Major Cherish Krutil, Combat Pilot & USAF Veteran: “Follow Your Heart and Do What You Love.”

by Jess Clackum

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Major Krutil enjoyed outdoor sports, and played volleyball and ran track in high school. She excelled in academics and was a member of the National Honor Society.  Her interest in aviation began at a young age. When she was a teenager, she attended the annual Cleveland National Air Shows.

“I can remember leaving the airshow filled with excitement and I knew that's what I wanted to do.  There was nothing else that compared to watching those planes flying around, and listening to the sound of them pass overhead.  Although it has been years since I have been to that air show, it is the birthplace of my love of aviation.”

After high school, Krutil attended Wright State University and studied Business Management. While there, she began pursuit of her aviation career by joining the Air Force ROTC. While a part of ROTC, she acquired a strong sense of country and what it means to be in the military.  She became friendly with a number of her fellow cadets who had family members stationed at nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force. Not having come from a military family herself, when she learned the experiences of her military-brat cadet friends, she was made aware of the vast contrast in upbringing between military and non-military lifestyles. Through these lessons, she gained a great deal of respect for the sacrifices of military families.

Krutil was commissioned a Second Lieutenant the day she graduated from college in 1997. The ceremony was held at the Wright Brothers Memorial, a quiet and serene place where Krutil would go often during her college days when she sought peace and serenity---where she often reflected on the past and the accomplishments of the Wright Brothers and how they changed the world---and ultimately her life.

“To me, it was the perfect place to go and dream and yet reflect on the past and what Orville and Wilbur did so many years ago.  I felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to go to such a wonderful place, so often, and to also have been commissioned into the USAF there.”

Krutil completed Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (JSUPT) in 1999, the only woman in her class. During that time, she flew the T-37 Tweet and T-1 Jayhawk.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1260.0"] The Cessna T-37 Tweet and T-1A Jayhawk. The T-37 is a small, twin-engined jet trainer-attack type aircraft used as a primary trainer in the Air Force. The T-1 Jayhawk is an advanced trainer for airlift and tanker pilots. [/caption]

After pilot training, she was stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan where she flew the C-9 Nightingale (Aerovac) all over the Pacific, including the tiny islands between Japan and Hawaii. She notes that a trip to Iwo Jima was a rather solemn experience. 

“While I was flying C-9s at Yokota, I flew to Iwo Jima a few times.  I had the rare opportunity to explore the island, and stand at the top of Mt. Suribachi.  As I stood on top, looking down at the tiny island and the beaches, I had this huge sense of sadness and my heart became heavy. It is one thing to read in textbooks, the battles that took place there but it is a quite different experience to be present in a place where so many men lost their lives.”

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] The McDonnell Douglas C-9 is a military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliner. It was produced as the C-9A Nightingale for the United States Air Force, and the C-9B Skytrain II for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. [/caption]

After completing her tour in Japan, Major Krutil relocated to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina where she served as an instructor pilot and flew the C-130E. A pilot with over 500 combat hours, Major Krutil deployed several times to the Middle East as a combat pilot in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] USAF Lockheed C130-E Hercules (Photo credit: Carsten Gurk, Planespotters.net) [/caption]

Krutil was on standby on September 11, 2001. She recalls, “Due to time zone differences, the attack on the US happened during the night.  I was unaware of this until after I had gotten up in the morning.  I called in to see if there was the chance we might be going somewhere that day, just to get a heads up on the day.  I was informed to turn on my TV and that the FAA had cancelled all flying.  However, due to an urgent patient who needed to get to Guam, we still had a mission to do.  All flying had ceased from Yokota AB.  It took all day to get security clearances, and clearances to fly.  That night, we took off from Yokota to go to Guam.  It was the quietest, most eerie night I've ever flown. No other aircraft, no radio traffic, just silence.  The approximately three hour flight seemed to take forever.  I still get goosebumps today just thinking about it.  Especially knowing I am one of very few Americans who flew directly after the attacks.”

