Kay Gott Chaffey ’51 Receives Congressional Gold Medal

Women from all military branches gathered in March of this year at the Oregon Women Veterans Conference in Canyonville, Oregon to share stories and gain strength from each other. They also filled their bags with souvenir dog tags and other goodies.

Kay Gott Chaffey ’51 of Medford and a fellow veteran Catherine Murphy were brought to the conference in a limousine. They recently received a Congressional Gold Medal for their time as WASPS — Women Airforce Service Pilots. Gott Chaffey says despite her instrument rating and experience flying in bad weather, she wasn’t allowed to fly planes in the war.

Kay Gott Chaffey: “And I was a WASP in World War Two. I went in in 1942 and I was ousted with the rest of the WASP’s in 1944, December 20th.”

When the WASPS were disbanded in ’44 to make way for the male pilots, they had to pay their own way home. They were given no benefits, no honors and were not considered vets until decades later.

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