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WASP honorable discharge pins with carved wings


Noelle
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What can anyone tell me about these pins? I’m spending a lotta pretty pennies on one of these pins though never knew they existed until a few days ago.  Why were they so small, and why are they so unknown?  How many were likely made?  Any other info?

 

 

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It’s my understanding, the last class of WASP’s graduated on December 7th, 1944 (a most appropriate historical date indeed).

 

By early February 1945, General Hap Arnold was confident victory was well in hand and instructed “Director of the WASP” Jacqueline Cochran to disband her organization of Army Pilots.

 

On February 10, 1945, Director Cochran issued/mailed a letter of personal thanks, along with a “Certificate of Honorable Service” and one of those small sterling and blue enamel pins, as depicted above, to each previously active WASP.

 

Included below are a couple of images of one such letter of appreciation signed and issued by Jacqueline Cochran.

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Brian Dentino

Well if that is what this OP post actually is then there certainly can't be many of these left floating around out there anymore.  I would say that this is a great pick up Noelle considering that there couldn't have been that many of these sent out in the first place, then take into account all that might have been lost over the years, then I would say that you would be hard pressed to find another in your collecting lifetime.  Look forward to seeing better pictures of it when you have it in hand and can take your time photographing it.

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55 minutes ago, Brian Dentino said:

Well if that is what this OP post actually is then there certainly can't be many of these left floating around out there anymore.  I would say that this is a great pick up Noelle considering that there couldn't have been that many of these sent out in the first place, then take into account all that might have been lost over the years, then I would say that you would be hard pressed to find another in your collecting lifetime.  Look forward to seeing better pictures of it when you have it in hand and can take your time photographing it.

 

Since they’re so small, just 1/2”, I’d be surprised if there weren’t many that weren’t lost, and we already know that a lot of the women didn’t even tell their families that they were pilots.  I’ve read so many accounts of sons and daughters not finding out until after their mothers dead and they were going through their things.  I didn’t even see a reference to these in the WASP museum in Sweetwater a few weeks back.  When I have them in hand, I’ll take macro pics and pics with my wings.  

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1 hour ago, rustywings said:

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OMG thank you so much for sharing this!  I wish I could get my hands on one of these letters to keep with the pin.

 

Hopefully Shirley Kruse will be able to be at the 81st homecoming this next April.  I’d love a chance to ask her about them as well.  Last I know if, it’s not official yet, but there may be a 14 WASP whose ashes will be scattered on the old runway, and it’s expected that Shirley will attend.  Might be the last chance to ask one of the women themselves about these pins as well.

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Here’s Ruth Petry’s identical pin for comparison... with a dime alongside for size ratio...  

 

Unfortunately, since the tiny pin has an AMICO-style pin with stop-block, that’s as far as the attached pin will open.

 

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rathbonemuseum.com

And here is the set from a young WASP in my collection. Kathryn Kleineke from Ft. Worth, TX was a graduate of class 44-W-9. She had a brief stint flying out of Altus AAF after graduation and before being discharged liked the rest of the WASP December 20, 1944 when the program was cancelled.

 

Like Russ' letter, the cover is dated February 1945, his on the 10th, this one on the 20th. The cover letter is signed by Jackie Cochran. Included in the mailing was a letter confirming dates of service as there was to be no official military record of service until the WASP were recognized as veterans by Congress in 1977. Also included was the custom discharge pin. I imagine that Jackie paid for them out of her own pocket.

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I’m so envious of those letters.  I imagine those are even rarer than the pins.

 

For all of Cochran’s flaws, I so really like that she did seem to care about making sure the women who served got some sort of credit, though Love also cared a lot and tends to get overlooked even though her WAFS predated Cochran’s WFTD.

 

May not have a letter, but I’ll be adding the pin to my little collection that’s being used as a mini local “traveling museum” of a sort, that I’ve been using to help promote the WASP to girls and women, some who are now literally looking into flight schools.  I don’t think I could feel okay having them if I wasn’t using them to try to bring attention back to women who shouldn’t have been forgotten in the first place.

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5 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

These are so interesting. I never knew about these.  I love seeing them. 

 

..Kat

I had quite some luck.  Found out about them, and found one that just went up for sale same day, and kind jumped the gun and hoped for the best. :D But the seller is actually reputable. :D

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Mine arrived a day early, and it’s so tiny and precious and I love it!!  Look at it next to a peppermint!  I don’t know why I love bitty things sometimes, but I do.  The detail for the size is astounding, tbh.  Like the feathers in the wings!  These must be stamped, right?  To get that level of minute detail?

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