Flying is a family affair as Major Krutil’s husband Clarke, whom she met while working at the Combined Air Ops Center (CAOC) in Al Udeid, is a former C-130J pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force. When she was reassigned to the UK in 2005 as an exchange pilot and flew C-130K’s with the Brits out of RAF Lyneham, flying all over the UK, Europe and Africa, Clarke wound up stationed there too---also as an exchange pilot. The two fell in love and when he had just a year left in the UK and Krutil was faced with an important decision---relocate to Little Rock Air Force Base as an instructor or separate from the Air Force, she chose to leave the service she loved. She and her husband were married in a castle in England and now live happily in Perth, Australia with two wonderful children.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Cherish, Clarke & family. (Photo credit: Cherish Krutil) [/caption]

For the last five years, Krutil has worked for Jacobs Australia, CAE, and IDAT in the area of aviation training/development/design.  She is also a pilot studies lecturer at Polytechnic West and a business owner (Independent Consultant for Rodan and Fields).  While she is now a dual citizen of both the United States and Australia, she strives to connect the cultures. She will be a founding member of the newly formed Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Australia, regularly participates in ANZAC ceremonies to commemorate the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps in April each year who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I, and actively participates in US Memorial Services in Perth and other activities.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Cherish Krutil with the C-9. (Photo credit: Cherish Krutil) [/caption]

Krutil is indebted to the WASP for their service. She says, “The fact that these women were flying is a testament to how much they loved flying.  No honors, no recognition, nothing.  Most military members do not join the military for recognition or honors, but do it for the country.  You cannot sign on a dotted line, which includes the possibility of the ultimate sacrifice, if you do not love the country.  

I am in awe of what they accomplished.  It's women like them who inspired me to go on the journey I chose.  I can wholeheartedly understand the love and passion for flying an airplane.  These women did something well before their time, but if they hadn't they would not have paved the way for someone like myself.  I can only be humbled in their presence and of their accomplishments.  They deserve all the honors the men received, plus some! It is not only them who sacrificed during their journey, but their friends and families too.  I am sure they had some support, but at the same time, they were met with resistance and skepticism from many.  I can only say "thank you" to the WASPs.  It brings tears to my eyes to know how hard their journey was, as although mine was not easy, it was definitely easier due to the barriers the WASPs broke.  Having said that, I can also appreciate how full of love and passion runs through their veins when they were flying.  There is no other feeling like it in the world.  It will never go away and for those who have it in them, they will always be looking up to the sky.”

Major Krutil uses the lessons she has learned from the WASP combined with her own experiences to teach her children valuable lessons about life. “I hope that my past experiences can show my kids that you can be whatever you want to be.  Follow your heart and do what you love.  Don't worry about what other people say.  I hope this rings true for both of my kids, but especially for my daughter. I hope I can be a small inspiration to them, just as the WASP were a HUGE inspiration to me.”

We appreciate Major Krutil’s service to our country and her devotion to teaching her children that they can live their dreams. The younger generation will someday lead the world and we all want them to believe anything is possible!

DEAR LT: GRIT IN THREE WAYS YOU DIDN'T EXPECT, AND ONE YOU DID

By Shannon Huffman Polson (aborderlife.com)

Dear LT, 

This week I gave a presentation to a group of business people in Bellevue, Washington about the most important lesson I learned over eight years of service. I talked to them about grit.

A DIFFERENT DEFINITION OF GRIT

Angela Duckworth has defined grit as passion and perseverance toward very long term goals. I think that’s a great start, though it sounds more like endurance to me. My experience was a little— well, grittier, so my definition is, too. Here’s what I’ll offer. Grit is dogged determination in the face of difficult circumstances. 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="351.0"] My flight school stick buddy Anders and I in one of the many classes [/caption]

My first note to you talked about grit, but I’ve had a few more thoughts. In eight years, there were three places I needed grit that I didn’t expect it, but there were places it came naturally, too. This is to say that grit is available to you any time. It isn’t some special and elusive characteristic that only other people have. There are times it comes easy, and other times it comes hard. Either way you’ll need it.

GRIT COMES HARD

First for the hard stuff. Early on as a lieutenant, I met and worked for both excellent senior officers and real jerks. It was eye opening as a young woman who had never experienced hostility from someone senior directed at her, and I was blind sighted the first couple of times. When I was still a cadet, one lieutenant colonel looked directly at me and told me what I would never be able to do (turns out he was wrong) and another colonel turned and walked away from me when we were introduced. I learned two things about grit from those experiences. The first is that I’d need grit when people imposed limitations on me. The second is that I’d need grit to avoid internalizing those doubts and limitations myself. 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="422.0"] Apache parking space at Glamoc in western Bosnia [/caption]

The third and hardest place I’d need grit, though, was dealing with my own failures. If you’re driven to succeed, and if you’re unprepared, your own failures can take you down. 

