Vivian Cadman Eddy, 43-W-5 April 29, 2013

Vivian Cadman was just 9-years-old when her grandfather took her to the airshow at Mines Field near Los Angeles, but the experience ignited a passion for flying that would characterize the rest of her life.

Vivian Cadman, WASP 43-W-5

A third generation Californian, Vivian was born in 1921 in Fullerton where she attended elementary school through junior college.  She transferred to the University of California, Berkeley where she majored in English.

At 19 Vivian was already licensed to fly airplanes – but didn’t yet have a license to drive an automobile.  In 1943 the shortage of male pilots for the World War II effort gave 22-year-old Vivian the shot of a lifetime.  She was one of only 1000, out of an applicant pool of 25,000+, tapped to join the elite Women Airforce Service Pilots (the WASP).  Her job was to ferry aircraft from the point of manufacture to locations where they were shipped overseas.  A qualified pursuit pilot, Vivian flew 17 different aircraft, including the P-51 “Mustang,” her favorite.

Vivian ferrying a P-39

Vivian returned to civilian life when the WASP were unceremoniously disbanded.  As there were no jobs for professional women pilots at the time, she did what she had to to keep herself in the air: she became a stewardess for American Airlines.

Vivian Cadman married Lt. Howard B. Eddy, a naval aviator and former high schoolmate, in 1946.  Over the next twenty years tours of duty took the family to Washington, D.C.; Coronado; Alameda, CA; Pensacola, FL; Barber’s Point, HI; and Pt. Mugu, CA.  Three daughters were born along the way.  Vivian was the model Navy wife and mother: she ran the house when Howard was at sea, made all the girls’ – and her own – clothes, was active in the Navy Relief Society, and served as PTA president.  She also discovered golf, and played regularly from the late 50s to 2007.

Upon Howard’s retirement from the Navy in 1966, the family moved to the Seattle area where Vivian sold advertising for the weekly Mercer Island Reporter.  Along with bringing in the revenues needed to put the paper in the black, Vivian’s work won numerous prizes from the Washington Newspaper Association.

It was while living in the Seattle area that Vivian and Howard bought the first of a string of single-engine Piper aircraft and began taking trips across country and as far south as central Mexico.

In 1977, after years of intense lobbying in Washington, the WASP were recognized as veterans and granted benefits.  And in March 2010, Vivian and a few hundred of the remaining WASP traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive the United States Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award given to civilians.

Howard and Vivian “retired” to Coronado in 1979.  She was very active in the Coronado community.  She was a member of Sea and Air Women’s Golf Association, belonged to the Coronado Republican Women’s Club; was president of the Coronets, the Coronado Playhouse auxiliary; then board member and finally president of the Coronado Playhouse Board of Directors.

Vivian Cadman Eddy was a thirty-four year resident of Coronado.  She passed away at her home on April 29, 2013.  She was 91.  Her remains were interred with military honors at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery on May 25, 2013.  She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Cdr. Howard B. Eddy, USN, Retired; daughters Jo Anne Scott (husband Jim Scott), Lynn Eddy-Zambrano (husband Victor Zambrano) and Lis Eddy (husband Allan Whitcomb), five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.  

Posted via email from the family of Vivian Eddy, July 16, 2013
Class photo from Wings Across America.
Additional photo from the family.

                                                                                     

WASP Macie Jo Myers Wheelis, 43-W-5 April 14, 2012

Macie Jo Myers Wheelis, formerly of Weatherford, Lubbock, and Fort Stockton, took her final flight on Saturday, April 14, 2012 and traded her earthly wings for heavenly ones.

Jo was born October 13, 1918 in Wylie, Texas to James and Ida Myers. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas in 1936 and attended SMU. Jo followed her dreams always and advised all women to do what pleases them but make sure to do it right.

"When you look in the mirror, ask yourself if you are doing the right thing and proud of your accomplishments. Live your life as an example to others."

Jo lived a life full of adventure. During World War II, at the age of 24, Jo took the opportunity to serve her country as a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP). She was a member of the 43-W-5 class and trained at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas. Jo and the other W.A.S.P.s were finally given the status of Veterans in November 1977, and on March 10, 2010 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., the W.A.S.P. were awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

Jo's life-long love for sports and outdoor activities was apparent in her award winning bowling, golf, raising and racing horses, fishing, hunting, and watching all Texas Tech sports. Keeping her mind and body busy helped her reach the age of 93.

Jo was preceded in death by her husband, Ted Wheelis; parents, Frank and Ida Bell Myers; sisters and brothers-in-law, Creon and Frank Warren, Jr. and Edna Earl and Jimmie H. Clay; and cousin, Oleta Cash.

