Cheryl Stearns one of many women Aviation members

                        Women in Aviation are very committed to their job; they have the inspiration to be one of the best pilots anyone has ever seen. They do not just have a knack for flying airplanes, they have a passion for jumping out of them too! Cheryl Stearns is no exception to that hobby, actually she is a world parachute champion. She finds a great interest in jumping out of airplanes, that after fifty years outside of the service she still has the eyes like a child when she hears the word parachute or airplane. Women in the aviation started at a very early age, well early for people of this day and age. Cheryl jumped of an airplane for her first time at the age of seventeen, and this is what she has to say about it, "I wanted to experience the sensation of falling through the air so I decided to take a lesson. I talked my mother into signing the release form because I wasn't old enough to jump without it. I even borrowed the initial $40 fee from her." This woman is very intriguing and has a very bright and jolly personality. After this first jump, she was hooked. Cheryl's father had given her the finances to start her flight training, which is where she got her unique balance that she found in parachuting and flying. She breezed through all of her ratings and when she became old enough to attend a community college, she became a flight instructor. 

                        In 1974, Cheryl had entered her first national skydiving competition and placed ninth overall. This very good placement on her first national competition gave her the urge to become the best and a champion. She put all the time and effort to be the best by jumping out of an airplane six times a day, seven days a week. To me, that is dedication. After several attempts of jumping out of the airplane, she had become an expert at style and became very accurate in her landings. To perform a stunt in the air to receive points, you are required to perform a series of aerial maneuvers within a 30-second time span and fighting an 80 mph twist and pull once you hit the outside of the plane. February of 1977, is an important day for Cheryl because she became the first woman member of the Golden Knights, the U.S. Army's parachute team. This event was very important to Cheryl and sent a shock wave to other women telling them that anything is possible.

                        When Cheryl was coming to the end of aviation career, she had logged 8,400 jumps and 8,300 hours of flight time and still remains in the Army's National Guard to this day. She also won a grand total of twenty-five national and international parachuting championships. This woman really meant business when she was at her prime. With the events coming to a close, her most prestigious event that occurred was being selected by the International Parachuting Committee to receive the Leonardo da Vinci Diploma, which is the highest honor the international sport it can receive.

Shirley Temple Black- A Child Star and Political Achiever

Who is Shirley Temple?

Born Shirley Jane Temple in 1928 in Santa Monica, California. She was commonly known as a child star of the 30's. Her curly blond ringlet hair, singing voice, tap dance abilities, and noticeable lisp were just a few factors that made her a famous child star of the decade. Many people say she was the most sophisticated performer they have ever seen, some even saying she was more mature than many of the adults she worked with on set.

Where has she been Seen?

Shirley Temple became well-known in 1934 when she starred in four separate films that year; Little Miss Marker, Baby Take a Bow, Now and Forever, and Bright Eyes. At this time Shirley Temple was only six years old and was even awarded an Academy Award that was quoted, "in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution." Her popularity peaked from 1935-1938 where she was named the "biggest box-office attraction in Hollywood." Being only ten years old, these achievements were massive.

Little Girl Growing Up:

When Shirley was just 17 years old she married her first husband John Agar, who eventually could not cope with being "Mr. Shirley Temple." He quickly turned into an alcoholic when he could not deal with the consequences of being married to a child star. They divorced when Shirley was just 21 years old. Soon after her divorce, she met Mr. Charles Black on a Hawaiian vacation, who had never seen any of her films, and did not even know she was a famous child star. They married shortly after returning home and were lovers from the very start. She stated, "from the very first time I saw him, I knew he was perfect for me."

Achievements:

In 1967, Shirley Temple Black ran for the United States Congress on a platform of urging more American involvement in the Vietnam war. Her debate was good but she did not win the election. Although she lost the election, she was still determined to somehow make a difference. She attributed to some political cartoons and still remained active in Republican politics. Shirley Temple Black began serving as a United States Representative. She was even an ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. She was always proud and determined to make a difference in her work as a U.S. Representative doing whatever she could to help.


A quote she once stated says "Shirley Temple doesn't hurt Shirley Temple Black. Shirley Temple helps Shirley Temple Black." Regardless of who she was in the past, she wanted everyone to realize she was way more than just a child star of the 1930's, but she could also make a difference in her political life as well. She was a woman of great drive and determination. From her famous child star days until her proud United States Representative days, she has always remained an influential icon of America known first for her curly ringlet hair and last for her government achievements.

Women In World War II

Women in World War II

World War II took such a toll on the United States of America. Women were the vital point in the success of the war. They were the vital point because they were the ones supplying the men overseas with supplies; such as weapons, food, health supplies, etc… The problem with all the women working in the factories to assist their husbands or fathers was that once the war had ended they had to give up all their jobs and give them back to the men. This caused an outrage among most women because they wanted a job, they needed a changed from the traditional society they have been living. The returning soldiers wanted society to go back to normal, therefore by 1939, two million young girls found employment in domestic service at 25p a week. Some women still looked for work, and they found employment in the Civil Service as a teacher and nurse. Women in the force were not allowed to be engaged in military services and marriage, so once one option began the other was lost. Women were asked again to work in the factories, but this time was different. The items they were asked to make ranged from ammunition to uniforms to airplanes. Women of the factory put long hours into their work, some had to establish a better means of transportation to work. People that did not have very much money were left to live within the factories they work in to make a profit from the long tasks.

            Women wanted to have rights that they didn’t before so they were willing to do whatever it took to earn the rights they are owed. Women went on strike in the year 1943, at the Rolls Royce factory, this outraged men all around the states. The men seen this strike as unpatriotic and were pelted with rotten eggs, and inedible tomatoes. This riot of pelting lasted until the men soon realized that they were getting paid less than a unskilled labor man. During the Blitz on London, women became another important job. They were a part of the “Women’s Voluntary Service”. The WVS provided firefighters with refreshments and tea when the clear-up of the raid had stopped. The WVS consisted of one million members by the end of 1943 of which the organization started. The WVS consisted of mostly elder women, than younger women because the young women were already in the factories providing as much help as they can give. The WVS also provided as much assistance as they could and did whatever was needed of them. The WVS took in members of people that were homeless from the German bombings.

            A very intriguing task that women were apart of during WWII was they were asked to perform Secret Agent tasks. The tasks they were given ranged from various locations, but they were to gather as much intelligence as they could to support the allies and report back. This task for women was very risky, because women were not taken to be very high on the chain for importance so if they were caught at any time they were either tortured for information or worse, death.  
-Henry Piatek