"My greatest achievement is having raised four independent, intelligent, capable children who are good citizens and who are raising children with the same traits."
WASP Elaine Harmon*
Elaine D. Harmon, who had been a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II and later worked to gain veteran status for the pilots, died April 21 at Casey House Hospice Center in Rockville from complications of breast cancer. She was 95.
The daughter of Dr. Dave Danforth, a dentist, and Margaret Oliphant Danforth, a homemaker, the former Elaine Danforth was born and raised on 34th Street, and graduated in 1936 from Eastern High School.
Mrs. Harmon participated in World War II aviation history when she was accepted in 1944 into the Women's Airforce Service Pilots — or WASP — over the objections of her mother, who considered it "unladylike," said a granddaughter, Erin Miller of Silver Spring.
"When I began flight training, the school required at least one parent's signature," Mrs. Harmon told the Air Force Print News in a 2007 interview. "Although my father was very supportive of my adventures, my mother was absolutely against the thought of me flying," she said. "So I mailed the letter to my father's office. He promptly signed it and returned it in the next day's mail."
She learned to fly while an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 1940 in bacteriology. She joined the Civil Aeronautics Authority Program and learned to fly Piper Cubs at College Park Airport for $40.
Army Air Force Gen. Henry H. "Hap" Arnold established the WASP program in 1942. Its goal was to train women as ferry pilots. One of their jobs was to ferry new planes from aircraft manufacturing plants to points where they were shipped or flown overseas.
Mrs. Harmon was one of 25,000 women who applied for training. Only 1,830 were accepted with 1,074 earning their wings. After completing the program, they were assigned to operational duties.
Training consisted of seven months of ground school and flight training, with a minimum of 500 flight hours.
One of their jobs was to ferry new planes from aircraft manufacturing plants to points where they were shipped or flown overseas.
"She became a member of class 44-9 and trained at Sweetwater, Texas, with a group of women that she always referred to as 'extraordinary,'" said Ms. Miller.
After completing her training in 1944 at Avenger Field, she was stationed at Nellis Air Base near Las Vegas. During her career, she flew the AT-6 Texan, PT-17 trainer and BT-13 trainer, and had been a co-pilot on the B-17 Flying Fortress.
In addition to delivering new planes, WASP pilots trained male pilots, ferried cargo, and dragged targets that were used for target practice.
During the war, 38 WASP pilots lost their lives. If a WASP was killed in the line of duty, she was not entitled to a military funeral and her family was responsible for paying to have her body returned home.
One of their jobs was to ferry new planes from aircraft manufacturing plants to points where they were shipped or flown overseas.
Mrs. Harmon was one of 25,000 women who applied for training. Only 1,830 were accepted with 1,074 earning their wings. After completing the program, they were assigned to operational duties.
Training consisted of six months of ground school and flight training, with a minimum of 500 flight hours.
"She became a member of class 44-9 and trained at Sweetwater, Texas, with a group of women that she always referred to as 'extraordinary,'" said Ms. Miller.
After completing her training in 1944 at Avenger Field, she was stationed at Nellis Air Base near Las Vegas. During her career, she flew the AT-6 Texan, PT-17 trainer and BT-13 trainer, and had been a co-pilot on the B-17 Flying Fortress.
In addition to delivering new planes, WASP pilots trained male pilots, ferried cargo, and dragged targets that were used for target practice.
During the war, 38 WASP pilots lost their lives. If a WASP was killed in the line of duty, she was not entitled to a military funeral and her family was responsible for paying to have her body returned home.
They were not authorized to fly a gold star flag that meant a military death of a loved one had occurred, and they were denied veteran status.
The WASP program was disbanded in December 1944.
