An Unsung Hero of World War II: Jacqueline Cochran

Discussions of the American women who participated in World War II has a tendency to revolve around the Women’s Army Corps (WACs), Women’s Nurse Corps, or of the thousands of women who worked in defense plants all across the country, who had picked up where their husbands, sons, and fathers had left off. While most people have basic understandings of women’s participation in the Navy via the WAVES and in the Air Corps via the WASPS during World War II, less is known about the women who started it all – the women who paved the way for female service in the United States military.

For this Women’s History Month, it is important to pay tribute to the women who opened the door to and began conversations about women’s involvement, treatment, and equality in the United States. When thinking of the World War II generation of women who had a great influence on our position in society today, my thoughts ran to Eleanor Roosevelt and the many Rosie the Riveters. However, this post is dedicated to all the unsung heroes, such as the lovely Jacqueline (Jackie) Cochran, who not only was a founder of the Women’s Army Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II, but also helped normalize women in aviation in America. Jackie Cochran’s story is lesser known and for someone who was instrumental in American aviation and military history, she deserves to be recognized on this platform and many others.

Jacqueline Cochran was born May 11, 1906 in Florida. Soon an orphan, Jackie spent much of her childhood living with a foster family and grew up in poverty. As a teenager, Jackie began training to be a beautician, and as a young adult, made her way up the social ladder while residing in New York City and working in a prestigious salon on Saks Fifth Avenue. In 1932, Jackie married millionaire financier Floyd Odlum, which provided her the means and supported her in pursing other interests, such as taking flying lessons. In her 1953 autobiography, Jackie stated that, “at that moment, when I paid for my first lesson, a beauty operator ceased to exist and an aviator was born."

By the time World War II broke out in 1939 in Europe, Jackie had already established herself within the aviation community, having set and broke various flying records. Believing that she and other female pilots could put their passion and skill to good use serving their country, Jackie appealed to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to create a “squadron of female pilots…who [in the eventual U.S. involvement in the conflict] could fly military aircraft on support missions, releasing men for combat duty.” However, it was not until 1941 and 1942 did Jackie see her dream of flying for the military come to fruition. After being inspired by the female pilot squadrons utilized in England, Jackie returned to America and with the blessing of President Roosevelt, “hand-picked 25 American women recruits” to implement female aviation into the U.S. Army Air Corps by ferrying planes. After their success, Jackie was asked to organize a program for training women pilots in the United States. In 1943, Cochran’s program became known as the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs).

The WASPs boasted impeccable flying records, and in “January 1944, the War Department announced that the Army Air Forces women's fatal and non-fatal accident rates were lower than the men's.” Cochran and the WASPs continued to train and fly non-combative missions for several months more, but the end of 1944 and the turn of the war in the Allies’ favor deemed the WASPs’ service obsolete and unnecessary. Jackie hoped that Congress would make the WASPs an official branch of the U.S. military, but this dream was not to be. The WASPs were grounded and absolved on December 20, 1944.

Jackie’s flying career did not end with the disbandment of her creation, the WASPs. After the war, she continued to fly and break more records. She competed in many races, such as the Bendix Race, “coming in second with a time of four hours and 52 minutes.” Moreover, the 1950s saw further aviation accomplishments for Jackie, including record speeds for “propeller driven aircraft” and becoming the “first woman to break the sound barrier.” Jackie continued to derive passion for flying until her health and her husband’s death began to inhibit her career. After Floyd died in 1976, Jackie, who was aged 70 at the time, saw her health deteriorate further, and she passed away on August 9, 1980. Jacqueline Cochran loved flying until the day she died, and was instrumental in creating more roles for women in not only the U.S. Air Force, but within the aviation community as a whole. If Jackie had been alive in 2009, it would have pleased her immensely to witness President Obama sign the bill that awarded Congressional Gold Medals to veterans of the WASPs.

-Meika

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/flygirls/peopleevents/pandeAMEX01.html 

Eleanor Roosevelt: Passionate Spirit, Tenacious Ambition

Hello All,

Today marks the last day of Women’s History Month for the year 2015. To celebrate the end of a most enjoyable month, let’s discover more about one of the most influential woman of the 1940s, Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Not only was she a power-house politically, she was also an impassioned spirit capable of accomplishing anything she set her mind towards.

As many of you already know, Eleanor grew up in a wealthy home in a ritzy area of New York. Her uncle, Former President Theodore Roosevelt, helped the Roosevelt clan reach and maintain celebrity amongst the American public. His work in social reforms undoubtedly influenced Eleanor as she grew older; reinforcing her tendency at doing good works and philanthropy.

Roosevelt family portrait

Born October 11, 1884 in New York City, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt grew up in a lavish life that was struck by tragedy all too soon. At the tender age of eight years old, Eleanor lost her mother and then her father only two years later. Naturally, with such a tragic loss, it would be very easy for a child to revert into themselves; however, boarding school in England helped Eleanor regain her self confidence, setting the groundwork for the woman she would become.

