A truly remarkable Georgia “peach”. Marion’s father was the Athletic Director at the University of Georgia, so she and her sister never lacked for male companions. Her main interest in high school, other than boys, was playing basketball, and she was very good.
In 1941 she took the Civilian Pilot Training course at the University of Georgia, graduating that year with a private pilot’s license and a degree in Journalism.
She then went to Chicago and worked as a journalist, but when she heard about the AAF experimental flying training program, she applied, was accepted and headed for Texas.
Marion was in the first class to arrive at Avenger Field. There were aviation cadets still there who were in training, just as she was. The “powers to be” soon decided that they must be transferred, because having the two sexes on the same field training to fly military aircraft, was not working.
Upon graduating and receiving her WASP wings, Marion was sent to Love Field, Dallas, to be a member of the 5th Ferrying Group. She ferried aircraft, primarily new training aircraft, to training bases all over America.
After the WASP, she married her fiance, a Marine pilot. For the first three years, with no children, she spent much of her time writing – mostly about the WASP. Then she had 2 children, and when they became independent, she began writing again in a variety of venues – articles for McCall’s, Guidepost, etc, and books several of which have been published, with much success.
Marion is featured in the 8th Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia.
We honor you, Marion Hodgson.
(#Repost @Wings Across America)