A Woman of Courage.
2005 Geri Nyman
A Woman of Another Era
I captured this photograph of my life-long friend Geri in April 2005, at the wedding of her granddaughter in Laughlin, Nevada. Geri was an aviation pioneer. Because of her dedication and sacrifices during World War II, she is now referred to as “a woman of courage” and a wonderful example of “the greatest generation”. She is an inspiration to all who know her.

“This is not a time when women should be patient. We are in a war and we need to fight it with all our ability and every weapon possible. WOMEN PILOTS, in this particular case, are a weapon waiting to be used.” ~~ Eleanor Roosevelt, 1942

Way, way back in the early 1940s, Geraldine Elder, a 20-year-old girl from a silver mining town in northern Idaho, was a new college graduate looking for a job with a bit of adventure. She certainly did find a life of challenges and white-knuckled thrills when she signed on with Jacqueline Cochran, to become a woman pilot flying military planes in the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP. Geri was in the very first class of woman pilots, trained by the United States military to ferry shiny new “untested” aircraft from the factories to America’s military aviation squadrons. Those airships that survived their maiden voyages were destined to be used by America’s fighting force against the Germans and the Japanese to preserve the free world. She is now an octogenarian living in the Sunbelt, and lecturing at high schools throughout her community on the World War II generation.

The first WASP graduation was held at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas on May 28th, 1943. On this same day in 2005, was held the first ever WASP MEMORIAL FLY IN. The Governor of Texas declared that May 28th, 2005 be known as WASP Day in Texas.

This was originally published by Neddy on 15 May 2005 at “Blatherings”. Updated on 1 July 2007.