05/25/2026
Today, on Memorial Day, we honor those who served, sacrificed, and helped shape history through courage and determination.
This year, we also remember and celebrate the life of Jerrie Philips Badger, whose story reminds us that service comes in many forms and that the legacy of the Women Airforce Service Pilots continues to inspire generations.
We are grateful for all of the WASP who answered the call during World War II, breaking barriers and proving that dedication, skill, and patriotism know no boundaries. Their contributions to aviation and military history paved the way for so many who followed.
Jerrie passed away this January, and today members of the National WASP WWII Museum staff were honored to attend a memorial held in her honor as we remember her life, legacy, and service this Memorial Day. Below are moving words written in memory of Jerrie by her daughter, Laura Sotka.
WASP Jerrie Philips Badger 1921-2026
On January 17, 2026, the world lost Jerrie Philips Badger, one of the last living Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, at the age of 104.
Born in 1921, Jerrie was part of a small, extraordinary group of women who stepped forward when their country needed them and proved, quietly and decisively, that skill and resolve rise to meet history. As a WASP, she flew military aircraft under demanding and often uncertain conditions. She never sought recognition for what she did. For decades, her service went unacknowledged, as it did for all WASPs. When that recognition finally came in the way of the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010, she accepted it with grace, gratitude, and the steady humility that defined her life. She said the WASP’s was such a lasting thrill she would have flown for free!
Jerrie raised four daughters who loved her dearly, and then lived independently and on her own terms for the remainder of her life. Her sharp wit, clear mind, and love of motion, airplanes, automobiles, and the promise of what comes next remained with her throughout her life. To know her was to know courage without show, strength without hardness, and history carried lightly. She bore witness to a remarkable chapter of our nation’s story; her wings earned long ago.
High Flight, Mom.