In her early twenties, Eleanor fell in love and married her distant cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the future President of the United States. Together, the pair had six children: Anna, James, Franklin, Elliot, Franklin Jr. and John. The first Franklin died in infancy. Having many children did not slow Eleanor down in the slightest. During the First World War, Eleanor stayed active in the American Red Cross, among many other civic duties.

Eleanor visiting soldiers abroad.

Eleanor’s public service prepared her for one of the biggest trials she and Franklin would face together, his polio disease. Franklin was diagnosed with polio in 1921 and suffered from limited mobility, making everyday tasks difficult, especially for a future president. When Franklin took office in 1933, Eleanor became his eyes and ears throughout the country. She wanted to take charge of the situation dealt to her family and become a leading role in American politics, forever changing the expectations of a First Lady. Her biggest concerns were for family matters and women’s issues, but she spoke fervently about Human Rights in press conferences and in her very own newspaper column, “My Day”; which mainly dealt with the country’s poor and social justice for all. When war broke out across the world for a second time, Eleanor did not hesitate to visit U.S. troops overseas.

Despite Franklin's death in 1945, Eleanor continued to work in public service for another fifteen years. She spent some time, 1945-1953, as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, as well as participated in the Human Rights Commission.  Her greatest achievement would be when she helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She wrote several autobiographies, including On My Own (1958) and Autobiography (1961) and she later appointed chair of the Commission on the Status of Women by President John F. Kennedy.

 

Eleanor’s work throughout her life was invaluable for women, then and now. She changed the way women were viewed, not only in politics, but in the work force as well. Eleanor passed away at 78 years old to cancer. Her humanitarian efforts and political fervor has created a long lasting legacy for all women to aspire towards.

Take Care,

Elizabeth 

Hanna Reitsch: German Avaitrix and Test Pilot

Hello All,

 

Hanna Reitsch

To continue with Women’s History Month, I would like to introduce you to Hanna Reitsch, an accomplished German aviatrix and Nazi test pilot during World War II. She was the only female to be awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the Luftwaffe Pilot/Observer Badge in gold with diamonds. It is important to remember that both sides of this horrific conflict suffered greatly and triumphed in different ways, and while Hanna supported the opposing side, her accomplishments surpassed those of the average woman of her day and age.

Hanna was born 29 March 1912 in Hirschberg, Silesia (Now in Poland) to an upper middle-class family. Her father was a doctor and hoped his daughter would follow in his footsteps. Hanna agreed with her father but had her own unique agenda in mind; a flying missionary doctor for Northern African countries. She studied medicine at the Colonial School for Women and began flight training soon after, in 1932, at the School of Gliding. She later enrolled in a German Air Mail flying school for powered aircraft, adding to her skill set immensely. Noticing her talents as a pilot, Hanna’s instructors encouraged her to become a fulltime pilot. She decided to leave medical school in order to pursue a career as a pilot/instructor for a gliding company and was later approached for stunt piloting in the film, “Rivals of the Air”. Her proficiency won her many competition prizes and distinguished medals. 

Candid photo of Hanna in her aircraft

Naturally, when war broke out in Europe for the second time, Hanna’s aptitude for flying made her highly qualified for the Luftwaffe. Reitsch became the first female helicopter pilot and was also one of the few to fly the first fully controllable helicopter, which earned her the Military Flying Medal. Her well mannered demeanor and good looks (particularly an Aryan look) made her a propaganda gem for the Nazi Party, which became her primary claim to fame.

To keep up appearances, Hanna ran daily ‘missions’ and partook in various expeditions in the late 1930s. But one of her major tasks was to test pilot all the latest and greatest aircraft in production. She would provide detailed reports on how the aircraft handled and any concerns that may arise for other pilots. Hanna crash landed only once during her time as a test pilot, which put her in the hospital for five months. Despite her injuries, she was still able to give a full detailed report on the aircraft. That particular incident earned her the Iron Cross First Class.

Hanna Reitsch propaganda

As her notoriety grew, her influence with military hierarchy grew alongside it. After visiting the Luftwaffe on the eastern front, post Battle of Stalingrad, Hanna presented Hitler with the idea of suicide flight bombers, known as Operation Suicide. This operation would entail volunteers to fly gliders into enemy targets, essentially acting as gigantic bombs. At first, Hitler believed the situation for Germany did not warrant such an extreme plan; however, by the summer of 1944, the plan was set in motion. Reitsch began test piloting suitable gliders and made several successful flights before training the volunteers. The operation was never employed; by the time training would have been sufficient, the war had taken a terrible turn for Germany. Regardless, the idea that a well mannered woman could enact such an extreme plan suggests her determination for German victory.