Jo was survived by stepson and wife, Ted and Cassie Wheelis of Jacksboro; step-granddaughter, Lisa Wheelis of Dallas; foster son and wife, Burt and Radell Williams of Van Vleck; sister-in-law, Lyndelle Cullen of Hondo; brother-in-law, Bill Wheelis of San Antonio; nephews and wives, Mike and Jan Warren of Kerrville and James and Linda Clay of Irving; niece, Cheryl Green of Corsicana; and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be held Thursday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. at Laurel Land Memorial Chapel in Dallas, with Reverend Kenneth Lunsford of the Laurel Street 1st United Methodist Church of Dublin, Texas officiating.

Memorials may be made to the W.A.S.P. Museum, P.O. Box 456, Sweetwater, TX 79556 or Disabled Veteran's National Foundation, P.O. Box 96262, Washington, D.C. 20090-6262.

reprinted from the LAUREL LAND SITE
Sign the guestbook 

photo and minor edits for accuracy respectfully added by Wings Across America

_________________

from Wings Across America:

On Veteran's Day, 2009, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison invited all of the WASP of Texas to attend a special ceremony to receive a copy of the Bill to award them the Congressional Gold Medal.  As part of that ceremony, WASP Deanie Parrish wrote a tribute to every WASP who would be in attendance.  This is her tribute to our friend Jo, a quiet, thoughtful, gentle and kind WASP .  She is truly flying higher than she's ever flown before. 

JO MYERS WHEELIS

From Weatherford, Texas

Class 43-5

A native Texan through and through, Jo did not get interested in flying until after she married. She then bought her own plane, and she and her husband spent most week-ends on fly-ins at air fields all over Texas. She was accepted into the WASP flying training program as a member of the fifth class.

After graduation, Jo was assigned to the Ferrying Division at Romulus, Army Air Base, Michigan. She completed pursuit school and then ferried 15 different types of military aircraft, among which were the P-51, P-63, P-39, P-40 and P-47, After the WASP, she returned to her own successful baking business. She was an avid golfer and bowler--and won the Dallas Singles Bowling Championship as well as other tournaments in both sports.

One of Jo’s fondest remembrances of her WASP training days takes her back to Avenger Field to the day she was selected as the pilot of a UC-78 for a Hollywood film crew who wanted to go up and ‘shoot’ film of Avenger Field so they could feature it in their news film. The pretty young girl pilot in an old ‘Movietone News Reel’, featuring the ‘Girl Pilots at Avenger Field’—is none other than Jo Wheelis!

Respectfully posted by Nancy and Deanie Parrish



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WASP Elizabeth 'Betty' Haas Pfister, 43-W-5 Nov. 17, 2011

 Elizabeth Haas Pfister passed away peacefully at her home in Aspen, Colorado on November 17, 2011.  b July 23, 1921 - d November 17, 2011.  Two dates separated by a dash.  For WASP Betty Pfister, that dash represents an extraordinary life of trailblazing adventure, sacrifice, flying, record breaking, friendships, marriage, family, patriotism and service.


Elizabeth "Betty" Haas  was born on July 23, 1921 in Great Neck, New York, to Bob and Merle Haas, the middle child, with an older brother and younger sister.  She started school in Scarsdale, NY.  Later, she attended  Holmquist Boarding School in Pennsylvania-- and then spent her last 2 years of high school at George School.  Upon completion of high school,  Betty was accepted at Bennington College in Vermont.  She learned to fly her freshman year, building up her flying hours each year.  During her senior year, after receiving a telegram from Jacqueline Cochran inviting her to apply to join the WASP training program, she convinced the administration at Bennington to allow her to graduate early with a degree in Marine Biology. 

As soon as she graduated, Betty paid her way to Avenger Field to become a member of class 43-4.  However, while Betty was in primary training, her brother was killed tragically in a catapult failure while flying torpedo bombers off a carrier.  Betty went home to be with her family and, when she returned to training, had to join class 43-5 in order to get in all the flying and classes she needed to graduate.

After graduation, Betty was part of the Ferry Command, and spent two years flying missions from factories to bases or to points of embarkation and test flying new aircraft.  She flew many different types of aircraft from the single engine PT's, to the fastest pursuits, to co-piloting the four engine B-17.

After the WASP were deactivated, Betty worked as a flight instructor and as a co-pilot for several 'non scheduled' airlines, flying DC-3 type aircraft.   She flew as a stewardess with Pan-American Airways from 1948 to 1952 so that she could travel the world, flying out of New York to Europe and eventually San Francisco to the Orient.   In 1954, she married Arthur Pfister.  The couple moved to Aspen, Colorado, where they began a family and raised their three daughters.

In 1963, Betty received her commercial rotorcraft rating and, just three years later, she planned and supervised the construction of the Aspen Valley Hospital Heliport--first heliport in Colorado.  In 1968, she founded the Pitkin County Air Rescue Group.    Betty  remained president or the organization until she retired in 1991.  This volunteer group of pilots continues to this day to initiate searches for downed aircraft or other emergencies in the Aspen area.

Betty was responsible for encouraging the FAA to provide and staff the control tower at the Aspen Airport and served as an FAA Accident Prevention Specialist for several years.  After she earned her balloon rating, she organized the Snowmass Hot Air Balloon Races from 1976 to 1983.  In between, she found time to fly over the Alps twice in a hydrogen balloon.

