as we looked back those
twenty five years at training and graduation films.

4}-7

Sunday morning breakfast was followed Qy a beautiful

memorial service to those of our members who have gone on.
We then met again at poolside for last-minute pictures and
goodQyes.

4}-5
4}-5

It was a perfect reunion, married only Qy the fact that

ALL members were not present.
Adele Beyer 44-1

4)-8
44-4
44-4
44-6

Inst.
44-8
44-5

Dresbach, !'l.
Drummond, E.
Dula, Ann
Dunlap, G.
Dybbro, B.
Ebersbach, D.
Eddy, V.
Eckley, K.
Ehrmann, M.
~no, D.

44-1

4}-5
4}-2
44-9
44-1
44-10
4}-4

4}-5
44-8
44-7

Keefe, L.
Kenney, A.
Killen
Kinney, A.

43-)

Knight, F.

44-10
44-7
44-5
Unc.
44-3
43-4
43-8

Lamb, D.
Landa, J.
Lewis, D.
Livingstone, L.
Loomis, M.
Lundy, M.
Luts, H.

44-1
44-4
43-5
44-3
44-10
44-6
44-5
43-5

McCabe, M.
McCart, J.
McCormick, J.
McCrae, I.
McGrath, C.
McLean, V.
McSheedy, J.
McVey, L.

44-7
43-4
44-8
44-2
43-3
43-3
43-4
43-2
44-5
44-10
44-10
43-8
M.D.
44-10
44-10
44-5
44-1

Mann, Lila
Martin, B.
Martin, J.
Masonhall,
Mayfield, G.
Meek, R.
Meikle, M.
Mickelsen, G.
Miles, K.
Miller, E.
Miller, T.
Milner, M.
Monserud, Dr.
Moreo, J.
Mo=ison, N.
Munn, M.
Murphy, C.

43-1
43-4
44-3
44-7
44-9
44-1

Neale, M.
Nelson, M.
Nemhauser, V.
Nicholas, B.
Nicol, M.
Nicholson, A.

44-4
44-9
44-4
43-4
44-9
44-1
44-2

Ohm, D.
Olmsted, J.
Olney, F.
Olsen, D.
Onesi, M.
O'Rourke, M.
0=, J.

44-6
44-10
44-9
44-3
44-6
43-5
44-9
44-10
44-7
43-3

Palmer, R.
Park, F.
Parker, C.
Parker, J.
Parish, S.
Pateman, Y.
Petty, J.
Phillips, R.
Pickering, N
Pierce, V.

43-4
43-6
43-8
44-7
44-1
44-9
43-6
44-7
43-4
44-6
44-9
44-9
44-5

Rabun, F.
Rance, M.
Rech, M.
Reed, B.
Reed, D.
Reuel, M.
Ricci, L.
Reynolds, M.
Richards, F.
Richardson, A.
Richey, M.
Riddle, B.
Ritscher, D.

I,.

44-10
44-4

Young, M.
Zell, A.

44-1
43-4
44-4
43-6
43-6
44-3
43-8
43-7
44-10

Roberts, B.
Robertson, J.
Rohrer, A.
Rolle, M.
Ronstad, R.
Rooney, D.
Rose, Ces
Rose, J.
Rosenthal, R.

43-4
43-5
43-3
44-10
44-6
43-5
44-8
44-8
43-4
44-3
44-10
44-10
44-6
43-6
44-9
44-10
44-8
43-4
44-3
E.O.
43-5
43-6
43-4
44-6

Schaefer, H.
Schaffer, E.
Secciani, J.
Sellers, M.
Sharr, B.
Sheffer, H.
Sherwood, P.
Shinski, B.
Shultz, D.
Sieber, D.
Simmonds, M.
Simonson, A.
Smith, B.
Smith, M.
Snell, G.
Sproat, H.
Standish, M.
Staples, N.
Stember, C.
Stires, H.
Stortz, C.
Story, I.
Sweet, V.
Szablowski, M.

43-6
44-10
44-10
44-10
43-6
44-2
44-9
44-9
44-2

Tanassy, F.
Temme, M.
Thoits, M.
Thokey, L.
Tomlinson, E.
Tuchband, F.
Tucker, B.
Turner, B.
Twito, M.

44-10

Uhalt, J.

44-9
44-9
43-4
44-6

Van Deldon, V.
Van dar Linden, E.
VanLom, I.
Vickers, G.

