Episode Memphis Belle with Dr. Sarah Parry Meyers

I think a lot of us are familiar with stories of bomber pilots and fighter pilots during World War II. And we're probably familiar with the lives of many of the women who actually built those planes, made famous by Rosie the Riveter. But how many of us know about the Women's Air Service Pilots or about their fight for veteran recognition after the war was over? Sarah Myers joins in to talk about the film Memphis Belle and her new book, Earning Their Wings: The WASPs of World War II and the Fight for Veteran Recognition. I had never learned of the WASPs before knowing Sarah and this is such a cool talk. We get into Memphis Belle, her process of discovery, and what it was like to interview these intrepid women. Amazing stuff.

Dr. Sarah Parry Myers is a historian of 20th century U.S. history, gender, public history, oral history, and military history. In central Pennsylvania, she is an Associate Professor of History and Peace and Conflict Studies at Messiah University. She recently published Earning Their Wings: The WASPs of World War II and the Fight for Veteran Recognition (UNC Press, 2023). She is a former museum curator and NEH grant recipient.