Former Resident To Receive Congressional Medal





Margaret Werber Gilman

Margaret Werber Gilman

Former Garden City resident Margaret Werber Gilman will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony to be held this fall in Washington, D.C., after President Barack Obama recently signed into law legislation awarding America’s highest civilian honor to the women who served as Airforce Service Pilots during World War II.

“The Women Airforce Service Pilots courageously answered their country’s call in a time of need while blazing a trail for the brave women who have given and continue to give so much in service to this nation since,” President Obama said. “Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve.”

Margaret in action

Margaret in action


Margaret’s daughter, Jane Gilman, who still lives in the Village and will begin her 23rd year as a teacher in the Garden City School District in September, beams with pride as she neatly stacks the pile of old photographs, articles and other memorabilia highlighting her mother’s service during World War II into an old-fashioned looking box adorned with a picture of an airplane.

Jane uses some of the box’s contents to make history come alive for her fourth-graders at Stewart School. Her mother, who is called Peggy by her friends, will celebrate her 86th birthday on July 29th and is still able to recall stories from that time in her life. Peggy and her husband of almost 61 years, retired equine veterinarian Dr. Manuel Gilman, have often been visitors in her classroom. They lived on Wellington Road for 47 years and relocated in Nassau County 18 months ago.

Margaret Werber Gilman taking a break from flying in the early 1940's

Margaret Werber Gilman taking a break from flying in the early 1940’s


“When I come to the chapter in our social studies book on World War II, or celebrate Women’s History Month, I do so with great pride and enthusiasm,” Jane wrote in a letter she penned to a magazine in 2004 with her mother’s story. “Each year I teach my students about Rosie the Riveter, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, and all the other women who made great contributions to the United States. It is my personal collection of mother’s stories that really bring to life this important period of history.”

Margaret in more recent times

Margaret in more recent times


The WASP program was established during World War II with the primary mission of flying noncombat military missions in the United States, thus freeing their male counterparts for combat missions overseas. They were the first women ever to fly American military aircraft and they flew almost every type of aircraft operated by the Army Air Force during World War II, logging more than 60 million miles.

Peggy became interested in aviation in the fall of 1941 while attending Endicott Junior College in Beverly, Massachusetts. She and a friend, along with many of their classmates in the all-female school, were intrigued by a lecture in meteorology given by two handsome pilots from the local airport. “They came with their maps and charts and their leather flight jackets and long, white, silk scarfs,” she wrote in a remembrance book entitled “The Lost Last Class of Avenger Field.” “My roommate and I quickly decided that we were meant to fly.”

That would prove true for Peggy, although her roommate quickly lost interest. However, Peggy’s chances to pursue her passion would be considerably narrowed in December as the war began and private aircraft was banned 100 miles from the coast.

It would be an advertisement she found a year later in the Herald Tribune promoting “Private Flying at Martin’s Creek Airport in Belvedere, New Jersey” that would re-ignite her desire to fly. She convinced her parents that she would be better suited for a life as an aviator rather than a student and began taking lessons. Jane recalls her telling stories about how she sold Cokes and grilled cheese sandwiches she heated with an iron to earn money for her flight instruction.

By November of 1942 she earned her flying license and was working toward a commercial license. “Surprisingly, I found that I was fairly good at flying, and up until that time there were few things at which I was good,” Peggy wrote.

It was also around this time when she first learned about the WASP program. A total of 25,000 women would apply; 1,800 were accepted and 1,074 would graduate. Thirty-eight women lost their lives while serving. There are approximately 300 women who served in the program who are still alive.

Peggy trained at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas, and can still vividly recall the intense heat, dust and threat of rattlesnakes that the women faced on a daily basis. It was a rude awakening for a young lady who was raised in Great Neck! “The only snakes seen around there were in the form of shoes, handbags, or the occasional ill-mannered young man,” Jane wrote.

Peggy recalls that during this time it was a dear friend she met in the program named Frankie Yearwood who helped her get through the tough times by advising her to “just grit your teeth and keep going.” Peggy particularly disliked the dangerous job of towing practice targets for gunners on the ground. “With considerably shortened teeth, I graduated, and Frankie and I pinned each other’s wings,” Peggy wrote in her remembrance book. The women still keep in touch today.

Following World War II, the women in the program were released from duty and returned home. During their time in the WASP program, they held civilian status and were not members of the military. Their contributions went largely unrecognized and the women weren’t afforded veteran status until 1977.

Today, a wall in the Smithsonian and in the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. is dedicated to the WASP program. Locally, a permanent exhibit including uniforms, photographs and log books can be found at the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport.

Peggy has been recognized at both the local and state levels. In 2001, she and other WWII female pilots were honored by Gov. George Pataki with the New York State Conspicuous Service Medal. Peggy’s efforts were recognized by local officials when she was presented with the Town of Hempstead Distinguished Service Award. And, in just a few months, Peggy and her family look forward to joining others who participated in the WASP program to receive well-deserved national recognition.



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