When I was stationed in Bosnia, I failed one of my pilots. I knew he hadn’t been feeling well, and asked him if he wanted to fly on our several days trip to Glamoc in the western part of the country. He said he was ok, and he’d do it. We launched, made the cross country flight, and anded. That night the company instructor pilot came to talk to me. 

It turned out the pilot who hadn’t been feeling well was worse. We went to the company headquarters and requested a Medevac.

The company IP came back to talk to me.

“You’ve got to take care of your guys, LT,” he said.

I protested. I knew that leadership was a sacred trust. I knew that taking care of my people was my most important responsibility.

“I asked him how he was doing,” I told the IP. “He said he was OK to fly.”

“Sometimes these guys need you to look out for them when they won’t look out for themselves,” he told me. I knew that he was in some portion correct. That I had failed, and not only failed but failed someone I was in charge of taking care of. I was mortified.

And still, after arranging for the Medevac, I needed to be able to lead my platoon. I had to focus on shooting gunnery. This took more grit than I’d needed before in a way I had never expected.

OK. Enough of that. Now for the good part.

GRIT COMES EASY

If you’re someone who likes to be challenged— and if you’re wearing a uniform, then you are one of these people— there is a place that grit is part of the fun. It is innate for people in the right circumstances, and you can work to create those circumstances. 

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="421.0"] Flying in mission profile in Bosnia. I took this photo from the front seat of my Apache helicopter. [/caption]

For me that was flying and leading. In the cockpit, I had to focus completely on the task at hand. When I was flying, talking on three radios and multiple frequencies, managing three different sight and targeting systems and navigating, controlling the movement of four to eight helicopters, and employing three different weapons systems, the aircraft demands one hundred percent of your focus. There is no room for doubts or insecurities. I loved it. In the aircraft I wasn’t the female platoon leader or the female company commander, I was just the platoon leader, the company commander. I was, at different times, Aces 16, Blue Max 56, Razorback 06. 

Grit is at the intersection of focus and passion. You’ll need grit, but you don’t have to look hard to find it.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FEAR

This is not to say that everything about the aircraft was easy. There’s no room for fear in the cockpit, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t come at times. I remember a chill when we were strafed with enemy radar in Korea and Bosnia, the chilling focus when the cockpit filled with smoke and we made a hard landing on a midwestern prairie. The key to managing fear is this: when the fear comes, you turn toward it, and fly through it. There is not other way. That will take grit too, and you won’t have time to look for it. There it is a question of doing.

The thing about all of this though is that you have grit inside of you already. You need to be prepared, and you’ll make ample use of it. The way that grit is usually talked about and written about is as though it is always related to something bad, but this isn’t always true. In those places grit comes naturally, it can be fun. It’s part of working through a challenge, and that’s what you’re there to do if you’re wearing the uniform.

More to come next week, LT. Keep up the great work. And remember that no matter what comes, you’ve got grit.

Yours,

Shannon

In Her Own Words: Bee Haydu Talks About "The Eager Beaver Show"

by Christina Leigh Burns

The weather at Avenger Field wasn't always ideal. Often the WASP found themselves grounded for days at a time due to the harsh wind or rain.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas [/caption]

Bernice Falk Haydu's class was grounded for two weeks waiting to fly because the previous class had been held back due to bad weather. This gave Bernice and her classmates nothing to do for the last half of every day.

"I suggested to my classmates that we put on a show giving our first impressions of Army life and demonstrating some of the experiences were encountering in barracks living.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500.0"] Bernice "Bee" Falk Haydu was picked as the Master of Ceremonies at the WASP's Eager Beaver Variety Show. [/caption]

Mrs. Leota Deaton, Chief Staff Executive Officer, agreed it was a great idea. She asked Julie Jenner (44-3) if she would help us since Julie had been a Ziegfeld Follies girl before joining the WASP.