44-10
43-6
44-8
43-3
43-4
44-5
44-7
44-6
44-5
44-10
44-10
44-10

Wagner, M.
Wakeham, M.
Wanty, D.
Ware, E.
Watry, V.
Watson, E.
Weiss, M.
Wells, M.
Wethey, D.
Wheatley, J.
Wheeler, F.
White, E.

MARTY SAYS I "Thank you for your generous spirit and

thoughtfulness.
I shall cherish this forever and mark 1969
as one of the happiest years of my life."

44-6
43-6
43-7
44-8
44-8
43-7
44-1
43-4
43-4
44-9
44-5
44-10

Williams, B.
Wilson, O.
Wise, L.
Wise, V.
Wood, J.
Wood, w.
Worden, E.
Woods, I.
Wortz, E.
Wray, L.
Wright, H.
Wyall, M.

Dr. Cassell was stationed at Las Vegas during the war

and knew many of the WASPS there.

44-10
44-2

Zerlaut, J.
Zimmer, L.

A SALUTEl
OVER AND ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY by MARDO CRANE
Each WASP is an outstanding individual in her own way.
It is an inner something that everyone of the 1,074 women
who flew in the Air Force in WWII, and yes--those WASP trainees who did not get their wings, possessed.
It is like the
quality that drove our MARTY WYALL 44-10 to reorganizing
the WASP, starting in 1963 with just an idea that kept bugging her -- that somehow these women pilots should stick together.
MARTY was the one who started the ball rolling again by
a=anging a special banquet for ex-WASP's at the NinetyNines International convention in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1964.
From then on, she practically dedicated her time to this job
of reorganization.
In a way, MARTY WYALL was lucky. She had a flyer-husband, Gene, without whose cooperation she could never have
carried the load of those first years. She also had sons,
Cary, Sandy, John, and Peter who kept things going full tilt
at home. While daughter Martha was the steady-Eddy who fed
the animals (including 18 head of cattle), and even started
dinner on nights when mom was flying a charter trip (just
another one of MARTY's little jobs!). Oh yes, we have to
mention an exchange student from Chile, David NowogrodskiRojas, who is a member of their family for ten months.
In this rather hectic atmosphere, which also included
much donation of time to civic projects, she managed to get
out the WASP N~,SLETrERS, Rosters, stationary & decals, keep
WASP accounts (and go in the hole personally, every so often),
and generally work to restore the organization to the postWASP times when Hally Stires, Betty Williams, Clara Jo Stember and others, worked with the same dedication.
Now that a new set of ORDER OF FIFINELIA officers has
been elected and ~lARTY is "merely" doing her thing as historian, her Gene says, with a smile, "MARTY just can't be con- "
vinced that there are only about 16 hours in a day for work.
MARTY -- we are glad we have youl
# # #

THANKS for everything I

On August 22, 1969 the postman delivered a large package to MARTY. Inside was the silver bowl with WASP wings
at the top and the following engraving I
"MARY MARTIN WYALL with deep affection and appreciation.
WASP 25th Anniversary Reunion
Indio, California
April, 1969."

COMMENTS ON CORRESPONDENCE

RECEIVED

Richard L. Cassell, DDS just re-read WINIFRED WOOD's

43-7 "WE HERE WASPS" and suggests that it be republished.
"It's a rare document about the program's inception, training,
and conclusion.
DOROTHY SWAIN LEWIS 44-5 did a fine job
illustrating with drawings."
In his comments about MARDO
CRANE's 44-1 "FLY-DOWN OF THE WASP", he said I "It is written
with the enthusiasm and vitality so inherent to you people."

WAF
Gen. Chuck Yeager
Miss Cochran
Mrs. Deaton
Floyd anum

Nancy Crews
44-10
Marty Wyall

44-2
Madeline Conley
Ginnie Campbell
Fran Tuchband

44-10
Virginia Hash
Cappy Mo=ison

44-9 Table
Martha Reuel
Mary Richey
Mary Jones
Elaine Harmon
Marie Onesi
Margaret Gee
Catherine Parker
Phyllis Bahl
Barbara Tucker

44-1
Catherine Murphy
4)-5
Ruth Johnson

44-9
Betty Riddle
Janice Wheatley
Mrs. Deaton
Betty Turner 44-9

4)-7
Jean Rose

4)-5
Ellenor Schaffer

44-7
Sister Laurencia
(Margaret Weiss)

44-1
Gene FitzPatrick
Miss Cochran
4)-5
Marion Hodgson
4):"7
Jean Rose
44-1
Dolores Reed
Ikkie Worden
V.ary McCabe