When the Russian Red Army began heavy bombardment of Berlin, Hitler invited Reitsch to his Führerbunker. The Red Army was already invading the area when she flew into Berlin. Her low altitude flight training served her well, enabling her to find an alternative escape route, landing close to the bunker. Upon arrival, Hitler gave Hanna a vial of poison, fully prepared to die alongside her leader. However, before such drastic measures were needed, an escape plan was initiated. Using the same improvised airstrip as before, Reitsch was able to successfully take off despite the Red Army’s advances.

 

Hanna meeting Adolf Hitler

Nevertheless, soon after her escape from Berlin, Hanna was captured by American military intelligence officers and was questioned as to why she had left the Führerbunker on April 28, 1945. Her statement included little detail, only that she was disappointed she could not die alongside the leader of her country. Hanna was particularly inexperienced in regards to Hitler’s ulterior motives for Germany. She refused to believe the atrocities Hitler and Nazi regime committed during the war, believing the rumors to be falsified. When questioned, those around her validated her convictions that the news was indeed fiction. They wanted to keep her in the dark to protect their propaganda agenda. She spent the remainder of the war in captivity. 

Hanna meeting Pres. John F. Kennedy

After war’s end, Hanna settled in Frankfurt and began flying gliders once several of the bans for German citizens were lifted. She continued with flying competitions as before the war, becoming a German champion in 1955. She was able to break the women’s altitude record in 1957 and earned her first diamond of the Gold-C badge. In 1959, she was invited to India to institute a gliding center; then, in 1961 she was invited to the White House by President Kennedy. The celebrity of her career followed her for the rest of her life, but she was determined to follow her heart’s first desire one way or another. In the mid 1960s, Hanna moved to Ghana, establishing the first black African gliding school.

At first, the people of Ghana were apprehensive of Reitsch past, but it quickly became apparent that she was politically naïve and her past opinions no longer rang true. She felt a kindred spirit with the friendships she built in Ghana and had a new respect for other cultures. However, despite building a new life for herself in Africa, Hanna could never fully shake the events of the war, especially while in the Fuhrer’s bunker. She loved Germany with a passion and believed the country had deep regret for the war, but were more upset they had lost. Hanna returned to Frankfurt but unfortunately died shortly after, at 67 years old, in 1979. She would never marry, nor have children to carry on her legacy. It has been rumored Hanna kept the poison Hitler had given her so many years ago and that she finally used it under the pact she and another had made; however, it is more universally believed she died from a heart attack.

Reitsch test piloting.

In the end, Hanna had written four autobiographies and has been portrayed in various films, three of which were produced before her death.

Take Care,

Elizabeth

The Untold Story: Women in the Italian Resistance, WWII

Hello All,

Members of the Italian Resistance

Today, it is hard to imagine the Fascist and Nazi regimes of Italy and Germany were able to captivate such a large population as they did before and during World War II. It is much easier for us to believe people were adamantly against the evils of such regimes, which was the case in Italy. The Italian resistance was born in 1943, when Benito Mussolini was finally eradicated from power by the Fascist Grand Council. At that time, almost half the resistance members were female, 105,000 out of 250,000 total, with 4,600 being arrested, 2,750 deported to German Concentration Camps, and 623 murdered by Italian fascists or Germans.  

The politics of Italy from the 1920s to the 1940s were tumultuous to say the least. Two very different forms of government were vying for control and power; the Italian monarchy led by Marshal Pietro Badoglio, who consequently fled southern Italy, while Mussolini was reinstated as a puppet figure for the Italian Social Republic, who also had an alliance with Adolf Hitler. As a result of the turmoil between the parties, an Action Party formed from the camaraderie of the Communists, Socialists, and Christian Democrats. These particular sects of people began small resistance units, as time wore on, the small groups joined together under the National Committee for the Liberation of Northern Italy.

Italian Resistance partisans after the liberation of Florance

Once Mussolini was eradicated, a ‘crisis of conscience’ occurred through the masses that affected women just as potently as the men. Very soon after Mussolini’s demise, the Women’s Defense Groups began in Milan to coincide with the National Committee of the Liberation of Northern Italy. A major piece of women’s’ contributions to the cause were grassroots mobilization, as well as the legitimization of women’s roles in politics, particularly through the efforts of the Union of Italian Catholic Women and the Union of Italian Women.

The Western European world had never seen such a large involvement of women in a resistance movement such as this before, it was extremely unique, especially considering the traditional roles of Italian women. In Italy, women were expected, and often lived up to such expectations, to be nurture’s of good and the foundation of the family. These admirable qualities undoubtedly enhanced women’s participation in the resistance movement. Their involvement was not only a means to fight Fascism that was crippling their country, but also a means to gain independence for women in general, breaking the traditional and religious stereotypes of the time. However, preserving family values and traditions was at the utmost importance to those women and it would only been natural for them to take up arms against those who would threaten the safety of their families.