In 1973 and 1978, Betty was a member of the US Helicopter Team, competing in the world championships.  In 1981, Betty founded and became the first chapter chairman of the Aspen Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, International Women Pilots. In 1984, she was inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame.  From 1985 to 1987, she was president of the Whirly-Girls, International Women Helicopter Pilots.

Betty served as an international judge during the 6th World Helicopter Championships in France. In 1992, she was appointed as Chief US Judge at the 7th World Helicopter Championship in England. In 1992, she received the Katharine Wright Memorial Award, presented by the National Aeronautic Association.  In 1994, she received the "Elder Statesman of Aviation Award," and the Livingston Award for Exceptional Contribution to the Recognition and Advancement of Women in Helicopter Aviation. She also received the Gold Medal Rotorcraft Award from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in 1994.


On March 10, 2010, surrounded by her girls,  Betty, along with her WASP sisters, attended a special ceremony at the Capitol, where the WASP were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their trailblazing, patriotic and inspirational service in World War II. 
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In September of 2000, mom and I were privileged to interview Betty and meet Art at their beautiful mountaintop home in Aspen, Colorado.  Betty was a gracious lady in every way, with an easy laugh and a great passion for sharing her love of aviation with young people.  Over the years, she sponsored  aviation scholarships, sending young pilots to Embry Riddle, NASA's Space Camp,  and eventually found local instructors to teach youngsters to fly.  Her reason?  "I've had a wonderful life --My tunnel vision my whole life has been aviation. ...my heart and soul have been in it for years.     I'm trying to pass on some of the great love of aviation and the pleasure that I've received to some of the younger people..."

When asked what advice she would give to the next generation,  Betty answered thoughtfully, "My main belief, I believe it right down to my toes, that if you want to do anything in life badly enough, you can do it.   We all set our own priorities as we go thru life-- maybe your priority is to be an artist -- or maybe a musician -- any field you can think of-- and I think, if you really want it badly enough you can do it."  She did, indeed. 

Betty will be missed by so many, but her legacy lives on, in the lives of countess young pilots and pilots to be, rescued skiers and their families and her community of Aspen, where she made such a difference.  God bless her family and all of those whose lives she touched.  

Blue skies, Betty.

V/r posted by Nancy Parrish

Betty's P-39 Aircobra -- donated to the Smithsonian
    (from the Smithsonian website: Elizabeth Haas then bought the airplane and registered it with the FAA as NX57591 on December 4, 1946. The airplane wore her red and white racing colors and the nickname "Galloping Gertie" painted on the fuselage side. She took it back to the National Air Races in 1948 but failed to qualify. Haas lent her P-39 to the National Air Museum in 1950, but a lack of space forced the Museum to store it temporarily at Orchard Place Airport (now O'Hare International Airport) near Chicago, Illinois. In 1956, Ms. Haas made the donation permanent. After NASM lent the Airacobra to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the EAA repainted it in U. S. Army Air Force markings but kept the nickname "Galloping Gertie." EAA returned the aircraft to the National Air and Space Museum in 1984. Since 1999, the P-39 has been on loan to the Niagra Aerospace Museum, Niagra Falls, New York.)

Aspen Hall of Fame

Aspen Times Article 2010

Ruth Lindley Muller, 43-W-5

Ruth Lindley Muller passed away in Santa Barbara, on May 8, 2007 at the age of 86.

She was the youngest child of longtime San Diego lawyer Fred E. Lindley and his wife, Alma. In 1941 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University. While still at San Diego State, she took a flying class and was hooked. Ruth then trained at Montgomery Field and obtained her private pilot’s license.

In 1943, she was accepted into the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) program and left San Diego for training at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas. As part of WASP class 43-W-5, she flew the same military planes as the men flew. But her favorite plane was the P-51. In 1944 she married Capt. Clifford H. Muller, but continued to ferry planes as a WASP until the program was disbanded on December 20, 1944. Her WASP uniform jacket with her wings now resides in the "Price of Freedom" exhibit in the Smithsonian. During the next two decades, Ruth and her family traveled the world living in Finland, England, Morocco, and Japan during her husband’s Air Force career.

In 1971, Ruth returned to San Diego. For thirty years Ruth made her home in Pacific Beach. She stayed active in women’s flying through her membership in the Ninety-Nines and WASP associations. Oma (as her children and grandchildren called her) was very involved in the lives of her family and never missed a birthday, graduation, or special event. Ruth is survived by her two children, Clifford H. Muller of Florida and Lin Reetz of Santa Barbara, California. She also leaves behind four granddaughters; Laura Rossini, Kelly Anderson, Kristin Muller, and Kimberly Muller.

Services will be held August 3rd at 1 pm at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to WASP Endowment, Texas Woman's University, P.O. Box 425528, Denton, TX 76204-5528.