Madge Moore 44-4
San Antonio, Texas Every WASP who trained at Avenger has a special ‘connection’ to Sweetwater-but not like Madge. She not only graduated from the flying training program for women pilots at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, but several years before that, she was a 4th grade student in an elementary school in Sweetwater! Madge was born in Rule, Texas, but she grew up in Haskell. When she learned to fly at Stamford, the only airfield in the area. and received her private pilot’s license, she took her mother up for her first airplane ride. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, she applied for WASP training, was accepted, graduated and was assigned to Perrin Field in Sherman, Texas. She flight tested repaired aircraft????of an advanced course in instrument flying at Avenger, Madge then instructed pilots in instrument flying. After the WASP were deactivated, she married the young pilot who offered to carry her parachute when she was flying as a WASP. Madge became an Air Force wife and mother.
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Email to Cindy and Susan from Madge:
I’m sure that I can not adequately express what it will mean to me to once again fly into Avenger Field. There are so many memories that you and the volunteer pilots, all unselfishly investing time and equipment, will make vivid for me.
Chief among them was that first day, November 1, 1944, reporting for duty at Avenger Field after months of waiting eagerly to serve my Country. I had heard about the Wasps in 1943, my senior year at SMU, pursued the interview process and proceeded to complete the 35 hours of flying time required and to take the Army physical. These necessary steps seem to take place in slow motion. Setting foot on Avenger soil that first day meant I could finally pitch in to do my share in supporting the war efforts of the Nation.
Certainly as momentous, are the memories of being so thankful that I worked and trained with hundreds of bright, beautiful and brave women. Many of the friendships formed at Avenger have been life long. I am eager to see some of those women and to celebrate those who can not be with us.
Thank you for this tremendous gift.
Sincerely,
Madge Leon Moore
I sure hope you are still with us. I have been trying to find you for a bit. My son and I found one of your bottles in a low water lake near Dallas, inside you wrote your name Madge Ragan Leon Moore. So I decided to find out who you were. And I was very impressed. I had no idea about the womens contribution to the war effort. And no idea of the many sacrifices that were made by you and your colleagues. I was very moved and impressed. Would you like your bottle back? I trust my son still has it in Dallas. Theres more to say, but it’s late and, I would love a response. thank you for your service, respectfully, Ray Irvine
I sure hope you are still with us. I have been trying to find you. A few years ago my son and I while exploring the shallow waters of a lake not far from Dallas stumbled upon a bottle with a note in it. A ll it said was Madge rRagan Leon Moore. So I decided to find out who this was. And came upon an article written about you in an interview in a college newsletter. I was very impressed. I had no idea about the womens service in the aviation part of the military. And now I consider it a good topic of conversation. Would you like your bottle back? I trust my son still has it in Dallas. I would like to hear from you, and I deeply appreciate your service to Us. respectfully, Ray Irvine
Ray,
I have good news for you. Madge Moore is still with us and doing well. She recently returned from Washington D.C. with a Congressional Gold Medal and spoke with our Daedalian Flight. I read your story to her and the Flight. If you would like to get the bottle back to her, I can help. If you are interested in reading more, I updated Wiki with a photo of Madge and her Congressional Gold Medal:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_Airforce_Service_Pilots
More photos can be seen at:
http://www.fighterflight.org/
see the contact page – I am at the bottom.
Thanks Ray, all the best.
- Ken Otto