Lillian Yonally – A Life in Color
In 2005, while recording her oral history, Lillian Yonally recalled the thrilling sensation of lifting up from a runway and into the air. “When you take off, it’s power,” she said, “you push the throttle forward and it pushes right back into the seat, and you go on up. And it’s beautiful up there.” Seated in the den of her family seaside retreat overlooking Pico Beach in Massachusetts, Lillian’s face lit up as she recounted the experience, as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Over six decades later, her love for flying in service to country was palpable.
The Spring 2025 Newsletter is here!
Happy Spring! Keep updated with the latest news, articles, and events at the WASP WWII Museum by reading our monthly newsletters. Subscribe to our mailing list to get exclusive WASP […]
Hitting the Silk – The Caterpillar Club
“‘Life depends on a silken thread’
Operation Celestial Flight Honoring the Thirty-Eight
“Our mission is to honor the 38 WASP who died in the service of their country” – U.S. Army Chaplain, Capt. J. Clemens, 2013
The Harmons – A Family Legacy of Flight and Service to Country
The Harmon family has built a remarkable legacy of aviation and service spanning over a century, beginning with Lt. Ernest E. Harmon’s historic ‘Round-the-Rim’ flight in 1919. From WASP pilot Elaine Harmon’s contributions to women’s military aviation to her granddaughter Erin Miller’s advocacy for WASP recognition at Arlington National Cemetery, their dedication to flight and country has continued across generations. Today, Erin carries on the family tradition as a pilot, ensuring that the Harmon legacy soars into the future.
Legislation to Militarize the WASP (Part II) – A battle, hard fought…three decades later
After the bill to militarize the WASP failed by 19 votes in June 1944, the WASP were officially disbanded on December 20, 1944, and the women who had served their country admirably were sent home in stunned silence at their own expense.
1944 & HR 4219 – The Legislation to Militarize the WASP (Part I)
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States was a country at war on two fronts, in both the European and Pacific Theater of Operations. In its aftermath, with the America’s direct involvement in the allied war effort, the U.S. built up both its military and airpower presence overseas.
The WASP & the Buzz on Drones…and a war worker named Norma Jean Dougherty
A big topic in the news these days is about the use of drones, otherwise known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). A drone is a small or medium aircraft without […]
The Winter 2024 Newsletter is here!
Happy Holidays! Keep updated with the latest news, articles, and events at the WASP WWII Museum by reading our monthly newsletters. Subscribe to our mailing list to get exclusive WASP […]
‘P’ is for Pursuit | The WASP who ferried the hottest fighters of the day by Julia Lauria-Blum
From the early to the middle of the 20th century, the name ‘Pursuit’, or the letter ‘P’, was primarily used by the U.S. Army Air Service – later called the […]