Scarsdale WWII pilot Alice Lovejoy, who died while serving our country, was honored during a special Memorial Day ceremony yesterday. Lovejoy was killed in a September 1944 midair collision over Texas. She was part of the Women Air Service Pilots, or WASPs, that ferried combat planes from factories to air bases around the United States during the war.
The Scarsdale native was recognized, along with 37 other WASPs who died while serving our country, at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, NY. The Women Air Service Pilots were never given military funerals, which makes yesterday's special ceremony so important.
"It's very important that we recognize not only their contribution to American history, but women's history," Curator of the WASP exhibit at the American Airpower Museum's Julia Lauria-Blum told the Associated Press' Frank Eltman. "These women really blazed a path; they were pioneers for women's aviation. And most important, they gave their lives serving their country and must be honored like anyone else on Memorial Day."
Lovejoy, who was born in 1915, had three sisters. She learned to fly here in Westchester and worked at Piper Aircraft in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She would eventually end up joining the Women Air Service Pilots, along with 18 other women who worked at Piper Aircraft.
Lovejoy died while flying a plane in formation over texas. One of the other planes clipped Lovejoy's wing. After her wing was clipped her plane spiraled out of control. The instructor who was with her on the plane tried to revive her, but he could not, and bailed out of the plane.
That same year, Congress voted down a bill to militarize the Women Air Service Pilots. The WASP program was disbanded a short time later.
In 1977 the Women Air Service Pilot program got belated militarization and veteran's status. The WASPs were then given the Congressional Gold Medal.
Lovejoy's niece, who was born almost a decade after his aunt died, attended yesterday's Memorial Day ceremony with her daughter.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