It was amazing to discover the many talents of these young women in our class. Some wrote comic skits about visits to the psychologist, our trials undergoing the physical training, our experiences in our bays and the joys of twelve women sharing two showers and two johns etc. Some danced, some played musical instruments and I was elected Master of Ceremonies."

The show was named Eager Beaver and it was such a success they were sent to Camp Tye and Camp Barkeley to perform.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="960.0"] The Cast of the Eager Beaver show. [/caption]

"We were bussed to Camp Barkeley March 17th to give our show. Since there was no stage entrance, we fifteen girl student flyers had to march in from the front door and walk down the center aisle through this already seated enthusiastic crowd of whistling and hooting young men.

We could do nothing wrong! They loved us! A few days later Mrs. Deaton called us to a meeting. Our show was such a success she wanted to know if we would like to 'take it on the road'. When we asked what would happen with our flight training if we said yes, we were told we would have to give that up.

There wasn't a yes in the crowd!" - Bernice "Bee" Falk Haydu

Support our WWII Women Aviators: funddreamer.com/campaigns/flygirls

The Greatest Generation Meets The Next Generation: Women in Flight. A Huge Success!

From the Director...

"Yesterday our event, The Greatest Generation Meets The Next Generation: Women In Flight - Presented by The Red Door Films and Fund Dreamer brought together two WASP and 4 USAF service women for a special conversation about the history of women in the military, the present, and the future. Attendees heard personal stories from women across several generations about flying when women weren't supposed to fly, dealing with supply lines in Berlin before the wall came down, and combat in Iraq. By all accounts our event was a great success.

Says one attendee, Sope Ogunyemi: "It was inspirational to meet the women who had the gumption to break barriers and the women who continue to do so. Look forward to learning more about the contributions these great ladies have made."

We look forward to bringing you more unique events like this one, and we would like to thank Pamela Monroe, Liz Duca, Teresa Lowe, Edna Davis, Alyce Rohrer, and Sarah Ellis for sharing their stories. FlyGirls thanks Fund Dreamer for hosting, and our sincere gratitude to our audience and donors for your support. All campaign donors will receive a link to the recording, which we will edit and post online.

As we round the corner for our final leg of our crowd funding campaign, we hope all of our fans who read our posts, like our photos, stories, and believe in what we are doing, join our grassroots campaign to get our miniseries off the ground. With over 6 thousand fans, we can do it, but we need each and everyone of you. Many people do not know about the WASP, and we hope to change that, one person at a time. Please check out our campaign, share it with friends and contribute what you can. We have almost 300 contributors. We would love to see that become 600. It is a few minutes of your time that will ensure these women are remembered, and a future generation is inspired."

Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas, USMC Captain

by Jess Clackum

Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas was a United States Marine Corps officer for 8 years, serving as a Military Police Officer stateside and in Al Anbar, Iraq. She was also a leader of new women Marines, training recruits at Parris Island as both a Series and Company Commander.

Currently Dr. Thomas is an assistant professor of public health at Charleston Southern University where she researches military mental fitness. She has just released her newest book. Brave, Strong, and True: The Modern Warrior's Battle for Balance is available at www.bravestrongtrue.com

"The tremendous worth of FlyGirls is the work it will do to pave the way for healthy transitions for today's military women. Through the stories of courageous, yet entirely human women, we can learn about the experiences of a prior generation of veterans, about the shoulders upon which we stood during our own time in service.  Ultimately, through stories like these we learn about ourselves -  about sacrifice,  resiliency, loss, and duty."

"The very word veteran calls to mind the image of a man. Yet, according to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, there are currently over 1.6 million women veterans in the United States. Of these, 30% are post-9/11-era veterans. Many of these women served in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and their participation throughout the spectrum of military operations, including in ground combat, is a first in our nation’s history.  Their experiences reintegrating into society after their military service have yet to be recorded, examined, and told.

Women veterans share many of the concerns of male veterans; yet they also face unique issues, especially when it comes to accessing services offered by veteran service organizations, and in their personal paths to finding a congruent self-concept that encompasses their identities as veterans as well as women, and, often, mothers. Indeed, compared to their non-veteran counterparts, women veterans are more likely to both be divorced and to have children. In addition, women veterans are more likely than male veterans to live in poverty, and to have no income and no health insurance.

