1951 From Khaki to Air Force Blue

By D.A. Creese-Harris

Lucy Leigh Simms became a woman in the Air Force in 1951 uncertain about what changes in her life to expect. She soon found out. The Air Force became a separate branch of the military in September 1947, and women were granted the right to serve permanently in the military the following June. Conscriptions and enlistments were low. Our country was at peace. That changed in June 1950 when a war that was not called a war erupted in Korea. Men and women were called upon to serve their country and help save South Korea from Communistic North Korea. Deciding it was her patriotic duty, Lucy joined the Air Force. She received her basic training at old Kelly Air Field, not Lackland which was overcrowded with men and had been investigated by the Senate. After basic training Lucy was sent to Lowry Air Force Base for technical training. At the completion of her technical training she was sent to James Connelly Air Force Base in Waco, Texas where she was the first WAF in the newly activated 3565th WAF squadron. Although the Air Force was fully integrated, there were Airmen who felt it should remain an all white Air Force. Having been born in the North, Lucy found segregation hard to accept and was involved in a few unpleasant incidents because of her convictions.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1981015892
• ISBN13: 9781981015894
• Release Date: May 2018
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 557 Pages
• Weight: 2.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.4" x 6.0"