World War II Honoree

Margaret Phelan

Hometown

Emmetsburg, Iowa

Honored By

Pearl Thomas

In 1942, she went to Burbank, California to work as a draftsman for Vega Aircraft Corporation, a defense plant. Trained to become part of the women pilot program. In 1943, she was accepted into class 44-W-5. Traveled to Avenger Field in West Texas and completed 7 months of flight training and was sent to Stockton Air Force Base, California. She flew as an engineering text pilot, checking out overhauled twin-engine UC 78's so that they passed inspections for the cadets to fly. She also ferried war weary planes to Texas and to the Arizona desert. Received the Congressional Gold Medal. She was a part of the Women Air force Service Pilots (WASPs), and it was disbanded in December of 1944.