By Jane C. Thoma
Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce
The Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) 2000 Reunion was a Waltz across Texas (West) and a true nostalgic trip for WASPs, their families and guests. The activities began on Tuesday, October 3 at The Women’s Collection at Texas Women’s University in Denton. TWU is the home of the WASP Archives and the official opening of the WASP Exhibit was observed there. More than 200 people attended this portion of the event.
On Thursday, October 5, WASPs were transported by bus to Sweetwater where they were joined by over 200 more WASPS, their families, and guests. During their visit to Sweetwater, they participated in a dedication on Friday of a Memorial Plaque for Cornelia Fort who was the first female pilot killed during WWII. Fort collided with another aircraft and crashed in Mulberry Canyon which is about 30 miles southeast of Sweetwater. Also, there was a visit to the local Pioneer Museum, which has a room dedicated to the WASPs. Then, at the WASP banquet, the ladies were entertained by 8th grade students with a skit, “WASPs Revisited,” which is based on actual events that happened during their training days in Sweetwater. Keynote speaker was Nancy Robinson Masters who is from Abilene, an author and pilot.
After Saturday’s luncheon, the participants were taken by bus on a tour to the site of the WASP Memorial which is located at Avenger Field-WASP’s old training grounds. Later in the afternoon, almost 200 attendees departed by bus to Midland where the Confederate Air Force was their host at the CAF Annual Airshow.
The WASP 2000 Reunion involved v1S1tors from 47 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Germany.