This year, I am trying to contribute to the community I call home by sharing stuff that is hard to chat about around the Thanksgiving table. My book, Brave, Strong, & True: The Modern Warrior’s Battle for Balance hit stores and online retailers this month. It is my attempt to talk about something important, and to honor my responsibility to continue to serve even after leaving the active duty Marine Corps. My watch is over, but I am far from disconnected; the military will always be home.

Despite the vast news coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, one figure has remained mysterious: the number of suicides among US servicemen and women, compared to combat casualties. Here’s one statistic to contemplate: In 2012, the US military lost 295 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines in combat in Afghanistan. But over this same time period, 349 took their own lives.  

Right now, we are losing more veterans to suicide than to combat. I’m a pretty decisive person with limited ability to ask for help and zero trouble-taking risks; there was a time I could have become one of those statistics.  

Those figures are mysterious because even as we throw money and resources at clinical mental health treatment and blame rising rates on multiple deployments, the answers are elusive. The narrative of the “broken veteran” struggling with combat stress just doesn’t ring quite true to those of us who served over the last decade, and the issue is more complicated than simple statistics can show.

I became a Marine to serve, and I loved being part of the Corps. As with anything I have ever loved intensely, the military changed and shaped me. To the casual observer looking in, the world seems brutal and intense. That casual observer isn’t entirely wrong—the military is some of those things. Shared hardship and challenge are vital parts of the refining and rebuilding process that changes a civilian into a warrior. If you ask anyone who served, they wouldn’t have it any other way. No one wants what comes easily or is handed to just anyone.

That process of obstacles, mastery experience, and shared suffering offers growth and transformation, but coming back to civilian life afterward can be incredibly hard. Standards are different. Camaraderie is different. Culture is absolutely different. I witnessed firsthand the toll that leaving the service took on many of us.

Stressful work environments, high rates of divorce and domestic violence, family separation, and repeated combat deployments all contributed, but the biggest reason for the reintegration problems many of us faced is cultural. We subscribe to unbalanced notions of what it means to be a warrior, and uphold silent suffering as virtue. Mistakes are shameful; pain is weakness. Saying that something is hard or stressful just isn’t done.

I don’t want to contribute to the silence that surrounds these issues anymore. Too many aspects of warrior culture are destructive lies we tell ourselves.

Who are we maintaining this veneer for?

What do we have to prove anymore?

Constant invulnerability is an illusion, and cultural mandates to be “together” in every way become dangerously prescriptive. We lose our authenticity in this way; we don’t know how to reach out to each other when stresses start to overwhelm. Too many of us who are used to appearing strong would, indeed, rather consider suicide than admit to being human, fallible, or broken.

My own public story was of crisp uniforms, physical fitness metrics, and successes. I always looked good on paper. My private story involved destructive choices, broken doors and holes in the walls, hiding weapons in the house, and getting dragged across the living room floor by my hair. I was as far from God as a person could be but had no idea at the time.

As a Marine Officer, I was not supposed to make mistakes, feel depressed, or need help. But I did. Tough places and situations became tougher because I didn’t know that people might be okay with an imperfect version of me. For too long I chose silence over reaching out to loved ones. I opted for deeply felt, visceral shame over openness and vulnerability.  

When serving in the military we are trained to lead with confidence. Presenting a certain and effective façade requires some incredibly useful skills. We make decisions quickly and responsively, but these very same skills become incredibly destructive when we never learn how to turn them off. This description fits most service members. We tend to be a driven, almost comically dysfunctional, lot.

What if I told you that I am not perfect?

I want to discuss strategies with you - including social support, self care, and spiritual practice - for all of us to meet the challenge of living purposeful lives. This is my attempt to contribute to the dialogue about connecting with veterans in this country after the last two wars. The book is a mix of stories from veterans, behavioral health research, and just a bit of practical guidance. Thank you for reading it. Thank you for caring. Thank you for having the conversation about balance with the military-connected people in your life. Whether you are a veteran, a family member, a military commander, mental health professional, or an everyday citizen who can identify with the title “warrior,” I appreciate you for engaging."

