Explore ways that communities honor and remember trailblazers like Maggie, Hazel, and the other WASP pilots. Use the questions on the slides to help you think about ways you've seen people honored, and ways that you might choose to memorialize someone you feel is important.

WASP pilots, like Maggie Gee and Hazel Ying Lee, faced a lot of prejudice and restrictions as World War II women pilots. 

These included discrimination base on race, gender, and nationality, as well as financial barriers. For example, WASP pilots had to pay for their own room, board (housing), and uniforms by themselves during their training for the Army services, while male pilots did not.

WASP pilots went largely unrecognized for a long time after their service. They only gained military status and veteran benefits after 30+ years of fighting for official recognition. 

Photo: Maggie Gee and Ruth W. Groves are pointing to their names on the memorial wall at the WASP museum in Sweetwater, TX. 2016.004.142

Courtesy of Maggie Gee, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), Maggie Gee Collection.

Maggie Gee and Ruth W. Groves are pointing to their names on the memorial wall at the WASP Museum in Sweetwater, Texas.

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Museum of Chinese in America

Photograph of Maggie Gee and Ruth Groves at the WASP Museum

One way to memorialize important figures like Maggie and Hazel is to create sculptures or statues in honor of them. 

Here is a photo of a bust of Maggie Gee created by sculptor Jilda Schwartz. The artist created this bust for the 

exhibition at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, 2011-2012. Notice that it was created and displayed almost 70 years after Maggie’s service in the Army.

If you were to design a sculpture to memorialize WASP pilots, what would you create? What materials, colors, size, and composition would you use? Why?

Image: A xerox of a bust of Maggie Gee created by Jilda Schwartz for a 2004 exhibition called "Face to Face: WWII Veterans in Clay."

A xerox of a bust of Maggie Gee created by Jilda Schwartz for a 2004 exhibition called "Face to Face: WWII Veterans in Clay."

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Clay Bust of Maggie Gee

This photo shows Maggie Gee standing next to the bust of her head. 

The bust was created by sculptor Jilda Schwartz for the 

 exhibition at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Maggie Gee standing next to a bust of her head. The bust was created by sculptor Jilda Schwartz for the Face to Face: 100 WWII Veterans in Clay exhibition at the National World War II museum in New Orleans.

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Photograph of Maggie Gee standing next to a clay bust of her head

Besides sculptures, memorials are also a powerful way to remember important people and events. 

This photo shows Maggie and two other former WASP pilots in Boulder City, Nevada. (Maggie is on the right.) They are standing at the WASP memorial in the Veteran's Cemetery Memorial Garden. The memorial reads:  "Women Airforce Service Pilots WW II 1942-1944 We Salute All WASPS You have shown that you can fly wingtip to wingtip with your brothers." 

Notice that the WASP pilots in the photo are clearly much older than when they served for the Army. They have waited for a very long time to be recognized. 

What are some memorials you have visited? How are they similar to or different from this WASP memorial? Who are they memorializing, and how? Are they displayed in a symbolic place? What text and/or images do they share with passersby?

Maggie Gee with two other former Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) in Boulder City, Nevada. They are standing at the WASP memorial in the Veteran's Cemetery Memorial Garden. The memorial reads: " Women Airforce Service Pilots | WWII 1942-1944 | We Salute All WASPS | You have shown that you can fly wingtip to wingtip with your brothers."

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Photograph of Maggie Gee with two other former WASPs in Nevada

There are also more official ways of recognizing the lives and contributions of important figures like WASP pilots. 

Here is a Congressional Gold Medal that Maggie and a few other surviving WASPs received in 2010 from President Barack Obama. 

On the front of the medal, there are women wearing WASP uniforms and flight gear, alongside an aircraft, signifying their job during the war. The text reads: “Women Airforce Service Pilots, 1942-1944”. 

On the back of the medal, there are images of three military aircrafts that WASPs flew during their service. The text reads: “The first women in history to fly American military aircraft, Act of Congress 2009.”

If you were to design a new medal for the WASP pilots based on Hazel's and Maggie’s stories, what would you put on the medal and why? Think about what text and images you would use. 

There have also been several campaigns to memorize the WASPs in other ways. 

For example, in 2006 U.S. Senator Gordon H. Smith wrote a letter to support issuing a stamp to commemorate Hazel’s many accomplishments. To this day, none of the members of the WASP have been honored with a commemorative stamp.

If you were going to design one, what would it look like?

Courtesy of Alan H. Rosenberg, Producer, "A Brief Flight," Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), Hazel Ying Lee & Frances M. Tong Collection.

Letter and Congressional Record by Senator Gordon H. Smith on Aug. 8, 2006 to encourage issuance of a stamp commemorating the life and accomplishments of Hazel Ying Lee.

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Letter and Congressional Record by Senator Gordon H. Smith on Aug. 8, 2006

There is also an ongoing campaign to rename Oakland International Airport in California after Maggie Gee. Maggie used to visit this airport a lot when she was a kid. Her dream of becoming a pilot started here, so some residents think that naming it after her would be very appropriate and meaningful. 

Can you think of any public spaces that are named after someone? Think about airports, train stations, roads, and bridges. 

If you were going to name a public space after someone, what place would you name? Who would you want to honor? Why?

Photo: Maggie Gee and kneeling down next to another WASP. They are underneath a flag being held by two other women that had the WASP wings and reads: Women's Airforce Service Pilots. This event took place in Nolan County Texas.

Maggie Gee and kneeling down next to another WASP. They are underneath a flag being held by two other women that had the WASP wings and reads: Women's Airforce Service Pilots. This event took place in Nolan County Texas.

Standards for Remembering Maggie, Hazel, and the WASP