"Women pilots... are a weapon waiting to be used." Eleanor Roosevelt made this statement during her “My Day” speech on September 1, 1942 to promote the use of women pilots in World War II. He was advocating for women by saying that if they could pass the same tests as their fellow pilots, then they should have the same opportunity to join the non-combatant service. During World War II, women had to rise to the occasion to help their country in a time of desperate need. With most American men serving in the Army and other branches of the military, women stepped up and took their place. Some chose to stay closer to home and take men's day jobs to keep the town running smoothly. Other women chose a different path and moved a little further from home. These brave women replaced some of the male soldiers stationed in non-combat jobs in the U.S. Army so that the men could go overseas to Europe and help fight the enemy. These women were not always accepted by their fellow soldiers, because the men were worried that their masculinity would be underestimated as more and more women joined. An example of these very courageous women were the female pilots who served in the women's division of the Air Force. Female pilots were assigned to non-combat related jobs that most people considered safer, but female pilots actually risked their lives every day. Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran and Nancy Love achieved the unexpected; they help in creating a flight program for women. It all started when Jackie Cochran first wrote a letter to first lady Eleanor Roosevelt with her idea of ​​forming a flying program for women in the Army Air Forces (AAF). He wanted to help... middle of paper... give them all the credit they deserve, that they had a passion for flying. Whether their fellow pilots liked it or not, the WASPs played a vital role in World War II. Taking non-combat jobs, male pilots were released to go fight the enemy in Europe. Without the WASPs, the military would not have had that extra support from incoming pilots to win the war. Works Cited Gruhzit-Hoyt, Olga. "Part Seven: Pilots of the Women's Air Force Service." Also served: American women in World War II. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Pub. Group, 1995. Print.Pateman, Yvonne C. “Female Air Force Service Pilots: WASP.” In Defense of a Nation: Women Serving in World War II. Washington, DC: Military Women, 1998. 113-18. Print.Williams, Vera S. WASP: Women Pilots of the World War II Air Force Service. Osceola, USA: Motor International & Wholesalers, 1994. Print.