Wings Across America is an inspirational cutting-edge digital history project to capture, digitize and preserve the history of the first women in history to fly America's military aircraft—the WASP of World War II, and to use that history as the centerpiece of a 'virtual museum' that can educate, motivate and inspire generations to come.
I call this an INSPIRATIONAL digital history project because the story of the WASP is an inspirational one. These pioneering young women pilots paid their own way to serve their country, took up collections to bury many of their 38 fallen comrades and, when their services were no longer needed, paid their own way back home. They are my heroes. Their lives are about so much more than flying. They were selfless patriots…and their lives of courage, honor, patriotism, integrity, service, sacrifice, commitment and faith continue to inspire me every day. It is my belief that the stories and the values the WASP exemplified are contagious and can lift up others and motivate them beyond the ordinary—to live their lives so that they will help to make a difference in our world.
One part of the project is a digital video archive. Tell us more about that.
Since 1998, Wings Across America has been capturing the inspirational stories of the WASP—one by one—on digital video tape. To date, 115 WASP have been interviewed (most in their own homes) in 19 states by Chief Interviewer, WASP Deanie Parrish and myself—as videographer. These interviews, as well as all facets of this project, have been done by the two of us, as volunteers, 'on a wing and a prayer'.
Our Digital Video Archive now holds over 300 hours of priceless footage. Of course, this information will not be completely usable until we raise the funding to complete the back end—which includes transcribing the interviews, creating the individual pages of information, metadata coding and publishing.
Are there other components to the project?
The most important additional component is our companion website: "WASP ON THE WEB," which contains over 2,000 pages of resources, videos, audio, photos and records. I actually created this site, which won Yahoo 'Pick Of The Week'" and was reviewed in the New York Times, before I created Wings Across America. However, it is now an integral part of the Wings Across America project. Today, national educational sites, including PBS, Britannica and NASA, have all linked to the site as a valuable educational resource.
What inspired you to begin this work?
Growing up as an Air Force 'brat', my dad was my hero. When he passed away in 1993, it was too late to capture his WWII story. So, I started asking mom questions about her service as a WASP.
As a producer with PBS, I thought I might produce a documentary on the WASP…and then, I fell in love with the Internet. You have to remember this was in the early "DIAL UP" days—but I really saw a great potential in sharing information in a much bigger and more exciting way than just one documentary. So, I created a few web pages of mom's old WASP scrapbook.
What happened next was a miracle…because my little site was chosen as "YAHOO PICK OF THE WEEK." Instantly, my e-mails exploded with questions from all over the world, wanting to know more about the WASP! It was the answer to my prayers—and an affirmation of the direction I was about to travel...and have now been traveling for almost 9 years.
What has been most challenging and/or most satisfying about the work you're doing?
I've always been passionate about entertaining —about lifting people up-- and that’s what I continue to try to do online in new and unexpected ways. Capturing the imagination of someone who never heard of the WASP in a way that might make a difference in their lives is a challenge that I just love.
As an example, I was able to learn just enough Flash to create the "WASP PAPER DOLL" page—where you can drag elements of the WASP uniforms (parachute, wings, helmet, zoot suit, leather flying gear, dress uniform) onto the WASP dressed in her 1940's underwear. Paper Dolls is our most popular page.
Other accomplishments that have been both challenging and satisfying:
· Nominating the WASP of Texas and seeing them inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame in 2004.
· Founding and creating the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas—(where over 1,000 WASP went thru training).
· Designing and installing the exhibits in that museum
· Planning and directing the first Memorial WASP Fly In, 2005—29 WASP put their handprints in cement.
Are any other Baylor alumnae involved?
Absolutely! A generous gift from Baylor alumni, Dale & Barby Williams, was responsible for our being able to get our project off the ground in 1998.
One of the first interviews was with WASP Ruth Helm, BA '39, the only WASP to have graduated from Baylor. With Dr. Reynolds help, Baylor Chamber of Commerce invited her to be the honored guest in the 1999 homecoming parade, which included the Wings Across America flyover in honor of the WASP. Leading that flyover, in a WWII AT-6, was another Baylor Alumni and Viet Nam Vet, Steve Dean.
I'm also proud to say that Baylor staff, faculty and students have been involved as well—from our Honorary Board Chair, Chancellor Herb Reynolds to Dr. Richard Scott in Development, Dr. Michael Korpi and Dr. Corey Carbonara in the Film and Digital Media Department and Dr. Nancy Upton in the Business School. We were even adopted by the Kappa Kappa Gammas, who sang and recorded the "Marching Songs of the WASP" in 1999.
In 2003, Baylor student Claire Kultgen nominated Wings Across America to be the Joint National Project--2004 by the AFROTC's Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings Detachments. This national recognition caught the attention of the Pentagon and the Air Force, giving Wings Across America an opportunity to share the little known WASP history with service men and women all over the world.
There are also seven Baylor Alumni listed on our website, who have volunteered as videographers.
Last, but not least, Associate Director Deanie Parrish, a 1976 Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Houston, was awarded an 'BAYLOR ALUMNI BY CHOICE' diploma in 2002.
WASP were in the Air Force. Did the other branches of the military also have women serving?
Actually, WASP were part of the ARMY AIR FORCE (this was before the Air Force became a separate service). As such, they raised their right hands and took the same oath, went thru the same training, followed the same rules, and received the same official orders from the same military commanders as the Army Air Force male pilots. However, General Hap Arnold did not have time to wait on Congress to militarize them in 1942, as he was desperate for pilots, so they were not considered military until 1977, when Congress finally granted them the veteran status they had earned. Seven years later, their medals came in the mail.
Tell us more about the exhibit currently at the Mayborn Museum.
"FLYGIRLS of WWII" is a wonderful opportunity to share a little of what we have been doing with our Baylor family and the community, in a tangible way. From President Lincoln's quote: " Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure" to Astronaut Eileen Collins: "The WASP were and still are my role models, " I hope we have created an inspirational exhibit—full of WASP history—full of American history—and an exhibit that honors these pioneering women pilots and plants a few seeds with our visitors.
I'd like to invite the President & First Lady to stop by the Mayborn to see our exhibit. I really think they would be blown away by the Mayborn—and by Flygirls. Then, request a Presidential Order that creates a National WASP WWII Memorial in Washington, DC. and awards EVERY WASP the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To me, it is just the right thing to do.
Immediate plans include fundraising—so that 'Wings Across America's Flygirls of WWII" can travel to museums across Texas and so that we can continue traveling to interview WASP who are still waiting to tell their stories.
Ultimately, completing the design for The Wings Across America Virtual Museum and making the Digital Archive public is my goal. We are praying that the "Flygirls of WWII" will shine a light on our efforts, as it showcases what the WASP history can do, because raising the funds for an online vision is tough. Nevertheless, there are so many more exciting things we can create using our content.
Are you sorry you asked?
The Air Force Museum, Smithsonian Air & Space and the Air Force Academy Library have all expressed interest in a “Wings Across America WASP Kiosk.” Sharing our content with these world-class institutions is a wonderfully creative way to ‘fling our green and gold afar,’ and is another very realistic goal.
Bottom line, I’ve been utterly inspired with the message of the WASP: You can do anything if it’s the right thing to do and you put your mind to it. I know, without a doubt, that with God’s help, its true.
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