Former World War II Female Pilot Joins Veterans Association

JOHNS CREEK, GA -- A woman who served as a pilot during World War II was recognized last week as a member of the Johns Creek Veterans Association.

A ceremony was held June 22 for Jerrie P. Badger, one of the few female pilots during the war, at the Women In Service Plaza at the Veterans Memorial Walk at Newtown Park in Johns Creek.

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Badger was one of about 1,000 women in a program called Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP.

WASPs were pilots who performed duties such as ferrying airplanes and towing targets for gunnery practice, which freed male pilots for combat.

WASPs were not considered officially part of the military, but the Johns Creek Veterans Association accepted Badger, one of the first women to fly American military aircraft, as one of their own.

The veterans association allows veterans of any branch of the U.S. military who live in or near Johns Creek to join its ranks. The organization meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month. For more information, visit the group's website.

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Images via city of Johns Creek