"I thought that was the most wonderful thing in the world, to be able to fly and be paid for it and to do something for the country." (Video Interview, 3:53)

V. Scott Bradley Gough

V. Scott Bradley Gough [2005] War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) Service Location: Texas; Arizona Place of Birth: CA

As a young woman growing up in Los Angeles, Scottie Bradley took an interest in flying. One of her first lessons was interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor, which grounded all civilian aircraft that day. She began traveling inland to Blythe, a desert community, where she learned to fly as part of an ambulance squadron. Her in-air experience would have qualified her for the WASP, but she had to wait to turn 21 before she could be admitted. She became Squadron Commander of her flight, and it was her duty to lead everybody in marching everywhere they went on the base. She had a close call while flying from Arizona to San Francisco in a flying formation and weather started closing in. A plane in front of her caused her to spin and she had to rely on instruments and her training to pull out.