近距离内射合集

When Boeing鈥檚 B-29 Superfortress first took off from the Alamogordo Army Air Field (now Holloman Air Force Base) in the summer of 1944, pilots and other personnel on the ground watched warily. Air crews on board were apprehensive, too.

They were none too sure about this enormous new bomber, which had a reputation for engine trouble, lack of testing, catching fire and crashing. Many of the men simply refused to fly the plane.

In addition to that, they knew the pilots of that flight were both women.

Dora Dougherty and Dorothea Moorman were members of the Women Air Force Service Pilots, or WASPs. The organization consisted of civilian federal employees who tested and ferried aircraft and trained pilots while male military pilots concentrated on combat missions. The organization was disbanded at the end of 1944.

Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets brought the pair in from Florida to run demonstration flights of the new bomber, despite their lack of experience with four-engine planes like the B-29. After just three days of training, Dougherty and Moorman successfully flew the bomber several times with different crews on board.

Tibbets鈥� higher-ups quickly put a stop to the demonstrations, arguing that the women were putting men to shame and that a fatal crash involving women pilots would be devastating publicity. Dougherty and Moorman were sent back to Florida. The men took over.

Months later, the WASP program itself was finished 鈥� but those pilots鈥� example has inspired later generations of women aviators, in and out of the military.

On Friday, Jacquelyne Nichols of Otero County, a U.S. Marine aviator who flew helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft for 11 years on active duty and current American Airlines first officer, will lead a presentation commemorating Dougherty, Moorman and their B-29 flights over New Mexico. The presentation, titled 鈥淲ings of Courage,鈥� will take place at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo.

The presentation will feature never-before-seen film footage of the WASPs and on-camera interviews.

鈥淭hese women were able to fly the B-29, handle it gracefully, deal with the engine fires, and show no fear,鈥� Nichols said in an interview.

What allowed Dougherty and Moorman to accomplish their mission was their training, she said, yet even more attributable to character.

鈥淭hey wanted to serve their country,鈥� Nichols said. 鈥淭hey wanted to do what they loved, which was fly planes. Not only was it a passion for aviation, but from my own personal perspective: When you have an opportunity like that, you take the fear, you face it, and you just get the job done. It's also an opportunity to prove not only that you can do it, but that women behind you can do it.鈥�

The daughter of a Marine, Nichols felt a desire to fly since childhood. She initially pursued a career in healthcare before taking flying lessons and learning about aviators like Amelia Earhart and the WASPs. She switched careers, signed up for the service, and became a female Marine military pilot, which Nichols describes as 鈥�1% of 1% of 1%.鈥�

Eight decades after WASP ended, Nichols said she encountered obstacles as well as allies among male colleagues and commanders throughout her own career and found inspiration in the achievements of current and preceding generations of women serving in male-dominated institutions.

As an advocate for preserving the story of the program, Nicholas said she has had the chance to meet WASP pilots Beverly Bessemer, Shirley Cruse and Alyce Rohrer.

鈥淚 really want the world to know how women contributed to the success of World War II and what women are capable of, because I think it's really, really important in this day and age,鈥� she said.

The presentation is part of the museum鈥檚 Launch Pad Lecture Series held for free on the first Friday of each month, with support from the International Space Hall of Fame. Nichols鈥� hour-long presentation will begin at 9 a.m. Friday.

Algernon 顿鈥橝尘尘补蝉蝉补 is the Journal鈥檚 southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.