44-4
Hazel Hohn

44-7
Eileen Ferguson
44-10
V;arty Wyall
44-7
Betty Nicholas

44-9 Class
Jackie Petty
Catherine Parker
Joan Olmsted
!".artha
fuuel
Betty Riddle
Jane Fohl
Janice Wheatly
Phillis Bahl
Vee Deldon
Gayle Snell
Mary Jones
Mildred Ferree
Esther Cuddington
Narie Onesi
Betty Turner
Barbara Tucker
Elaine Harmon
Jean Harman

Miss Cochran
44-1
Dolores Reed
Doris Gee

44-10
Thelma Miller
44-9
Mary Jones
44-10
Kay Hil brandt
Delores Lamb
Marty vTyall

44-9
Gayle Turner
Esther Cuddington
44-10
Ethel Miller
Sis McGrath

4)-8
Margot Reck
Mary Fearey
Joalene Foster
Ces Brav Rose
Marjorie Dresbach
Maxine Flournoy
Helen Luts
Sitting I
Marcia Milner
Dot Lewis 44-5
Lois Auchterlonie

44-10

43-4
Jennie Hrestu

44-7
Jean Landa
Father Depiere

Virginia Coakley
Louise Thokey
Jacqueline Zerlaut
Emily Chapin
Sara Hayden
Maj. Morrison
Marty Wyall
Charlyne Creger
Francie Park

RIGHT

44-10

RIGHT

Francie Park

44-10

LEFT

43-8

Instrictor
Ziggy Hunter

Ces Brav Rose

44-10

LEFT
Sue Huff 44-6
Hally Stires E,O,

Emily Chapin

Juanita Hurlbutt

44-6
Gerry Vickers
Betty Dybbro
"Barry" Smith
Mary Szablowski
Hally Stires, E,O,
11ary Wells

44-1

44-1

44-9

Doris Gee

Penelopy Garrett
Vee VanDelden
Catherine Parker
Joan Olmstead
Betty Riddle

43-8
Mary Fearey

25TH WASP REUNION

WELCOME

FIFrS

Catherine Murphy
Albert Nicholson
Fran Johnson
Jeanette Jenkins
Ikkie ,[orden
Ruth Jones
Mary O'Rourke
Betty Roberts
Skip Carter

