| Delaware Military History |
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Delaware Women in the Military
WASPS at New Castle
Opened in May 1943, New Castle AAB was assigned to the Air Corps Ferrying
Command 2d Ferrying Group with the 552d Army Air Forces Base Unit being the host
unit in charge of the base and its facilities. The primary mission of the airfield was to
facilitate the movement of aircraft overseas for delivery to the British and other Allies.
Nancy Harkness Love was appointed as the first Squadron Leader of the Women's
Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron(WAFS) at New Castle Army Air Base on 10 September
1942.
Nancy Love was followed in turn by: Betty Huyler Gillies; Cornelia Fort(killed in
service); Aline Rhonie (Brooks); Helen Mary Clark; Catherine Slocum; Adela Schaar;
Esther Nelson; Teresa James; Alma Heflin McCormick; Barbara Poole; Bernice I.
Batten; Nancy Batson (Crews); Kathryn Bernheim (Fine); Delphine Bohn; Phyllis
Burchfield; Barbara Donohue (Ross); Barbara J. Erickson (London): Betsy Ferguson
(Wood); Dorothy Fulton; Helen McGilvery; Gertrude Meserve (Tubbs); Florence miller
(Watson); Esther rathfelder (Westervelt); Helen Richards (Prosser) ; Dorothy Scott
(killed in service); Evelyn Sharp (killed is service); Katherine Thompson (Rawls); and
Barbara Towne (Fasken). These 25 original WAFS came from some fourteen states.
To learn more, see: 'From Delaware to Everywhere" by Jan Churchill, Delaware Heritage
Commission publication 2007
In August 1943, the original four WAFS Ferry Squadrons became part of the historic
Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs). WASPs served as test and ferry pilots and
towed targets for student gunners. There is a statue today at the airport that honors
the women of WASP that served their country in the time of need. On 30 June 1945,
the 1596th AAF Base Unit replaced the 552d AAFBU and the 2d Ferrying group was
replaced by the 2d Foreign Transport Group.
Women in the Air Force at Dover Air Force Base
Dover AFB’s first Women in the Air Force (WAF) squadron was activated as part of
the 436th Air Base Group on September 1, 1970. 2Lt Virginia Alden was appointed
Officer in Charge of the 436th WAF Sqdn. On September 7, 1973 1Lt Lois E. Rankin
was assigned as commander. Just five years later in 1975 the squadron was
inactivated, and assigned personnel were integrated with almost every organization
on Dover AFB.
The wing’s first female C-5 pilot, 1Lt Gayle I. Westbrook, 3d Military Airlift Squadron,
flew her first operational mission on Independence Day 1985. On April 24, 1987
Westbrook became the first female pilot in 21 AF to be certified as an aircraft
commander.
28 March 1988 An all-female C-5 crew flew a European channel mission as part of the
U.S. Air Force Women’s History Month celebration.
Women in the Delaware Air National Guard
On October 22, 1962 a new unit, the "142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Flight," was
added to the Delaware Air National Guard. This unit initially consisted of only four
personnel but had an authorized strength of 12 flight nurses and 36 aeromedical
evacuation technicians rated for the mission. Many 142nd AEF members augmented
active duty crews flying live missions to the US from Europe and Japan.
Linda Van Vechten, an aeromedical evacuation technician, was the first female enlisted
person in the Delaware Air National Guard in 1973. Capt Carolyn Doolittle, in 1972,
became the first female to command a unit when she was appointed commander of the
142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Flight. On May 14, 2011, Carol Anne Timmons became
the first General officer appointed to the Delaware Air National Guard.
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Dr. Hazel W. Johnson-Brown of Wilmington, DE, formerly of Chester County, First
African American Woman General, (Ret.) of the U. S. Army. Born October 10, 1927 in
West Chester, PA, she was the daughter of the late, Clarence L. Johnson Sr. and
Garnett Henley Johnson.
Entering the Army Nurse Corps in 1955, General Johnson-Brown served for the first
12 years in various positions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the 8169th
Hospital, Japan; Madigan General Hospital; 45th Surgical Hospital; and Fort Sam
Houston and Valley Forge General Hospital. From 1967 to 1973, she was assigned as
the project director at the US Army Medical Research and Development Command in
the Army Medical Department field hospital system. Upon completion of her doctoral
studies, she was appointed Director of the Walter Reed Army Institute for Nursing; the
Office of the Surgeon; the 8th Army Command; and Chief, Department of Nursing, US
Army Hospital/121 Evacuation Hospital, Seoul, Korea. In these positions, she was the
senior ranking US military nurse in South Korea and the Chief Consultant for
Nursing Matters to the Senior Medical Officer, 8th Army Command. In 1979, she was
selected to the position of Chief, Army Nurse Corps, and promoted to the rank of
Brigadier General. General Johnson-Brown became: the 16th Chief of the Army Nurse
Corp; the first Chief holding an earned doctorate; the 4th chief to hold the rank of
Brigadier General; and the first Black woman General in the history of the US Military
Services. Dr. Johnson-Brown died on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Rose Alesiani, A “Rosie the Riveter”at Bellanca Aircraft Corporation
Jan Churchill, aviator, writer, military historian,
Ruth Haddick Dorsman, World War II Army Nurse, European Theater
Ethyl Meyer Finley, Women's Air Service Pilot, WWII
Virginia "Scotty" Bradley Gough, Women's Air Service Pilot WWII
Lucile Petry Leone, Director of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps, World War II
Senior Airman Elizabeth A. Loncki, US Air Force, KIA Iraq 2007
Nancy Lynch, Journalist author of Vietnam Mailbag
Louisa Spruance Morse was a Civil Air Patrol ground instructor in World War II and
rose to serve as commander of the Delaware Wing for 23 years.
Carol Anne Timmons, Brig. Gen., First Delaware National Guard general officer, Gulf
War, Iraq, Afghanistan