Order Kate’s new book, Brave Strong True: The Modern Warrior’s Battle for Balance, here or at your favorite book retailer.

USMC Captain Kyleanne Hunter, AH-1W Super Cobra Attack Pilot

by Jess Clackum

Kyleanne Hunter was a United States Marine officer for 10 years, serving as an AH-1W "Super Cobra" attack pilot from 2002-2012 in Iraq and Afghanistan. She was also liaison officer to the U.S. House of Representatives.

"FlyGirls will speak to all generations, and it’s particularly important to show the younger generations images of women pilots of WWII, with their strength, confidence, and determination”, says Kyleanne.

Currently Kyleanne is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and co-founder of the non-profit, Think Broader.

We salute you Kyleanne!

Veterans Day Special: Interview with WASP Bee Haydu

Bee Haydu is featured in this wonderful article for Veterans Day. She had the reporter call us to talk about FlyGirls:

"Director Matia Karrell is working on FlyGirls a dramatic television miniseries about the WASPs. Her team is raising money to hire A-list writers for a two-hour pilot script for the series, which would draw from the aviators’ personal stories and friendships." Thank you Bee for your service, and your constant support of our project! Your story will be told around the world! We will not let future history books and films forget about you and your fellow WASP!

See www.mypalmbeachpost.com for story. 

Major Katie McKnight Moore, U.S. Army (ret.)

"I am a retired US Army Aviator and Major. I am the daughter of a career Air Force Officer/Pilot who started his career in 1942 in the Army Air Corps. He flew 33 missions in B-17s out of England over Europe during WWII. My father's military career began at the same time the WASPs were performing their invaluable and long unheralded service to our country.

Not only did I follow in my father's footsteps as a military pilot but I also followed in the footsteps of those brave women who served as Women Airforce Service Pilots. Unfortunately the history of the WASPs has been overlooked, ignored and minimized since they served. I am so delighted to see the efforts associated with the creation of the scripted mini series Fly Girls-The Forgotten Fliers of WWII. I am proud to be able to contribute to your funding."

W.E. R.I.S.E. Veterans

"I get to see almost every tweet and post for FlyGirls via W.E.R.I.S.E. Veterans. It makes you wonder how different the conversation would be today for women in the military, if more people really knew about organizations such as WASP and what they sacrificed in WWII. It is exciting to finally see a movie that really shows what these women did. At W.E.R.I.S.E. Veterans we try our best to visit the women who served during this time and we know they would love to finally have a movie that shows women who served in wartime. Good Luck and much success!" -Amy

Please visit their web site at http://www.weriseveterans.org/ or their Facebook page!

B-26 Martin Marauder

The B-26 Martin Marauder. It had several nicknames, including "Widowmaker" and "Flying Coffin", but the ‪#‎WASP‬helped improve this plane. Join @FlyGirlsSeries, Artemis Film Festival, Think Broader @RambaKy & @EdnaDavisWasp for a Live Twitter Conversation about FlyGirls. Use ‪#‎womenkickass‬ to participate between 7-8pm PST. Here's Edna Davis on flying her favorite 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."

First missions were in May 1943. Last combat mission was in May 1, 1945.

Due to the B-26's small wings and high loading, the aircraft had a relatively high landing speed of between 120 and 135 mph as well as a stall speed of around 120 mph. These characteristics made it challenging aircraft to fly for inexperienced pilots. Throughout the war, Martin worked to make the aircraft easier to fly, but the landing and stall speeds remained high and the aircraft required a higher standard of training than the B-25 Mitchell. - By Kennedy Hickman, Military History Expert, http://militaryhistory.about.com/…/World-War-Ii-Martin-B-26…

CDR Karen Fine Brasch, USN (ret.)

by Jess Clackum

Meet Karen Fine Brasch, USN CDR, ret. First Female Helicopter Pilot in Her Navy Search & Rescue Squadron, HS-8:

"I wasn't there when the WASPs changed the history of aviation for women, but I was in Navy flight school when women were told they could fly in combat. I joined the Nimitz Battle Group the following year and we made a full deployment with women flying. If I remember correctly, there were about 200 women on board out of about 6000 men. Of those 200, there were 14 women aviators across all of the squadrons.

