WASP NEWSLETTER

Volumne VI September, 1949 1949 CONVENTION

Number 3

According to Ruth Wheeler, Convention Chai~man, everyone in Dallas is putting forth every effort to make the convention a huge success. They have arranged for all kinds of entertainment including a private style show and tea in Neiman ~arcus Penthouse, cocktain party at the Cepanga Club, and the use of the Preston Hollow Country Club where the girls not checking out for the flying events in the morning can play gold, sw~n, chat, or play the marble machines, if they so desire. Just in case you may have misplaced your last Newsletter here is the schedule for the convention. THUR:DAY - SgPTlAiBER 22nd
10~OO AM

12too Noon

2:30 PM
8tOO PM

Registration Luncheon - Baker Hotel Tour Neiman Marcus, ending with Tea and Style Show in Penthouse Cocktail Party - Cepanga Club FRIDAY SEPTmJiBER 23rd

A.M.
12:00 Noon
2:30 PM

Check out Airplanes Highland Park Airport _ Luncheon - Preston Hollow Country Club Flight Line - Highland Park Airport Bert Miller Collins 43-W-4.in charge SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 24th

A.M.

Flight,

if not Fr:jay afternoon

Afternoon 7:30 13M

Ranch Day Final Banquet - Peacock Terrace, Baker Hotel Sponsored by Trans-Texas Airlines owned by hr. Earl McKaughan, President of Avaition Enterprises Ltd. (remember)

Grace Clark is handling the reservations so send your reservations along with your check for $15.00, which covers all the convention as outlined, to her; Grace Clark American Airline. Box 439 Baker Hotel Dallas J Texas In the event you are wondering about hotel accommodations we can get sample rooms with bath at the Baker for $2.50 per night per girl - this means four to six girls to the room. Otherwise the rates are from #3.50 for singles and from $6.00 for doubles. vfr,en making your reservations with Grace please give her the following Information.
NAIill'E

ADDRESS

Ho. of days attending and the dates Hotel Reservations:

YES

NO_

DATES

Staying with Friends: YES

- NONo _ Registration Fee

~ntering Flying Events: Yes

------------

RESERVE CCtIMISSIONS

The following is a release approved by Lt. General I. H. Edwards, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, pertaining to Reserve Status for former WASPs . "ATTENTION EX..JI1ASP" "I understand there is some confusion among former WASP concerning applications for appointment as officers in the United States Air Force Reserve. The purpose of this notice is to help you expedite the filing of your application, and assure you that is you were qualified as a WASP in good

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standing at the tine of VIASP deactivation, you should be able to qualify for a Reserve Officer Commiss~on. Several ex~ASP have already received their commissions. "Briefly, in making application you will need: (Obtain from Air Force or Army Base or Recruiting Office, or write me direct at 630 Fifth AveQue, New York City, and I will send you the necessary"forms)

vVD AGO Form 170-1 ih triplicate, supplemented by AF Form 24 (Form 170-1 will be acceptable provided it was previously submitted)

vm

AGO Form 643A in duplicate Standard Form 88 in duplicate Standard Form 89 one copy Docwuents, or photostat copiesthereof, evidencing length of service in the WASP, and honorable release from the WASP, (this certificate was given all WASP upon deactivation and signed by General H. H. Arnold and Jacqueline Cochran). It should be noted training periods are not counted in computing length of servic e. _41

"Filled out, these papers should be sent to the Commanding General in the area nearest to your place of residence. These numbered Air Foraes are: ~ ~r Force,~cum Air Force Base, New York:

~aine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Fourth Air Force, Ha~ilton Air Force Base, California: }i~ontana,Idaho, Utah, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Ninth Air Force, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia: Deleware, Penns1lvania, l:aryland, Virginia, Dist. of Columbia, West iirginia, Kentucky and Ohio. Tenth Air Force, Benjamin Harrison Air Force Base, Indiana: Indiana, l::ichigan,Illinois, Wisconsin, }.iissouri,Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming and Colorado. Twelfth Air Force, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas: Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Fourteenth Air Force, Orlando Air Force Base, Florida: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Uississippi, and Florida. The acceptance of the Reserve Commission which you are being offered does not mean that you will be required to serve two weeks active duty per year. Any Reserve Officer is eligible to apply for active duty, but the chances are that your request will not be granted at this time due to limited funds in the Air Force budget. I know that the Air Force is anxious to have a representative number of ex~JASP in their Reserve Officer ranks and I feel that we will all benefit by establishing this status for former WASP. Therefore, I urge you to send in the necessary forms as soon as possible, so as to assure yourslef of ftulost participation in any program for WASP that may conceivably be developed through association with the Air Force as a Reserve Officer.

sl

Jacqueline Cochran"

