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WWII pilot Vi Cowden, documentary subject, dies at 94
By JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER
2011-04-15 11:06:18

Violet "Vi" Cowden, a World War II pilot who continued to take to the skies until her early 90s, died on Sunday at age 94.

Cowden was one of 1,074 Women's Airforce Service Pilots who served in WWII. She was among the 300 women still living who were honored by the United States government nearly 70 years after their service to their country.

Cowden, a Huntington Beach resident, was involved in her community and spent much of her time with the Freedom Committee of Orange County.

She was also the subject of "Wings of Silver: The Vi Cowden Story," an award-winning documentary short film by Mark and Christine Bonn. The documentary was featured at a handful of film festivals including Newport Beach and Boulder, Colo.

Cowden participated in the "Living History" project in which she and other WWII veterans gave presentations at local high schools, and was active in the Orange County chapter of the Ninety-Nines Inc., said friend Jack Hammett.

Hammett, 91, called Cowden his girlfriend because his wife said he could, he joked.

"My wife of 71 years permitted me to have her," the Pearl Harbor survivor said. "They were close friends too."

"I kissed her goodbye at 4:30 p.m. (on Sunday) and at 8:30 p.m. she was gone."

Hammett said Cowden was tiny but had spunk and a great sense of adventure that she continued to feed until well into the twilight of her life.

"She had the greatest spirit," he said. "She was no bigger than a half-pint, I swear. Her greatest thrill was flying the P-51 aircrafts."

The WASPs' mission during WWII was to fly various planes to the debarkation point. Cowden flew the P-51 Mustang plane, among others. The aircraft was known for its speed, which fit Cowden's preferences perfectly.

Cowden, along with her WASP comrades, was given the highest civilian honor by the U.S. government in March 2010 for their service – the Congressional Gold Medal.

Cowden grew up on a farm and taught first grade in South Dakota and obtained her private pilot's license.

She said in an interview about a year ago with The Orange County Register that she had always wanted to be "up in the sky with the birds," and even her students could read the joy on her face on the days she was able to take up a plane.

She was issued her pilot's license the day WWII began and immediately offered to serve as a WASP. Their mission was to help deliver aircraft to military airfields to free up the men so men could fly in combat.

Cowden recalls signing up to serve in the war in an interview with Owen Chapel as part of the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.

She said she was too short and too light, at 5-feet-2-inches tall and 92 pounds. She needed to grow two more inches and pack on eight more pounds to be able to fly, she told Chapel.

Cowden tied a wrap in her hair to gain some height. She ate bananas and other fattening food and drank a lot of milk to pack on the pounds, she told Chapel.

It worked.

Cowden told Chapel she was commissioned in March 1943 and she soloed her first flight on March 5, 1943.

She continued thrill-seeking in her later years when she jumped out of an airplane with the Army Golden Knights at age 89, Hammett said. Last year Cowden also went up in a plane to participate in a mock dogfight above Fullerton Airport.

Her daughter, Kim Ruiz, said after feeling an overwhelming sense of loss she looked to her children and realized that the values her mother stood for are still living.

"My mom was incredibly grateful and she always tried to do the right thing,'' said Ruiz, of Seal Beach. "This is the culmination of her life. She never thought serving in WWII was a great thing, she thought it was the right thing to do."

"Everything she is has gone on in my kids."

Ruiz' 16-year-old son, Quinntin, is serving the poor in Puerto Vallarta and her 24-year-old daughter, Ferrin, a Yale medical student, plans to visit Uganda to perform pro-bono cleft palate surgeries. Her 22-year-old daughter, Kiki, who has Down's syndrome, works for Grateful Hearts delivering food and clothing to the homeless.

"How perfect is that?" she said. "My mom carries on."

Contact the writer: 714-796-7953 or jfletcher@ocregister.com

Posted:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/cowden-2 ... -year.html

I was lucky enough to meet Vi several times over the years. She was an incredible lady and a real kick to talk with. It was an honor to know her and she will be sorely missed.