A Flying Chinese-American W.A.S.P. in WWII

 Ankeny, Susan Tate.  American Flygirl.  New York: Citadel Press, 2024.  ISBN: 9780806542829

In World War II, the United States had a big problem.  They were growing the Army Air Corp, churning out planes by the thousands, but they needed pilots to get planes from the factories to the air units.  Male pilots were needed overseas, so was born the Women Airforce Service Pilots program which trained women to fly the military aircraft across the country.  In American Flygirl, Susan Ankeny tells the story of Hazel Ying Lee, the first female Chinese-American to obtain her pilot's license and train as a member of  W.A.S.P. 

 

Hazel Ying Lee grew up in Portland's (OR) Chinatown facing all the "normal" racism of the time, but she had a dream of flying.  In 1932, she managed to get a job running an elevator to pay for flying lessons and obtained her private pilot's license.  She later joined the Chinese Flying School to train for lying in China against the Japanese.  But when she arrived in China in 1933, she was not accepted in the Chinese Air Force.  She did manage to fly commercial aircraft and served a a security guard at a Chinese air force base.  Then in 1934, she moved back to the United States to work with the Universal Trading Corporation getting war supplies for China.

 

In December 1942, Hazel heard about an opportunity to fly.  Jackie Cochran had made a deal with General "Hap" Arnold to allow women to be trained to fly military planes in noncombat roles, specifically from factories to exit points or permanent units.  Hazel joined the fourth training class in 1943 - the first class that trained at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas.  After learning to fly the Army way, Hazel and the other member of her class joined the Ferry Command to fly military aircraft all over the country.  They flew B-17s, B-29s, P-51, P-47s, and P-40s along with A-24s.  Hazel was flying a P-63 Kingcobra from New York to Seattle in November 1944 when her plane was struck by another plane while landing in Great Falls (MT).  Both planes burst in flames and crashed.  Hazel died two days later due to her injuries.  

In American Flygirl, Susan Ankeny provides a life history of Hazel Ying Lee in historical context while also providing an interesting look at the training that Hazel and other members of W.A.S.P. received.  If you are interested flying, female aviation or the WWII home front, this is a book for you!