Distinguished women aviators reunite at Texas Woman's University for special event
DENTON – A group of distinguished aviators reunited at Texas Woman's University in Denton on Thursday.
TWU, home to a permanent display and a treasure trove of archives belonging to the nonprofit Women's Military Aviators, hosted a handful of retired American women aviators who served in the military and paved the way for other women.
The group gathered to share stories of their experiences, educate others, and motivate the next generation of women aviators.
"These women are incredible innovators and incredible pioneers," said TWU Professor Dr. Katherine Landdeck.
Retired Air Force Col. Marcelyn Atwood, one of the women in attendance, emphasized the importance of sharing their legacy and educating people about the impact her generation of women aviators from the 1970s and 1980s had on the military and on breaking down gender barriers.
"It's something we have always done and we just have to let people know about it, because it's not written down anywhere," Atwood said. "So we do oral histories and we have our archives here and we are trying to build the collection so that people know what we have done in service to the country."
For several of the retired aviators present, the reunion was a chance to not only see old friends but also to revisit many of the items like uniforms and documents they've donated to the archives over the years.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Margie Varuska spoke about her experience flying missions during wartime.
"When we were going through those years, those early years, we were just surviving. We really didn't know the significance of what we were doing, but now to see it all archived and going back and sharing stories… yeah, it is a sense of pride," Varuska said.
The group hopes the exhibit and the archives display at TWU will motivate future generations of women who want to follow the path they helped pave in a role that has been dominated by men for generations.
"We were proving that we could do what the men were doing. Even if it was a simple mission, we were still sitting right next to the guys and sometimes were sitting in the commander's seat," Varuska added.
TWU officials say the public is welcome to visit the aviators' display honoring the women and to see the archives in person.