Women Airforce Service Pilots
Ola Mildred Rexroat
The Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPS, only employed one Native woman, Oglala Lakota Ola Mildred "Sexy Rexy" Rexroat.
Unlike the majority of women in the United States military during World War II, the WASPs endured the same military training as Airforce men, meaning that they were able to fly planes and perform the same evasive maneuvers as their male counterparts. However, the WASPs were only paramilitary, meaning that they essentially served in a civilian capacity.
Rexroat held no rank in the United States military, but in exchange, she learned to fly. She joined in 1943 and served until 1944 when the WASPs were disbanded. However, Rexroat developed a love for aviation and joined the Airforce during the Korean war, serving for ten years before gaining employ in Air Traffic Control for thirty three years before retirement.
Rexroat, with the surviving WASPs, received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010.