“Women pilots…are a weapon waiting to be used. » Eleanor Roosevelt made this statement during her "My Day" speech on September 1, 1942 to promote the use of women pilots in World War II. She supported women by saying that if they could pass the same tests as their fellow pilots, then they should have the same opportunity to join the noncombatant service. During World War II, women had to rise to the occasion to help their country when it was desperately needed. While most American men served in the military and other branches of the armed forces, women stepped up and took their place. Some chose to stay closer to home and took on men's day jobs in order to keep the country running smoothly. Other women chose a different route and moved further away from home. These brave women replaced some of the male soldiers stationed in noncombat jobs in the U.S. Army so that the men could go overseas to Europe and help fight the enemy. These women were not always accepted by their fellow soldiers, as the men feared that their masculinity would be underestimated as more women joined them. An example of these very courageous women were the female pilots who served in the Women's Division of the Air Force. Women pilots were assigned to non-combat jobs that most people considered safer, but they were actually risking their lives every day. Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran and Nancy Love did the unexpected; they help create a flight program for women. It all started when Jackie Cochran first wrote a letter to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with her idea to create a flight program for women in the Air Force (AAF). She wanted to help... middle of paper... give them as much credit as they deserve, who had a passion for flying. Whether their fellow pilots liked it or not, WASPs played a vital role in World War II. By accepting non-combat jobs, male pilots were freed to fight the enemy in Europe. Without the WASPs, the military would not have had the added support of the new pilots to win the war. Works Cited Gruhzit-Hoyt, Olga. “Part Seven: Women Air Force Pilots.” They also served: American women in World War II. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Pub. Group, 1995. Print.Pateman, Yvonne C. “Women Air Service Pilots: WASP”. In Defense of a Nation: Military Women in World War II. Washington, DC: Military Women, 1998. 113-18. Print.Williams, Vera S. WASPs: Women Air Force Pilots of World War II. Osceola, USA: Motor International & Wholesalers, 1994. Print.