Six of Six ... The Natural

Evelyn Sharp

Evelyn Sharp's spirit touched many lives. Even as a young girl everyone who knew her felt she was special. She always had a strong sense of herself and her purpose in life and those qualities attracted many people to her.

Evelyn was adopted at an early age in 1919. John and Mary Sharp had little money when they took their new daughter and moved from Montana to Ord, Nebraska. As a young girl in Ord, Evelyn watched barnstormers and felt her connection to flying. When she was 4-years-old she told friends and family that she would "drive" an airplane someday. She took her first plane ride in 1935 at the age of 15 and spent the following year learning to fly.

Although her mother and father supported her dream of flying, Evelyn's life at home was less than perfect. A mother who spent all her time working and a father who enjoyed drinking too much created an independent young girl who used her ingenuity and gumption to get what she wanted out of life.

Evelyn soloed in 1936 and earned her private pilot's license seven months later. She was a natural "seat of the pants" flyer. Evelyn received national attention for being one of the youngest girl pilots in the United States. Knowing the Sharps' financial situation, the businesses of Ord took a collection and presented Evelyn with enough money to put a down payment on a plane of her own. She was cherished as one of Ord's favorite daughters.

Despite many setbacks and disappointments, Evelyn finally earned her commercial rating in 1938 and became a 19-year-old barnstormer. During her two years as a barnstormer Evelyn gave over 5,000 people the experience of flight. She loved the idea of roaming the skies and meeting new people. Those she met never forgot the sense of freedom she exuded.

Evelyn was a Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) instructor until she received a telegram informing her of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). She arrived in Wilmington, Delaware on October 22, 1942 with over 3,000 hours of flying time. This made her the most experienced pilot of the original 25 WAFS. With the reputation as an excellent pilot, she earned the rating of a Class 4P pilot.

On April 3, 1944, Evelyn took off in a P-38 Lightning from an air base outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. As she left the runway her left engine sputtered and quit. Almost anyone would have gone into a spin as the torque of the remaining engine has the tendency to force the plane into a roll. Evelyn used all her strength to jam the rudder pedal and give the remaining working engine full power. She was able to keep the P-38 level but lacked enough altitude and airspeed to make it back to the runway. She made a miraculous pancake landing on a hillside. The plane was intact, but Evelyn's harness broke and she was catapulted through the plane's canopy breaking her neck. Her extraordinary piloting instincts had almost saved her life.

Her fellow WAFS were shocked when they heard the news of Evelyn's death. She was a trusted friend to many and would be missed terribly. Accompanied by a uniformed WAF escort she was taken back home to Ord where the entire community grieved her loss. With a color guard present, an American flag was draped over her coffin as taps was played.