When we picture women working during World War II, we often think of Rosie the Riveter. But behind this iconic midcentury figure were thousands of American women whose contributions remain fair less well known. Professor Elizabeth Marshall tells the story of how the WASP based at the Palm Springs Army Airfield made aviation history.

Between 1943 and 1944, Coachella Valley’s Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran and other female aviators flew Boeing B-17s and B-29 bombers, ferried aircraft, and towed targets for anti-aircraft artillery in the desert. The contributions of the WASP deepen our understanding of women’s roles in midcentury America and aviation history.

Elizabeth Marshall is a Professor and screenwriter whose work explores the history of girls and women in popular culture and the stories that shape our understandings of America's past. She is the author of The Drinking Curriculum: A Cultural History of Childhood and Alcohol.