Avenger Field: the only all-female military air base in history
In 1943, the Army Air Forces handed Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas entirely to women. The WASP — Women Airforce Service Pilots — trained here in every type of military aircraft, from trainers to bombers. They ferried B-26 Marauders that male pilots refused to fly, towed targets for live anti-aircraft gunnery, and test-flew repaired aircraft. Thirty-eight were killed in service. Despite flying 60 million miles, they weren't granted military status until 1977 and waited until 2010 for the Congressional Gold Medal. The museum in Hangar 1 at Avenger Field tells their story.