"I thought, 'Well, what better way to serve my country than to fly and do the thing that I love most, and I didn’t have to pay for the gas.'" (Audio interview, 0:34)

Violet Clara Thurn Cowden

Violet Cowden in uniform, with her plane [n.d.] War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) Service Location: Sweetwater, Texas; Love Field, Texas; Dallas, Texas

Post-World War II, many veterans returning home were given a hero’s welcome. But what of those who had served their country proudly, but were not considered veterans? Violet Cowden served with the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, a stateside program that enlisted female pilots to ferry supplies cross-country, thus freeing up male pilots for combat roles. For Cowden, serving as a WASP gave her the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream of flying while doing her patriotic duty. As the war wound down and male pilots returned home, the program was discontinued. It would not be until 1977--over thirty years later--that the WASP contributions were recognized by the federal government and they were given official veteran status.