Air & Space Museum bringing back series

Learn history of women as aviators in WWII

The International Women’s Air & Space Museum recently announced the return of its signature “Dinner with a Slice of History” program series on Sept. 17.

Entitled “World War II Women in Aviation: An Exploration in Leadership” the event features Norwich University Professor of History and Political Science Reina Pennington, according to a news release.

During World War II, the Soviet Union and United States established segregated organizations for the purpose of recruiting and training women for aviation duties. In both nations, it was individuals, rather than the military establishment, who proposed and developed plans for the use of women aviators.

The women who spearheaded those efforts had dramatically different leadership styles, from the USSR’s Marina Raskova’s quiet, businesslike, and approachable character, to the US’s Jacqueline Cochran’s brash, forceful, and sometimes antagonistic nature. Yet they employed strikingly similar methods to achieve their goals, the release stated.

In this presentation, Pennington will examine the parallels and differences in the lives and achievements of these two women and the roles of female aviators during WWII.

Pennington is a former Air Force intelligence officer and served as a Soviet analyst with F-4 and F-16 fighter squadrons, the Aggressor Squadrons, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Alaskan Air Command. She is the author of “Wings, Women and War: Soviet Airwomen in World War II Combat.”

Registration is required prior to the event as space and tickets are limited. Tickets include admittance to the program and a boxed dinner.

Tickets are $25 for non-IWASM members and $15 for members. The museum is also offering a special bundle for tickets and a discounted oneyear membership for $55.

To register, visit www.iwasm.org or by call 216-623-1111 by Sept. 15. For more information, call the museum or email info@iwasm.org.

The program is made possible thanks to a grant from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.