LATE MAIL

Carlos Landa, Father Charles Depiere, Jennie Hrestu, 43-4

Eileen Bristol, E.O., Alberta Kinney 44-7, Jean Landa 44-7

Jackie Petty 44-9

and Husband
Margaret Gee 44-9
Marty Wyall 44-10

Jacqueline Cochran
44-1
Ikkie ,lorden
Betty Roberts

44-5
Betty Jo Stump
44-5
Dot Lewis
44-3
Delrose Sieber

MARY LOU COLBERT NEALE 4J-l started flying again in 1967

.
after 20 years of being grounded by lack of time,
opportunity and funds due to children's presence,
TRIGGERED by same children's polite skeptism of Mom's
flying prowess. Took each one of the four on their
very first ride--THAT'LL SHOW 'EMI Can't get test
pilot husband very interested in pleasure flying, but
found WASP LOLA PERKINS RICCI, who has never stopped
cavorting aloft, bless her. So, inspired by her enthusiasm, rejoined the 99's and we all fly to luncheons
and such. Marvelous to be with it, however seldom,
again. Hoping for more time in the air as family grows
IF college expenses don't flatten us completely.
BETTY BECHTOLD BRICKFORD 44-1 was tracked down by phone by
ADELE BEYER 44-1, BETTY has three daughters ages 22,
21 and 12 and still lives in Willoughby, Ohio. PT-A
etc. keeps BETTY busy so she did not make the reunion.
ANN BARTHOLF RAWLINGS 44-1 was also contacted on the phone
by ADELE BEYERS. Due to the death of her father ANN
was unable to attend the reunion.
Her daughter 21 and
son 18 are both away at college.
Husband is still a
Colonel in USAF. ANN says she has finally stopped
showing her quarter horses and rides now only for
pleasure.
GERRY VICKERS TRIBBLE 44-6 is now a social worker for Los
Angeles County, working with the elderly people of the
community.
GERRY started working last May after getting
her BA at Valley State. She is now studying towards her
Masters degree.
LT. COL. MARJORIE M. GRAY 4J-l of the USAFR writes that she
received her promotion last summer. In the Reserves
MARJORIE is Staff Information Officer for the 21st Air
Force. In civilian life she also has a new position of
Publications Coordinator for PRD Electronics, Inc. Her
most recent flying was in the Penny-A-Pound airlift at
McArthur Airport, which was sponsored by the Long Island
Chapter of Ninety-Nines.
MARJORIE bought a small ranch
house in Oyster Bay and hangs out the Welcome Mat for
any 4J-l to stop in if they are in the area. Her new
address is 136 Summers Street, Oyster Bay, 11771, Phone
Area 516 922-4J13.
In August MARJORIE flew to Holland
for the annual Congress of International Reserve Officers and then returned via Weisbaden, Germany.
LT. COL. ANN R. JOHNSON 4J-l also sends a new address with the
following note I "My present assignment is with Hq 7 AF
in Vietnam, and one of the most challenging assignments
in my Air Force career. As you can well imagine, my
battle field is an office desk. I am Director of Administration for Hq 7AF. Fortunately, I have been able
to visit most of our Southeast Asia bases. Did get
back to the WASP Reunion in April and since I am a typical woman, I cannot keep a secreta EVELYN GREENBLATT
4J-l is now MRS. HILLMAN HOWREN. Congratulations EVELYN
and "Butch" from all the ,IASP. An article on the
history of the WASP was sent to the Aerospace Historian
this summer. Hopefully it will be accepted for the
Winter 1969 edition. Remember 20 December 1944? Just
25 short years ago - another anniversary.
I will be retired from the Air Force with 20 years active duty on
JO September 1970. Have asked that I be sent from Vietnam to Homestead AFB Florida for my terminal assignment.
From there I will look for a place on the coast to call
home, from which I can sun, relax and play. To reach me
in Vietnam the address iSI Hq 7AF, CMR 2, Box 12772,
APO San Francisco 96201.
ADELE BEYERS 44-1 is working at Cedars Hospital in Hollywood.
DOTTIE KRASOVEC EBY 44-1 reports she recovered sufficiently
from her broken leg to take a two week trip into the
wilderness areas of Wyoming this summer. When the family
took David to college at Pacific University, Forest
Grove, Oregon they flew on to Nainamo, Vancouver Island
for some sightseeing.
Another flight over Labor Day took
them back to Oregon where they visited the Cox Dude ranch
which has a beautiful grass field nearby. 10,000'
mountains make for an interesting landing.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING OF ORDER OF FIFINELLA,

MEET OUR NEW OFFICERS

PRESIDENT
DOTTIE YOUNG 43-1 entered the first class when the WASP had
its beginning in Houston, Texas. DOTTIE, the Squadron
Leader, was affectionately dubbed "the little general"
who gave big orders.
Since receiving her WASP wings in April 1943, DOTTIE
has made aviation her entire life. She holds the highest ratings the FAA has available in pilot skills and
instruction I Certified Flight Instructor, Instrument
Instructor for both airplane and heliocopter, Heliocopter and fixed-wing Air Transport Pilot rating.
DOTTIE was the first woman FAA Heliocopter Examiner and
one of the original members of the FAA's Women's Advisory Committee on Aviation in May, 1964. She is now
enjoying the state of semi-retirement from active participation in the fixed base operation (Catlin Aviation)
at Will Rogers Municipal, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Pete Young, DOTTIE's husband, is Chief of the Flight
Simulation Section of the FAA Academy in Okla City.

Nov. 15, 1969

The first regular meeting of the Executive Board of the

Order of Fifinella met at the home of DOTTIE YOUNG in Okla.
City. Those present were I DOTTIE YOUNG, President; ANN ATKEISON, Business Secretary; MRS. CLIFF DEATON, WASP Staff Executive; and MARTY WYALL, Historian and acting Secretary.
The records and supplies from the office of MARTY WYALL
were transferred to ANN ATKEISON, Business Secretary. The
records included I card files, correspondence, receipts and
bank books, record of sales through the office, WASP Rosters,
and WASP Newsletters.
The supplies included. Fifinella pins,
Notepaper, mailing envelopes and reunion supplies.
The cash on hand was given to ANN in the form of a bank
money order I $488.71. ANN brought a bank card which required
the signatures of three members of the board to open a checking account in Fort Worth, Texas.
In order to pay for the NEWSLETTER, now in the process
of being printed, and also have cash in bank for future year
of operation, the board prepared a membership form to be inserted in the 1969 NEWSLETTER.
The membership dues were established at $5.00 per year payable in January and delinquent
after January 31. The fiscal year is the calendar year.

