The women who volunteered for service as pilots in the Army Air
Forces in World War II filled an immediate military need. The
ambivalence of military authorities toward the WASPs stands in
striking contrast with the attitudes and experiences of the
women themselves. Officers in the War Department made decisions
about the WASPs' training, operations and mission status while
the women were intent upon doing their jobs. As the crucial
decisions were made few of the women fliers were aware of the
internecine politics involved.  The women pilots knew that their
purpose was to release male pilots for strategic and combat
flight duty; but that did not diminish their enthusiasm for the
WASP work. The WASPs were glad to have the chance to fly modern
airplanes and to fly in service to their nation in time of
crisis. They came from all over the country --some with college
degrees, a few without high school diplomas. Some of the women
came from wealthy families while others had saved and scraped
together the funds to pay