I was there as the first female pilot in my USN SH-60F/H Search and Rescue/Combat /Search and Rescue/Anti-Submarine Warfare squadron. I was there as one of the first two female flight instructors at a USMC helicopter squadron training the first female UH-1N Huey helicopter pilots (along with training the male aviators).

I was there.

I was there to take advantage of all of the sacrifices and heroic efforts of the WASP. I was one of the many because of the few. Their opportunities became my opportunities. It was an honor and a privilege to fly for the US Navy and I salute all of the women who came before me and all who follow.

Someone once asked me what made me think I could be a Navy pilot? I answered without hesitation, "Because it never occurred to me that I couldn't be..." And that's how I truly felt.

And I owe that to the WASP.

I hope their story gets told."

Brigadier Gen Wilma L. Vaught, USAF (Ret.)

From the Director:  Brigadier General Wilma Vaught was the driving force that built the $22.5 million Women’s Memorial at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery. The nation’s only major memorial to pay tribute to America’s 2.5 million women who have served. The Memorial stands as a place where America’s service women can take their rightful place in history and where their stories will be told for future generations.

Because of Vaught's tireless efforts, the American people and visitors from around the world can learn of the courage and bravery of tens of thousands of American women who, like her, have pioneered the future. She is now the President of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation.

Liam DaCosta Athias Babington, USAFR Airman and FlyGirls fan

Liam DaCosta Athias Babington, Senior Airman, USAFR, Andrews Air Force base.

"I am part of a pathfinder parachuting group that actually jump the exact drop zones that the paratroopers of WWII made. We wear a kit of that day to ensure accuracy. For us, it is not a matter of ego...it is a matter of respect. If not for those brave souls we would not be here today.

The story of the WASP is beyond a doubt one of the vital stories of WWII due to the fact that women played an essential part in the war efforts! The WASP played a key role in the delivery of aircraft to the front lines of the war, through their efforts ferrying war planes across the United States. As an Air Force Veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, I am keenly aware that women, both then and now, play a vital role in Air Force Aviation, from pilots to engine mechanics.

This essential part of the war effort that the WASP made speaks volumes of their dedication and commitment to the nation which I hold so dear to my heart! 'For Valor and Above all'. "

Alex Esguerra, US Navy: FlyGirls fan & supporter

Alex Esguerra is a former PRAN (Aviation Survival Equipment, Airman) of the US Navy, stationed at Barbers Point HI.

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"There are a myriad of examples of perseverance, pride of service, honor, courage, and sacrifice that made the ladies of WASP what they are to me today. The WASP did not participate in combat, but that does not make them any less of heroes than their male counterparts. If anything, I see their service as even more heroic considering the low expectations that many in the military had of them because of their gender. Like a male combat unit that manages to win the day despite predictions that they won't, the pilots of WASP hit the challenging situation head on, determined to not go out without giving it their all. And in the end, they shattered the notion that women were not suited for flying military aircraft".

Alex is currently behind "Operation Valiant", with a mission of restoring a BT-13A Valiant for the May, 2016 WASP Reunion at the WASP National Museum at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, TX. What is a BT-13 to the WASP? Between earning their wings, ferrying any one of the over 9,000 trainers built, and providing instruction, every woman of WASP flew the Vultee-made basic trainer. Please visit his GoFundMe page athttp://www.gofundme.com/zy656p8

"It's been more than seventy years after they disbanded, and still, they remain shadowed in relative obscurity. Like the "Rosie The Riveters" who contributed in their own way during that war, the ladies of the WASP deserve to be in the forefront of US history. Thank you for bringing the stories of the Women Airforce Service Pilots to the TV screen."

B-29 Bombers flown by women first

From FlyGirls fan Alex Esquerra...

Of all the planes WASP flew, their experience with the B-29 remains my favorite story. An exceedingly complex aircraft that was rushed into production, it quickly gained a reputation so bad (especially with engine fires) that many male pilots feared training in it. It was only after Paul Tibbets (of "Enola Gay" fame) enlisted the help of two WASPs (Dora Dougherty and Dorothea Moorman) to demo one of the bombers (appropriately dubbed "Ladybird") to apprehensive male instructors and trainees did the boys finally accept B-29 training with gusto (if not having to prove to themselves that no "girl" was going to outfly a man!!! Haha!).

