High Above the Clouds

Growing up in Berkeley, California, Maggie Gee couldn't swim in the public pools as a Chinese-American. Even so, when America entered World War II, Maggie wanted to do her part.

First, she worked as a Rosie the Riveter building ships for the navy, but when she heard women were being called as pilots for the air force, she quickly got a pilot's license and tried to join the new Women's Airforce Service Pilots, the WASP. More than 25,000 women applied, but barely 1,000 actually earned their wings. Maggie Gee was one of them, test-flying the new planes developed by the air force, training male pilots, and flying in dangerous conditions. She never felt as free as she did then, soaring high above the clouds.