A documentary airing on the History Channel this weekend is honoring Women Combat Pilots in honor of Women's History Month. The special, airing Sunday, March 9 at 7 p.m., is entitled Women Combat Pilots: The Right Stuff and is devoted to women of the military who were once unheard of and not properly recognized. Half of the hour-long documentary is devoted to the WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots) and sequences of the film were filmed at Republic Airport's American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale.

The documentary follows the story of women in the Air Force, who until 1993 were not officially permitted to fly combat aircraft. It highlights how women have proven themselves in battle and notes that without their predecessors, the early pioneers, it is doubtful that there would have been any women pilots in combat today.

According to producers, the documentary offers a glimpse into the struggles and the important role these courageous fighter pilots perform in today's world, through the experiences of contemporary combat pilots, WWII WASPs and historians. The History Channel also notes, in announcing the special, that many people may not know that Orville and Wilbur Wright had a sister, Katherine, who contributed as much to Kitty Hawk as her famous brothers. Their announcement adds that "Ever since the first manned flight, women possessed a passion for flying and a deep desire to use their skills to serve as combat pilots in times of war."

All residents are invited to learn about the struggles, accomplishments and contributions of women pilots of the past, present and future.

The following was provided by Julia Lauria-Blum, WASP Exhibit Curator, American Airpower Museum.

In 1939, after Germany's tanks rolled in Warsaw, pilot Jacqueline Cochran sensed the impending involvement of the United States in a large scale war and sent a letter to first lady Eleanor Roosevelt encouraging the use of women pilots in the armed forces. In May of 1940, another pilot, Nancy Harkness Love wrote the Ferrying Division of the Army Air Force with a similar idea, but the AAF wasn't ready to put women in the cockpit of its planes. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and by September of 1942, all that changed.

Plunged into WWII on December 7, 1941, the United States was confronted with a desperate labor shortage that would require that women participate in many activities previously reserved for men. By performing essential flying duties in the United States (they did not fly overseas), and thus freeing male pilots for combat-related service overseas, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of WWII made a vital contribution to the U.S. war effort during 1942-1944, becoming the first women military pilots in American history.

The demand for male combat pilots and warplanes left the Air Transport Command (ATC) with a shortage of experienced pilots to ferry planes from factory to a point of embarkation for shipment overseas. The leaders recalled Nancy Love's proposal and hired her to recruit 25 of the most qualified women pilots in the country to ferry military aircraft. These outstanding pilots were called the WAFS (Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron).

At the same time, Gen. "Hap" Arnold, commanding general of the Army Air Forces, also approved a program that would train a large group of women to serve as ferrying pilots. The training school was placed under the direction of Jacqueline Cochran and was called the Women's Flying Training Detachment (WFTD)

In August of 1943 the WAFS and the WFTD were merged and redesignated the Women Airforce Service Pilots or WASP.

As a result, assigned to over 120 airfields in the country, WASP flew more than 60 million miles in all aircraft types including trainers, pursuits (fighters), twin and four engine bombers and even the first experimental jet. The WASP flew in every capacity, except combat. Flying duty included ferrying thousands of new and war-weary aircraft, target towing, simulated bombing and strafing missions, instructing, administrative, test flying and more. Thirty-eight women gave their lives in the service of their country while in training and on active duty.

In the latter half of 1944, every single P-47 "Thunderbolt" off the Republic Aviation production line was ferried (delivered from factory to port for embarkation for delivery overseas) to its port of embarkation in Newark NJ, and every P-47 had a woman in its cockpit on the first leg of its journey into service.

Hired as Civil Service employees with the intent to militarize, the WASP militarization bill failed to pass in Congress by 19 votes and the WASP were deactivated on Dec. 20, 1944. They would not be granted Veteran's status until 1977.