BUSINESS SECRETARY
ANN "ROONEY" ATKEISON 44-10 is an active alert female who has
been mixing brains and energy since graduation from high
school in Mundy, Texas. Rooney enrolled in college as a
pre-med student, then changed her major to physical education. She graduated from the University of Colorado
with a Bachelor of Science degree. Rooney taught in the
Mundy High School while awaiting her chance to enter
WASP training.
ANN started her training with 44-9 but due to an injury
from a horse accident graduated with the last WASP class
and saw only 10 days active duty before deactivation.
ANN started her own photography business and operated
the shop for three years. Then for eighteen years she
was the engineering writer at General Dynamics in Ft.
Worth. ANN wrote the first structural repair manual for
the Air Force F-lll.
ROONEY is now employed at LTV (Ling-Temco-Voight) as
assistant supervisor of manuals on structural repair,
corrosion and combat damage on Air Force aircraft.
She
has eight writers under her supervision.
It is an unusual position for a woman, but ANN's skill and knowledge in this field of aeronautical engineering proves
she is an exceptional woman.
ANN has other interests I she is a licensed
broker, which is her side-business, and she
mechanic for her Dodge motor home, which is
ed piece of machinery.
It has two engines,
tioning, heat units and refrigeration to be

real estate
is chief
a complicatair-condimaintained.

ROONEY has a natural love for the outdoors and her

hobbies are hunting, fishing, camping and swimming.
Attending WASP reunions and the Olympic Games are the
only reasons for ROONEY to leave the state of Texas.
.EDITOR
GENE SHAFFER FITZPATRICK 44-1 received her WASP wings in February 1944 and graduated from Basic Flight Instructor's
~chool at Randolph Field in April, 1944. After not flylng for 20 years GENE got her certified flight instructor and instrument rating. She is a member of the SurfWriters, plays golf and bridge. Husband Jim is chief
purchasing agent for Todd Shipyards, San Pedro. Kay and
Mike are high school students.

The roster will be printed after the first of January,

1970 and mailed with the membership card. ANN will have the
Roster printed in Ft. Worth, Texas.
DOTTIE suggested that the legal status of Order of Fifinell should be established and the tax forms be filed in a
legal manner. An attorney should be contacted to advise the
board whether to incorporate Order of Fifinella, and if the
original constitution is still binding. DOTTIE has the authority to act without a called meeting of the board. The
attorney, VIRGINIA HASH of Phoenix, Arizona will be contacted
by DOTTIE YOUNG.
The matter of having duplication of WASP wings manufactured for sale to the membership was discussed.
DOTTIE
will contact Mr. Alfred Fleishman of St. Louis, Mo. for advice on how to proceed. MRS. DEATON will also write to a
friend in Los Angeles, California.
The Fifinella emblem was originally designed by Walt
Disney, and BYRD H. GRANGER was the WASP who made the initial
contact to the Disney studios. DEDIE offered to contact
BYRD about the history of this transaction, and also the location of the original drawings if they are available.
The Sweetwater Memorial was explained by DEDIE. She
made a special trip to Sweetwater, Texas to meet the committee from the Chamber of Commerce of that city. They were
anxious to have a special building erected and the housing
of a special WASP exhibit in one of the rooms. DEDIE is
willing to donate many of her WASP memorabilia for this exhibit. The local historical society may also be interested
in erecting a historical marker on the highway close to
Avenger Field commemorating the WASP training field. A committee of Texas WASP will be appointed by DEDIE to work
closely with her and the Sweetwater committee.
The time of
the dedication will be announced by mail to the membership
in an attempt to bring many WASP to the ceremony.
The next Executive Board meeting will be called in September, 1970 and the place will be announced at that time,
unless the Sweetwater dedication is before that time.
The meeting was adjourned and a phone call was made to
GENE FITZPATRICK, ~rSLETTER Editor and only absent member
of the board, informing her of the results of the meeting.
Attested by I

Respectfully

submitted,

DOTTIE YOUNG, President

MARTY WYALL, Acting

Sect'y.

UNITED

~
/

CLIP HERE AND MAIL TO

ORDER OF FIFINELLA
3848 W. BIDDISON
FT. WORTH, TEXAS 76109

., /, r-<")n
t'
'J.i .. ~
. ,;:;> -.i '~
ORDER OF FIFiN
3848 W. Biddis
Ft. Worth, Texa

t--I~,

Send ORDER OF FIFINELLA

Name

Address
City

Card and Roster to 1

_0-..

