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CCSS
R.1, R.3, R.4, R.7, W.3, SL.1, SL.2, L.4, L.6
Fly Girl
The amazing story of the women pilots of World War II
Art by Randy Pollak
photo Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock
photo VH-studio/Shutterstock
photo pics five/Shutterstock
photo Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock
photo IZF/Shutterstock
CHARACTERS
*Starred characters have larger speaking parts.
The underlined characters are real people.
SCENE 1
★ July 1943 ★
Wichita, Kansas
N1: It’s July 1943. The United States is fighting in World War II.
N2: Because of the war, food and other products are in short supply.
N3: Americans are doing whatever they can to help.
N1: Families are growing their own vegetables.
N2: Kids are gathering metal scraps to be used to help build ships and planes.
N3: Margie’s mom enters the kitchen holding beans from her garden. She turns on the radio.
Edward R. Murrow (voice-over): The American, Canadian, and British troops continue to make gains. But we must not
N1: Margie runs in holding a copy of Life magazine.
Margie: Mom! Mom! Girls are flying military planes!
N2: Margie reads from the article.
Margie (reading): Each month, more female pilots complete their training.
Mom: Well, isn’t that something.
N3: Dad walks in carrying a box of tin scraps.
Dad: Anything else for the scrap bin? Our military needs all the metal it can get.
N1: Mom hands him a few crushed cans.
Margie: Look at this, Dad. Women pilots are testing planes so more men can fight overseas. I want to do it!
Dad: Absolutely not.
N2: He walks out.
Margie: What was that about?
N3: Mom takes a book from a shelf. She pulls out an old photo of a young woman standing next to an airplane.
Margie: Who is this?
Mom: Your father’s sister.
Margie: Aunt Margaret? The one I’m named after?
Mom: That’s right. Flying was her
Margie: I . . . I had no idea.
Mom: She died in a plane crash just before you were born. Your father hates talking about it.
N1: Margie stares at the photo.
Margie: She seems so happy.
N2: Margie looks up.
Margie: Mom, I want to do more for the war effort than just collect cans.
Mom: Don’t you need a pilot’s license?
Margie: I can take lessons at the airport!
N3: Margie grabs her mother’s hands.
Margie: Please, Mom. I can do this!
SCENE 2
★ September 1943 ★
Sweetwater, Texas
N1: Margie stands in the sun with 100 other young women.
Jackie Cochran: You are all here because you want to be WASPs—Women Airforce Service Pilots. This six-month training program is hard. Not all of you will make it.
N2: A woman leans over to Margie.
Nell (whispering): Gee, thanks for the
N3: Margie laughs quietly.
Cochran: You will learn to fly every type of aircraft. Now, there are men out there who think you can’t do it. Well, I’m here to tell you that if you work hard, you can.
Crowd: Woooo!
N1: Margie turns to Nell.
Margie: How long have you been flying?
Nell: Six years. I’m an instructor in Michigan. You?
Margie (nervously): I just got my license.
Nell: Stick with me. You’ll be all right.
Build Knowledge
On the Home Front
Americans stepped up to help at home during World War II. Here’s how.
Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo (Riveters, Garden); Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo (Poster)
Women at Work
Many men went overseas to fight. So millions of women filled their jobs. They became shipbuilders, welders, and engineers. Many of these positions were never available to them before.
Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images
Scrap Drives
Important materials were in short supply because of the war. So children collected rubber and metal scraps. These scraps could be used to build tanks, ships, and planes for the military.
Everett Collection Historical/Alamy Stock Photo (Garden); IanDagnall Computing/Alamy Stock Photo (Poster)
Victory Gardens
Food was rationed, or limited, during the war. So many families grew and canned their own vegetables. This helped make sure there was enough food for U.S. soldiers fighting around the world.
SCENE 3
★ January 1944 ★
Sweetwater, Texas
N2: Margie and the other trainees are wearing giant jumpsuits.
Nell: Are we ever going to get flight suits that fit us?
Margie: Not likely. The Army never expected women to be flying their planes.
N3: An instructor comes over.
Instructor: Canfield! You’re with me today. We’re going up in the BT-13. This plane is big, heavy, and fast. Sure you can handle it, little lady?
N1: Margie grabs her flight gear.
Margie (under her breath): Yes, this little lady can handle it.
N2: When they reach the plane, Margie walks up the wing and hops into the front seat. The instructor sits behind her with separate controls.
N3: Margie flips the starter switch.
N1: The plane climbs into the air.
Instructor: Very good. Now give me some spins.
