Question: What Texas town is home to the National WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) Museum?
Answer: Sweetwater. The WASP program was created when the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) merged in 1943. Led by Nancy Harkness Love and Jacqueline Cochran, the organization delivered newly manufactured aircraft to combat theaters, tested repaired aircraft, and towed airborne targets for male pilots to practice marksmanship. By December 1944, its 1,102 members had flown 60 million miles in 78 different types of airplanes.
Originally based at Howard Hughes Municipal Airport in Houston, the program was relocated to Avenger Field in Sweetwater as it grew. In 1977, WASP members were granted veteran status through legislation signed by President Jimmy Carter. In 2010, the surviving members were presented the Congressional Gold Medal by President Barack Obama.
