CAF Loans a Leather Jacket Owned by Ruth Florey to the National WASP WWII Museum

At the 2024 Homecoming Event of the National WASP WWII Museum, members of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) WASP Squadron presented the museum with an authentic WASP leather jacket. This jacket, long preserved in the CAF archives, belonged to Ruth Underwood Florey, a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) from class 43-W-4. Florey, a native Texan, flew A-24s and A-25s, towing targets for live 90mm guns—a task that often involved dangerous night or low-altitude flights. She joined the Commemorative Air Force in 1991 and was active with the West Texas Wing until her passing in April 2007.

CAF WASP Squadron Leader Ellie Dana and Historian Elaine Webb, along with Ruth’s sons Ben and Joe, and their sons, delivered the jacket to the National WASP WWII Museum. As they commemorated the occasion with photos, Ben expressed the family’s excitement, saying, “The family is so excited; we have been sending them updates all evening.”

Lisa Taylor, Executive Director of the National WASP WWII Museum, remarked, “While we can Google almost anything, the WASP Museum allows real connection to and inspiration from the WASP, their contributions to our nation and aviation history.”

Throughout the WASP Homecoming weekend, several CAF members, including Jordan Drischler (Education Officer), Curt Lewis (Operations Officer), Jan Johnson, Matt Moore, Emily Friend, Mary Berg, and Barbara Wenzel, participated in the programs and honored the WASP legacy. Special guests and friends of the CAF WASP Squadron, such as Kathy Olszewski, daughter of WASP Jane Doyle, and Hunter Reiley, spouse of the late CAF WASP Squadron member Devyn Reiley, who performed an Honor Flight in memory of Devyn, also attended the event.