A View from the Doghouse

<div class=Section1><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>In 1997 an instructor mentionedto me that he would like to know what happened to his women students afterWorld War II.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>What started out as abooklet turned into a book with profiles of the first three classes of the319<sup>th</sup> AAFWFTD (Army Air Force Women's Flight Training Detachment)<spanclass=GramE>.</span><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Those who trainedat <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Municipal</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType>Airport</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>had many hardships that future classes did not encounter.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>They were not given the same militaryprivileges as the men and had to pay their own way to the trainingfacilities.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>They were required to haveat least 200 hours of flying time and had to pay all of their own expenseswhile training.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Some were trained byinstructors who had less experience flying than they had.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Quite a few books have beenwritten about the WASP in <st1:place><st1:City>Sweetwater</st1:City> <st1:State>Texas</st1:State></st1:place>but very few about the <st1:City><st1:place>Houston</st1:place></st1:City>group.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>They were known as the 319<sup>th</sup>AAFWFTD and were not named WASP until August of 1943.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>My job was to keep up with their flying timeto submit reports to the government for payment.<spanstyle='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>My office was called The Doghouse and was aglass building sitting near the runway.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I was completely in awe thinking what these ladies had to go through inorder to serve their country.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>They havesince been recognized by the military but it took many years to obtain thatstatus.</p></div>