May 17, 1915 to May 29 2011
Some of the following information was provided by my mother Lois Emma Hailey. Other information was gathered from Sisters in the Sky, Vol II, by Adela Scharr and On Final Approach, by Byrd Granger. |
Emma was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania in 1915. She was an only child and spent much of her youth with horses and dogs. Both her father and grandfather where generals and both rode horses as their main mode of transportation in the service. She eventually got her pilot license and came to own her own plane. |
When Emma heard about Jackie Cochran's program for women pilots, she flew to Houston to join. She flew her own plane which was nicknamed Private Willis, a character in a Gilbert and Sullivan musical. After completing basic training in class 43-3, she was sent to Romulus Army Air Base, Romulus, Michigan, along with Lois Brooks. Both Emma and Lois were only there for a short time when Jackie Cochran ordered them to Washington, DC, where they also met General Hap Arnold. Here they met up with Lois Hollingsworth and Betty Budde, also from 43-3, and were told of their new duties. From here all four were sent to Camp Davis in North Carolina where they were joined by Kay Menges Brick, another WASP from 43-3. At Camp Davis, they were trained to fly tow targets using old modified war-spent Navy bombers. Later they trained at Liberty Field, in Georgia with radio controlled planes. After completing tow/radio controlled target training all five women were sent to Biggs Field where they flew and helped train troops for war until the WASP were disbanded in December, 1944. They were the first WASP to arrive at Biggs. |
Adela Scharr met Emma during a ferrying trip from Long Beach. As Adela arrived in El Paso, on June 6, 1944, "D Day", she was forced to delay the rest of her trip as a huge thunderstorm kept everyone grounded. This included Emma who's tow target mission was cancelled. Emma offered Adela a spare bunk at their Biggs barracks for the night. It was that night that Emma told the story about how the WASP at Biggs came to have a mascot named Widget, a Pomeranian. While at Liberty Field, Em was on an assignment to Wright-Patterson in Daton, Ohio, with with a man named Tony. Tony had his small Pomeranian that slept in his fleece lined flying boot and Em was really taken by this dog. It probably brought back childhood memories. During the flight, they stopped off in Pittsburg and Em met up with her parents and Aunt Peggy and mentioned the cute Pomeranian. After Emma and Tony left, Aunt Peggy had an idea. She searched around Pittsburg and eventually found a Pomeranian for Emma. Aunt Peggy also knew that Emma's parents were traveling south to spend Christmas with their only child. But, to her surprise, they said no. So Aunt Peggy had to come up with another plan. She found a friend of a cousin of Emma's who flew a Cub and he delivered the pup to Emma at Liberty Field in Georgia before they were sent to Biggs in El Paso. |
From there on, Widget went where ever Emma went and she was quickly adopted by the other WASP. Since the WASP were civilians, they weren't hassled much by the military about their mascot. In fact, Widget even got in some flying time. In one instance, Emma, Widget, and Lois Brooks had to chance to fly to Reno, Nevada, in an old Helldiver. (Lois was born and raised in Reno.) Along the way, they had to stop in Las Vegas. After landing, Emma noticed the flaps were still down and she yelled to Lois to bring them up. Lois said they wouldn't budge. They would have to get the problem fixed before they could continue the flight. The airforce mechanics reported that they would have to order a new worm gear from Sears in Dallas. |
In the mean time, Emma, Widget, and Lois caught a bus to Reno. Emma always kept Widget hidden in her coat and Widget knew to keep quiet. Once in Reno, they met up with another WASP, Jeanette Jenkins from 44-1, and went to a local bar. Widget was of course along for the ride and in heat. The local lady bouncer had no idea Widget was in the bar inside Emma's coat and could not understand why she had to keep chasing all the male dogs out of the bar. |
While at Biggs, Emma met and became engaged to Major James B. Ware. As the WASP were having their farewell celebration on December 19, 1944, Emma and the Major were wed. |
Emma and the Major ended up in St. Louis, Missouri. Along the way, they raised 6 children. Three girls and then triplets with 2 boys and a girl. |
A GI remembers a flight with Emma and her influence on his family. |