today in washington. we're talking about the wasps. jessica yellin explains. >> jane tedesky wanted to be a pilot. >> that was lindberg flying across the atlantic. a lot of other people were flying air races. >> reporter: as a young woman in her 20s, she sought out flight lessons and got her pilot's license, a rarity for a woman in those days. with world war ii gripping the nation, male pilots were desperately needed overseas for battle. jacqueline cochran came up with a radical idea, let female pilots take over domestic missions, the military approved, and wasp, women air service pilots program was born. >> and i thought this was something i could do and love to do and contribute to the war effort. >> reporter: another member was deany parrish.