Women in the Resistance

The occupations women performed for the movements were vital to the resistance survival. They took care of the food, clothing, and medical supplies, typically from the comfort of their own kitchens. However, their most important role was collecting information and communication. These women were the perfect candidates for clandestine communications and operations. They were the least suspect by the ‘establishment’ and they would be able to get close to unsuspecting men discussing their political agendas and plans. However, these women were not only talented as messengers, but as fighters as well. They were mostly tasked with sabotage, minor strike attacks, and serve as auxiliary to the Brigades.

Partisans celebrating victory

Through their hard work, sacrifice, and determination, these brave Italian resistance fighting women were able to make headway in equal opportunity for themselves after war’s end, and the first order of business was granting them the vote. By 1948, Italy was declared a democratic republic, which guaranteed equality for all, no matter their sex, religion, race, or opinion.

Take Care,

Elizabeth

Noor Khan: Spy Princess

 Hello All,

Noor's service portrait

Continuing with Women’s History Month, I would like to introduce you to Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan, born January 2, 1914, St. Petersburg, who became an Allied Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent during World War II. Her dedication and skill as the first female radio operator to assist the French Resistance in France, earned her the George Cross honor, which is the highest civilian honor in the United Kingdom. 

Noor, of Indian and American decent, often being called Nora, was raised in Europe by a noble Indian Muslim father and an American mother from New Mexico. The family initially settled in Russia, but moved to London just before the outbreak of World War I. Shortly after war’s end, the family moved to France and remained there until France was invaded by the Germans at the outbreak of World War II, when they traveled back to England. These major life changes developed a keenly aware individual in Noor’s case. She had an intelligent understand of different cultures, dialects, and social graces. She studied child psychology and music during her formative years and then went on to begin a successful career as a children’s story and poetry writer as an adult.

Noor was musically gifted

World War II would alter her plans for her future dramatically. Despite her upbringing as a pacifist, Noor knew she had a role to play in the conflict to defeat the Nazi regime. By November 1940, Noor joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) and was sent to train as a wireless operator. However, the monotony of her duties soon wore on her and so she applied for commission in a more rewarding field. She was consequently promoted to Assistant Section Officer and then recruited to join F (France) Section of the Special Operations Executive in February 1943. Her life for the next few months consisted of rigorous training all over England and despite her rushed training; superiors felt her language skills and competency in wireless communications made her an adequate candidate for Nazi occupied France. By June 1943, Noor was given a new identity as “Jeanne-Marie Regnier/Nurse”, Assistant Section Officer/Ensign Inayat Khan and landed in Northern France, on a night landing codenamed Teacher/Nurse/Chaplain/Monk.

Noor was joined by two other women in Paris, the Chaplain and the Teacher, and together they joined the larger network, codenamed Prosper. Within a month and a half, the network was compromised and hundreds of French Resistance personnel were arrested. Noor was the only remaining wireless operator at large in her circuit and was able to keep transmitting information to London. She quickly became the most wanted British Agent in France with German wireless detection details on her every move. To avoid detection, Noor could only transmit for twenty minutes in one place at a time. Her dedication and spirit kept her going through the most challenging ordeal of her life, thus far.

As if matters could not get any worse, Noor was betrayed by one of her own, a colleague who was either a double agent for the Sicherheitsdienst or jealous of her talents. Nevertheless, on October 13, 1943, Noor was arrested and taken to the SD Headquarters, Paris, for interrogations. Despite her quite and passive aggressive nature, Noor fought arrest with such violent force, the officers treated as a dangerous prisoner. However, though there was no evidence to suggest she had been tortured, her interrogations lasted over a month. She lied to the Gestapo at every encounter to avoid divulging information and attempted to escape twice while in captivity. As a result, she was sent to a German prison, in Pforzheim, in solitary confinement as a “Nacht und Nebel”, or “Night and Fog”, meaning her whereabouts were completely secret. She was held captive for ten months. Her conditions of confinement were horrible and other prisoners could hear her weeping at night. Through her training and sheer genius, Noor was able to transmit messages to fellow prisoners by scraping her mess cup on the floor. Eventually someone nearby was able to identify her and her address in London. 

Bust resurrected in Noor's honor, London

In September 1944, she and three other agents were transferred to Dachau Concentration Camp and subsequently executed. An anonymous Dutch prisoner recorded that Noor’s last words were “Libertѐ”.

Five years later, Noor was awarded the George Cross and the French Croix de Guerre for her service and is now memorialized in London.

If you are interested in Noor’s story, a biographic film was produced in 2012, entitled, Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan.

Take Care,

Elizabeth