The Courageous Legacy of Elizabeth Lora GardnerWomen Veterans Day is a time to honor the brave service of countless women who served their countries during World War II.
Among them is Elizabeth Lora Gardner, a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) whose story embodies the tenacity and courage of the Greatest Generation.
Early Life and Flight TrainingBorn in Rockford, Illinois, Libby Gardner became an accomplished pilot at the young age of 22. She joined the ranks of women eager to serve in the war and in October 1943, she graduated from the Women's Flying Training program in Sweetwater, Texas. There, she earned her silver wings and moved on to transition training at Dodge City Army Air Base in Kansas.
A Woman at the ControlsA striking image from the US National Archive features Gardner at the controls of a Martin B-26 'Marauder' medium bomber. This moment captures the significant role she played during the war as a female pilot, a role often unexpected for a woman at the time.
Parachuting into History
The article is not finished. Click on the next page to continue.
The article is not finished. Click on the next page to continue.
Next page