.1-._..-

State

Donation

...

Zipl
RETURN REQUESTED

- $5.00

The membership card will entitle the bearer to receive 1970

NEWSLETTER and WASP Roster.

ORDER OF FIF
November 15, 1969

JanuarJ 1, 1968
INVOCATION

CASH ON HAND, December 31, 1967

God, send down your blessing upon all of us, who have come
here this morning for the memorable 25th reunion of the
WASP.
We thank you, 0 Lord, for your guidance, direction and control in the flight log of our past.
As for the future, we ask You to chart our flight on a true
course, correct the angle of our drift, protect us
against sudden spins and stalls, and spiritual loss of
life and power.
Guide us safely to wing our way through outerspace towards
our final destination, and so may our whole life
leave a path of light - like angels' footsteps in the
night - under the guidance of You, the Divine Pilot.
AMEN
This invocation was composed by Rev. Charles M. Depiere especially for the 25th anniversary reunion of the WASP April 13, 1969, Palm Desert, California.
COMMENTS ON CORRESPONDENCE

Receipts I
$288.00
Membership dues, 144 @ $2.00
244.50
Roster orders, 163 @ $1.50
Fifi notepaper & stickers, 55 orders
38.75
FLY-DOWN book orders, 55 @ $5.30
291.50
(OOF profitl $33.50)
COLLEGE KID's COOKBOOK( 14 @ $1.80
25.20
(OOF profitl $13.50)
25.00
Film Rental
4.00
Fifi decal, 35~ or 3/$1.00
31.00
Fifi pins, 3 @ $6.00 2 @ $6.50
Donations inc. advertisement
763.99
166.00
Loan for Fifi decals
Reunion (Indio) receipts
(Inc. membership & purchases)
Interest on savings account

A note from June Methot (pronounced Meadow) in reply

to an inquiry about a clipping in the New York Times which
stated June was a WASP during WWIII
"I'm sorry to say that I was in the class that didn't
get there. I was assigned to report on August 7, 1944 and
was advised at the last minute of the closing of the training program.
I hope you understand that the article in the
N.Y. Times was handled by a public relations firm representing Martini & Rossi, who sponsored the awards. He got a
complete rundown on my life history, which included the
statement that I trained FOR the WASP, which is true."
Miss Method was honored for winning the coveted 1968
Martini and Rossi Yachtswoman of the Year Award; and is a
Lightning Class specialist from the Monmouth Boat Club in
Red Bank, N.J.
Letter mailed to MARDO CRANE, 44-1 from Lee K. Carr of
Bay City, Texas and dated September 18, 19681
"I would like you to know how I feel a bout the WASP. I
have flown enough to know I thought I was quite hot as a
fighter pilot, but you know, I will never forget when I was
stationed at Dover, Delaware flying P-47's in gunnery school.
One day a new P-47 entered the pattern, a 3600 overhead
approach and greased in a beautiful landing, taxied up to
Operations.
Of course, like all the other pilots there we
were shocked when a little young cute gal climbed out. I
went from a hot to a sub-zero pilot. I have never had such
shock. I can't put into words the feeling of respect, admiration and graditude to see another short person (I am
5'2") there is everything of greatness to be said about
them (WASPS) and I, with honesty, can say they were on the
equal with the best of combat pilots, and I feel that is
tops."

Disbursement 1
Printed Newsletter, June 1968 800
Printed cards, Jan. 1969 800
Roster debt
Stationary order, 7500 pieces
Song sheets & Roster corrections
Office supplies & services

2,'197.26
2,839.89

TOTAL

RECEIVED

42.63

420.30
16.78
95.05
158.92
43.04
235.34
979.43

Postage
Newsletter, 718 with rosters
Returned postage & remailing
Reunion noticesl
1st mailing, Jan. 1969
40.73
2nd mailing, Mar. 1969
37.84
Correspondance
Bulk mailing, inc. film

81.60
60.81

78.57
75.53
35.13
331.64

Cost
Cost
Cost
Cost

of
of
of
of

FLY-DOWN books
COOKBOOK
decals, 2200 colored
Fifinella pinsl
1 steel dye
175.00
458.70
102 @ $4.35
102.99
Reorders 25
Payment for decal loan, no interest
Telephone
TOTAL
CASH ON HAND, November 15, 1969
TOTAL

206.10
11.50
210.94

385.94
166.00
59.63
$1,040.11
$2,351.18
488.71
$2,839.89