Women’s Airforce Service Pilots trained here in military aircraft from Feb. 21, 1943, through final graduation day, Dec. 7, 1944. Avenger Field first served as a training base for British Royal Air Force cadets in 1942, then for U.S. Army Air Forces cadets from Aug. 1942 to April 1943. The WASP program was started under General H.H. ("Hap") Arnold to train women to fly every kind of mission short of combat, releasing male pilots for overseas duty. Jacqueline Cochran directed women pilots, with Ethel A. Sheehy as WASP staff field executive, Nancy Harness Love as WASP staff executive of the ferrying division, and Leoti Clark Deaton as WASP staff executive for training bases. Of 25,000 girls who applied for WASP flight training, 1,830 were accepted and 1,074 won their silver wings. The WASPs flew 60 million miles on operational duty, and 37 lost their lives serving their country. WASPs held civil service rather than military status, but after the program ended, they were granted eligibility to apply for reserve commissions in the Air Corps when the Allies were winning the war in Europe and the U.S.A. pilot shortage had passed. After a short post-WASP span of service as a missile base, Avenger Field was closed.