The B-29 would go on to (quite successfully) deliver the war directly to the Japanese home islands... thanks to the contribution of WASP.

Meet Maggie Dewan-Smith, FlyGirls Vet Corps

Maggie Dewan-Smith, LtCol (ret), USAFR, NC. on why the WASP‬ story matters to her:

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"At a time when roles were more gender-specific, WASPs bent the rules with favorable results. This positive demonstration likely influenced future attempts at gender bending, allowing greater equality and larger numbers of women integrating into previously male-dominated career fields. 

I am looking forward to learning more about the history of these pioneers and their forays into the wild blue yonder."

Meet Joanne Gaishin, FlyGirls Webmaster & Research Assistant

‪Joanne Gaishin, Senior Master Sergeant, USAFR (Ret.). 

"Meeting a member of the WASP, along with the opportunity to meet you all and to be a part of filming the FlyGirls crowd funding video made my entire 32.5 years of service worth it."
The WASP flew war aircraft and took risks for their country without military benefits and status, etc...it's about time we learn more about the WASP and their sacrifices. 

I feel I can relate to the WASP as I always wanted to fly.  I went in the Air Force wanting/trying to be a military pilot.  Although I didn't become a military pilot, I flew at military aero-clubs and did receive my FAA rated private pilot's license.  So I feel like I would have been right there with the WASP, had I lived in that era. 

I never cared much for ceremonial things, awards being given, the mandatory "attaboy" presentations, or even wearing the dress blues. However, doing so for a member of the WASP, holding her hand for a moment, her feeling honored by us, and the fun of shooting the FlyGirls crowd funding video, has literally made my time worth it. I know most any vet in my circumstance would at least think of it as a highlight if they had been there."

Meet Jess Clackum - FlyGirls Director of Social Media & Veterans Liaison

Jess Clackum is Director of Social Media and Veterans Liaison for FlyGirls the Series. Jess served in the U.S. Coast Guard and is a writer with a background in History & Mass Communications and is a crucial member of the Production team.

"Joining the Coast Guard in the 1980s was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I traveled and met people from all different walks of life. I gained experience in search and rescue, firefighting, seamanship, tactical law enforcement and culinary arts. Being out on the water gave me a feeling of freedom and independence that I had never known. Serving my country made me proud to be a part of something bigger, something worthwhile. I gained confidence and learned the true value of working as part of a team, for the greater good.

When I joined, women were not considered equal to their male counterparts. At times, we faced roadblocks to the same opportunities and consideration. We persevered in spite of discrimination and sexual harassment by going above and beyond, embracing the opportunity to serve our country, with hopes of advancement as we asserted our worth.

A number of women I served with wanted to enter more traditional male jobs in the service but were discouraged from those paths. The headstrong, however, ignored the advice of supervisors and Commanding Officers and pursued their goals anyway, placing their names on lists for schools or participating in on-the-job training. For those who stayed with it, their struggles against the system were ultimately rewarded.

Women are more empowered now than they have been in any other time in history. Never-before-had opportunities to make our mark in the world comes abound but we didn’t get here on our own. We had lots of help from the generations of women before us and we owe them a debt of gratitude. Their struggles and sacrifices paved the way for us to be where we are today.

That’s why the Fly Girls project is near and dear to my heart.

Over the years, I’ve studied World War II history. I’ve read books and I've taken the time to talk to people who served during the war---including my grandfather who was a mine planter (his brother Arthur, an infantryman died in the Pacific Theater), my grandmother May and her sister Jeanine, both of whom were Rosie the Riveters, building bombs and aircraft for the war effort, PFC Benno Levi, who served with my great Uncle Arthur and who shared his war experiences with me, and countless others who served bravely and selflessly for the cause. The conversations I've had bring home to me that every American — men and women, of all ages — contributed to the war effort, and that the role that women played in winning the war is often overlooked.

Over seventy years ago, the Women Airforce Service Pilots refused to stand in the shadows and let their destinies be chosen for them. They each had a dream and they pursued it. They served with honor and distinction and deserve better than to be forgotten.

It’s time to honor them and their sacrifices and accomplishments, we who’ve benefited from such trailblazers.

That is exactly what our miniseries will do!"