A Price for Serving

WASP pilot Mary Buchard reflects on the impact of fatalities during training at Avenger Field, where many women were killed while preparing for service. She also recalls the death of fellow pilot Peggy Martin, and the difficult aftermath that followed, while Buchard was stationed at Marana Air Base in Arizona. The Women Airforce Service Pilots were classified as civilian employees during World War II; therefore, the military did not provide funding to return fallen pilots’ bodies to their families. Buchard describes how the WASPs pooled their personal money to ensure Martin’s remains could be transported home. Buchard’s recollection highlights both the risks these women faced in service and the lack of official support and recognition they received during the war.