This is JOur opportunity to be a part of the Air Force once more. We do not know what the future will bring, but it is a good time to get in on the ground floor. So fill in those forms and once again be a part of the Air Force. S01"n.e the early birds have already received their commissions. Jan Philo was of 0~Th~ssioned a first lieutenant at Selfridge AFB, Michigan, where she is employed i.nRes:.erve Records. Jan is working on extension courses in reserve study and expects to train with the volunteer reserve unit at Selfridge. Josephine Pitz Egan, 434~-5has also been sworn in as a First Lieutenant in the Air Foree Reserve. She took .her oath of office from Col. David M. Jones Tactical Air Command, Langley Field, Virginia. Col. Jones is the son-in-law of Mrs. Roy liaddox, Staff Advisor at Avenger.

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Allaire Bennett, la-W-7 and Faith F. Buchner, 43-W-4, have received their Commissions as First Lieutenants, too.

HANGAR TWO BURNS Hangar Two at Avenger Field was completely demolished by fire about 5 P.M. Friday, July 29. It was occupied by the Lone Star Aviation Company and their losses include three automobiles as well as numerous planes. Hubert Pollard, Airport Manager and former WASP instructor, said that the fire apparently started in .a J-3 as it had just been put in the hangar and its engine exploded, and although the gas tanks on the other planes had exploded that was the only engine to explode. The fire epre!ld very rapidly through the hangar and it was soon seen nothing could be done to save it so everyone devoted their attention to keeping the fire from spreading further, pa~ticularly on A and B barracks which are now being used as fa~mily housing units. The fwnilies living in the barracks joined the firemen in fighting the blazo using gard~n hoses and a bucket-crigade. The tower was also burned but ~12jOOO worth of transformers and electrical controls fer the field lighting was unhurt. They were centfalized in a brick and r~onary building underneath the tower which joined the hangar.
~,(o ~~

* * * .* * * * * *
HERE AND THl!:RE

Kathryn Boyd Tillinghaft 44-5 who not lives in Anchorage, Alaska, and her husband and two sons have been visiting friends and relatives in Dallas. karie buccie Genaro 43-2 is spending a week in cool Colorago Springs. Leila Loudder Harding 43-7, has a six month old daughter. Catherine M. Houser 43-4 has moved from Grand Prairie to Odessa, Texas, Box 2613 Shirley Tannehill 44-l~ is in Mexico and plans to spend some time there working and seeing the country Margie H. Watson 44-1 is busy taking care of her husband and two small girls but still finds time to keep up with the WASP activities in Dallas. Ruth Hoods 44-a is \'K>rking with the Lone Star Employment Agency in Dallas. Gloria DeVore Rochester 44-3 is on a vaction with her husband and six month old son. Mary Alice Putnam 44-7 is working for American Airlines and stationed in Dallas Holly Ho~linger 44-5 is visiting with her family in Poola, Kansas, after having spent two weeks in Colorado where she visited with Jan Hill bosley 44-5. Jan is now living in Colorado Springs. Holly is taking in the Air Races before returning to San Antonio. Jerry Hardman Jordan 43-5 has moved from the last Coast back to the West Coast. Eer address is 538 Anita Lane, fuilbrae, California. Jackie Long Hoffman 43-5 is as thrilled over her new all electric kitchen as the fhst time she flew the AT-6. Vergie Bryant Buckley 44-3 has a new baby girl. Congratlulations Vergie.

huth Hagemann Wheeler 43-i, Convention Chairman, is now wondering how far off her BZTA (Baby's &timated Time of Arrival) is for the convention baby. Betty Naffz Martin 43-4 wants to tell her friends who wbre stationed at Love Fi:Jld .... them that she and Johnnie 1~artin are raiel.ing little Fifinella in Phiibac.0:1phie Hh a She also sends best wishes to the 1 .:kygals who will be attending the conventi.(>n. H~r address is 806 Dover Rd., Philadelphia 31, Penn. k~:.'lyoneLamphere Nyman 43-1 is living in Alaska with her husband and two sons, f:t'..LJ. Gary, 2 and Kenny one year old. Her address is Box 674 Seward, Alaska. E3ther E. Noffke 44~ writes she has been working with George J. Priester Aviation Service since deactivation. They have two schools just out of Chicago one is the Elmhurst Airport, Elmhurst, Ill. and the other Pal-Waukee Airport, \~eeling, Ill. She says there are five of them running the two fields and they all double in doing the work including instructing, maintenance, .and office work as well as charter flights and link and ground school instruction. She also tells us that seyeral of

