Maggie Gee (pilot)

Maggie Gee (August 5, 1923^[1] in Berkeley, California – February 1, 2013^[2]) was an American aviator who served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in World War II. She was one of two Chinese American women to serve in the organization, the other being Hazel Ying Lee.^[3][4] As a WASP, she helped male pilots train for combat, as female pilots were not allowed to serve in combat at that time. She also ferried military aircraft.^[5]

Life

A native of Berkeley, California, Maggie Gee graduated from the University of California, Berkeley,and attended graduate program at the university in physics. She later worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She is featured in a number of books, oral history projects, and documentaries. In 2009 a book was written about her life story called Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee, by Marissa Moss.^[5] In 2010, she and all other living WASP pilots received the Congressional Gold Medal.^[5][6]

Maggie Gee also served for many decades as an elected member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, supporting voter registration and fundraising. She also served for many years as a long-time Board member and Treasurer of the Berkeley Democratic Club in Berkeley, California. She has served on the California Democratic Party Executive Board and Asian Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus. She has received numerous awards and citations from the Democratic Party, including a posthumous award in March 2014 from the Asian Pacific Democratic Caucus of Alameda County.

References

External links

• Video of an interview with Maggie Gee about WWII
• Video of an interview with Maggie Gee about "Sky High" a children's book about the life of Maggie Gee