Janet Harmon Bragg, Aviator

What an amazing woman! Janet Harmon Bragg flew her last plane at 86. I looked at the history of Black women after watching The WASPS: Taking Flight@ AARP Movies for Grown People this evening. There were no Black women in the film. I learned later Black women were not allowed in the government program. 

In the film, other women of color: Asian (2),  Indigenous (1) and Latina (2) were not profiled or shown either. 

Interesting fact though,  along with pioneering Black women aviators: Janet Harmon Bragg,

Black women aviators: Willa Brown, Mildred Hemmons Carter who were excluded taught men and women to fly at that time. So anyhoo, I am speaking up for the disappeared and unacknowledged women: #SHEflies

Other than this, I enjoyed the film. These women ferried airplanes across the country which were dissembled to be shipped overseas. These pilots could fly all the planes used as they were developed. The women pilots were also test flying new planes as they came off the assembly lines often repairing aircraft. Their skillsets and experience often exceeded that of the male recruits. It's too bad women couldn't see combat. There were more women pilots than men.

Not military personnel, the women had to pay for their uniforms and if injured or killed were not given veteran care. December 20, 1944 the program which employed the women pilots ended abruptly. This is a pivotal point in the film. WASPS returned home. Since their roles during the wartime was not made public, when they stated experiences with others no one believed them.

It took about 30 years (November 23, 1977) before these women were recognized for their contributions and given honorary discharge which gave them veteran benefits.  

During President Obama's term, the Women Airforce Service Pilots received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009. In 2016, he signed legislation that restored their rights to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.