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the girls around Chicago are joining the Air Force Reserve Program at O'Hare Field ChicagoJ Illinois. Gwendolyn Crosby Barthelmess h4-l is expecting another arrival in October. Elaine Harmon 44-9 ran into Col. John H. BundyJ C. O. at Eagle Pass when some of the girls were stationed there, in Silver Springs, kLaryland. Col. Bundy is now stationed at Ernest Harmon Air Force BaseJ Newfoundland. l:ary' ,Jane .iThrman 44-8 is living is Dos Palos J California. She says they are outside of the city limits but still within three blocks from the center of town. Mary Jane had an 8 pound boy on i.. arch 17 J and he has already logged between 16 and 15 hours hanging onto a Navion \Vheel. Mary Ratick 44-6 spent the summer in Chicago where she did quite a bit of flying in a Cessna 140 and a twin Beech as well as a B-23. Batty "Red" Rotp 44-6 was through Chicago while Mary was there and they had a nice visit betwe~n planes. Betty had been in Florida. Lois Dobhin Kelly 43-8, is contemplating moving to California while her husband attends N0~throp Aeronautical Jnstitute, but in the evant any of her friends want to drop her a line they ~~~ al~ays reach her by writing in care of her home address 325 Exposit~on, Wichita, Kansas.

Vk have no Chapter news because we haven't heard from any of the chapters lately. How about dropping us a line and iet us in on what you have been doing or will be doing. Please send any and all news Y0~ may have to:
M:::-s. Av""..
:r:.'.~~'11

Richardson

c/o 14]J) G.:'i.nJ Ave. ....

Fort VLji.'t.h, Texas

COkE TO THE

~:?!:~ (;OWENT1.Q!i

IN DALLAS

SEE YOJa OLD FRIENDS

THE

1949

NATIONAL CONVENTION

The 1949 National Convention was held on September 22, 2), and 24 in Dallas, Texas with convention headquarters in the Baker Hotel. Ne~manMarcus Department Store sponsored a tour of the famed fashion center, a style show, and an afternoon tea. Doris Tanner, class of 44-w-4, was one of the models in the show. Gifts were presented to the two WASPs who traveled the farthest distance to attend the convention; these were Doris Turner from Conneticut and Carol Jones Stoltz from Billings, Montana. The beautiful Cipango Club, a private membership club, served as the setting for a most enjoyable cocktail party. Many thanks to Marie Muccie Genaro for arranging for the use of the club. Baked ham and turkey, salads, cake and coffee were served in buffet style. Bruce Cabot joined the party long enough for a picture. The Navy turned out en masse, to take care of the male shortage, which more thoroughly cemented relationships between the Army and the Navy. Friday, the following day, was Flight Day at Highland Park Airport, and the weather man was certainly on our side. Bert Collins was in full charge. She and the operators of the airport did a really fine job to make flight day successful. Dot Swain Lewis entertained us with her unique aerial stunt, portraying the part of "Ophelia", the school teacher who is learning to fly by the book only that is the book in one hand while she flies the airplane with the other. Dot deserves a great deal of credit for her novelty act. Virginia Clair acted as announcer throughout the staged events and through the efforts of Ruthmary Buckley Cole we were able to have our own address system. Mr and Mrs. Potter, owners of the new television station, KBTV, arranged a tour of the studio and also sponsored a cocktail party. A business meeting and barbeque lunch were held at the Double Y Ranch on Saturday, through the courtesy of the Texas Private Flyers Association. Saturday night, Trans-Texas Airways sponsored the final banquet, which was held in the Texas Room of the Baker Hotel. The President of Trans-Texas Airways is Mr. Earl McKaughan, former co-owner of Aviation Enterprises Ltd., flight training contractors for the Army on Avenger Field, in the good ole days, remember? Our guest speakers for the evening were General Clarence S. Irvine and Mr. William McGraw, former attorney general of Texas. Mrs. Blanche Noyes, National President of the Ninety-Nines, was present at the convention, representing Miss Jacqueline Cochran. Miss Anne Shields placed second in both the spot landinr, and the bomb dropping contests, therefore became Miss Champion Fifineila. Jackie Hughes, first Champion Fifinella in 1946, won first place in the spot landing contest and Suzanne Jones Irvine won first place in the bomb dropping contest. The Fifinella Trophy was presented to Anne and the following prizes were awarded the other two winners: a radio receiver set donated by Air Associates and a pilot's license and bill fold case.

Bert Collins, Mickie Carmichael, Ziggy Hunter Nancy Baker in the background

, ~
Holly Hollinger Ruth Reese facing the ca~era at the cocktail party.

Madge Minton. Dot Swain, Virginia Eileen Bristol

Ann Atkeison, Thelma Hall, (unknown) Mickey Jennings

Convention pictures were taken by Ann Atkeison, a former WASP, presently in the photographic business. A complete set of 28 may be purchased for only $3.00. Send money orders or checks to: Withers-Atkeison Artists Photographers 38~8 W. Biddison Fort Worth ~, Texas