Randy Angel, Friend of the WASP and FlyGirls supporter!

by Jess Clackum

Randy Angel is Sports Editor for the Easy Reader, a weekly community newspaper founded in 1971 and based in Hermosa Beach, CA. He heard about FlyGirls through WASP Edna Davis, whom he has known for more than ten years. They first met when he freelanced with the newsletter of the B-26 Marauder Society, of which Edna was the Editor. Edna shared many stories about her WASP experiences with Randy and he was immediately hooked.

"Having played an active role in the lives of both of my daughters, I always stressed the importance of education and, as adults, could become whatever they chose to be. Both now have college degrees and are working in the education field. The many opportunities available to women today would not be possible without pioneers such as the WASPs who helped pave the way for gender equality. I salute the many WASPs who earned their wings and whose impact, generations later, enable my little angels to reach their lofty goals. Thank you Fly Girls."

Though Randy did not serve, he has an appreciation and respect for the sacrifices made by those who did. Many members of his family are veterans. He became fascinated with military aircraft at a very young age and was enthralled by stories from his uncle, a decorated Army pilot who flew helicopters in Vietnam.

Randy's stepfather Roy Pursche is a retired Lt. Colonel of the US Air Corps and trained pilots stateside in World War II. Randy is inspired by Roy, who is a multi-generation farmer and at the age of 92, still works six days a week running the family ranch. Roy is a member of the Order of Daedalians, an organization created after WWI to honor pilots, and through this organization, Roy also got to know Edna, who became one of the first women allowed to join the Order.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="243.0"] Edna Davis WWII Female Aviator [/caption]

Randy's outstanding piece on Edna Davis and FlyGirls is a must-read! Check it out at: http://www.easyreadernews.com/120…/flygirls-edna-davis-wasp/

Thank you Randy for being such a devoted supporter of the WASP and FlyGirls and for taking the time share Edna's story with the world!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="222.0"] Edna Davis 2015...You get it girl.... [/caption]

In Her Own Words: Edna Davis On Her Favorite Plane: The B-26 Martin Marauder

by Christina Leigh Burns

The B-26 had several nicknames, including "Widowmaker" and "Flying Coffin", but the WASP helped improve this plane.

"The B-26 was heaven, heaven, heaven! It was a beautiful airplane. It was a hard airplane, a tricky airplane, it was killing all kinds of pilots, but we weren't scared to fly it. We figured they just didn't know what they were doing. The B-26 had a bad reputation but it proved itself at the end of the war. It had fewer casualties than other planes. It flew like no other airplane."

The B-26 might have been heaven, but the flight suits the women had to wear were a different story. They weren't designed for women, and Edna tells a funny story about a practical problem:

"We were taking off from Dodge City, KS, and going up to North Dakota and back. We had all our winter gear on, and it was snowing and cold. We took turns flying, and when my turn was up, well I had to see about the "loo".

So I'm walking to the back of the plane with all my paraphernalia on and my two Dixie cups. We weren't as conventional and - well it wasn't as convenient for us as it was for the men, they had the "piss-pipe" or whatever it was called, and, well that didn't fit us. So, I start undoing all of this heavy equipment, the gloves, the jacket, and I take everything off and I fill up two Dixie cups. And the men up at the front, the engineer, and the radio man, the co-pilot, and we had another crew aboard too, they're all looking back and tittering.

I get myself all put back together again, put all my equipment back on, and start walking towards the front with my two Dixie cups, now full, one in each hand. Well the men are still laughing, and I'm thinking, "what in the world, I'm not that funny" as I struggled in and out of my things.

Well to get to the front, you have to cross the bomb way, it's about 12 inches wide where you walk through, and I get about half way over - I'm walking very carefully with my cups - and then - they open the bomb doors. And they're howling. So I think "well, this is my bombs away", and I'm looking down over Kansas or wherever we were and I turn my Dixie cups over and pour them out through the bomb doors, and they just about died.

I got back to the front and presented them with my empty Dixie cups, my 'Bombs Away'. That was a fun story."