N2: Margie dives. The plane jerks to the side. The instructor grabs the controls.
Instructor: Easy!
N3: Margie shakes her head, disappointed.
Instructor: Your spins stink, Canfield! But with practice, you’ll get there.
SCENE 4
★ March 1944 ★
Sweetwater, Texas
N1: Margie and the other pilots gather for graduation.
N2: General Arnold speaks to the graduates and their families.
General Arnold: At first, I was
Crowd: Hear! hear!
Arnold: The WASPs are doing important jobs. They fly airplanes to bases for repairs. They run practice drills. They test new planes. The WASPs are helping us win the war!
Crowd: Hooray!
N3: Margie finds her mother in the crowd. As they hug, Margie looks over her mom’s shoulder.
Margie: Dad didn’t come?
Mom: He just . . . couldn’t, honey.
Margie: Being a pilot has taught me that I can’t live my life in fear. If I never take any risks, I’ll never grow into the person I know I can be. I wish Dad could understand that.
N1: Mom pulls the old photograph of Aunt Margaret from her purse.
Mom: Here. Take this. It will make me feel better knowing she’s with you in the air.
N2: Margie tucks the photo into her shirt pocket.
Margie: She’ll keep me safe.
SCENE 5
★ April 1944 ★
Wichita, Kansas
N3: Mom sits on the porch reading a letter from Margie. Dad stands behind her, listening.
Mom (reading): Dear Mom and Dad, Nell and I were both assigned to an airfield in Dallas. We get up at 5 a.m., then fly for several hours.
N1: Dad sits down next to Mom.
Mom (reading): Yesterday two male pilots refused to ride with me. They said I should be at home cooking and sewing.
N2: Dad puts his arm around Mom.
Mom (reading): Tomorrow I’m picking up a B-25 in California and flying it to a base so it can go overseas. I can’t tell you where. That’s top secret!
N3: Dad smiles.
Dad: She reminds me of Margaret.
Mom: I know she does.
United States Air Force Museum
On a Mission
WASP pilots flew planes from factories to military bases. This freed up male pilots to fight overseas. (Women were not allowed in combat at the time.)
SCENE 6
★ July 1944 ★
The skies over New Mexico
N1: Margie and Nell are in the cockpit of a large military plane.
N2: Margie shouts over the roar of the engines.
Margie: What time do you think we’ll reach Dallas?
Nell: At this rate, we’ll be there before sunset!
N3: They both look out the window.
Margie (suddenly alarmed): Hey, do you smell smoke?
N1: Nell looks around the plane.
Nell: I see sparks. An engine is out!
Margie: Let’s look for a place to land.
N2: The other engine starts to sputter. One of the wings dips.
Nell: Margie! The other engine is on fire. We have to jump out now, or there won’t be time for our parachutes to open!
N3: Margie struggles with her seat belt.
Margie: I’m stuck! Go. Don’t wait for me!
Nell: I can’t leave you!
Margie: There’s no sense in both of us dying!
N1: Flames destroy the rear of the plane.
Margie: Go, Nell! Go now!
N2: Margie squeezes her eyes shut.
Margie (whispering): Help me, Aunt Margaret.
Nell: I’m sorry, Margie!
N3: Nell jumps out of the plane.
N1: Margie coughs from the smoke. She tugs and tugs at her seat belt.
Margie: Help me, Aunt Margaret.
N2: Suddenly, the buckle comes loose.
N3: Margie climbs out of the cockpit and jumps.
Peter Stackpole/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock
A WASP pilot training in July 1943
SCENE 7
★ The Next Day ★
Carlsbad, New Mexico
N1: Margie lies on a cot in an Army hospital.
N2: She opens her eyes and sees her parents.
Margie (groggily): Mom? Dad? Where am I?
Mom: New Mexico.
Margie: How did you get here?
Dad: We drove all night.
Margie: Nell! Where’s Nell?
N3: Margie tries to sit up. She notices a bandage around her arm.
Mom: Nell is OK. We’re worried about you, though. You had a hard landing.
Margie: What about the plane?
Dad: It crashed in a field.
N1: Tears well up in Dad’s eyes.
Dad: You’re lucky to be alive.
N2: Margie reaches out for his hand.
Margie: I’m sorry to put you through this, Dad.
Dad: Oh, Margie, you have nothing to be sorry about. You just remind me so much of your Aunt Margaret. Her
N3: Margie smiles.
Dad: Just promise me that you’ll keep chasing your dreams.
Margie: I promise, Dad. Now . . . where’s the doctor? I need to get back in the cockpit!
