Contextual and Biographical Background
In a typical military organization, fighter pilots are considered among the most challenging, stressful, and specialized positions to see combat. These aerial soldiers have uses as varied as any other military branch, often being used for things like soldier/cargo transport, air support, or direct air-to-air combat. Starting in World War I, single-seater fighter planes became more effective, and henceforth a large contributor to air victories. This trend has been long-standing in major wars following (Buckley, 2002). World War II saw the rise of strategic bombing by aircrafts, but that’s not to say the age of fighter pilots was over. The war produced many flying aces (pilots credited with shooting down a significant number of enemy aircrafts in the air). One such exemplary aviator, an example of female combat excellence, was Lydia Litvyak. Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak was born in Moscow, 1921. She was interested in aviation from a very early age, enrolling in a flight club at 14, performing her first solo flight a year later, and quickly graduating from a military flying school. Before the Soviet Union joined World War II …show more content…
But she was a representative for female excellence in combat. Litvyak was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy, the first female to be named a flying ace, and, at 12 solo and at least 4 shared, the record-holder among women for most kills. She was exceptionally skilled in, dedicated, and committed to warfare. This was not a nameless woman who slipped through the cracks of regulations to join the fight; this woman grew up in a cockpit, and sought to write her name in the sky. She was a war hero in a heavily dangerous and pivotal role. Litvyak was decorated during and after her service, including two of the Soviet Union’s highest honors: the Order of Lenin, and the title Hero of the Soviet
In a typical military organization, fighter pilots are considered among the most challenging, stressful, and specialized positions to see combat. These aerial soldiers have uses as varied as any other military branch, often being used for things like soldier/cargo transport, air support, or direct air-to-air combat. Starting in World War I, single-seater fighter planes became more effective, and henceforth a large contributor to air victories. This trend has been long-standing in major wars following (Buckley, 2002). World War II saw the rise of strategic bombing by aircrafts, but that’s not to say the age of fighter pilots was over. The war produced many flying aces (pilots credited with shooting down a significant number of enemy aircrafts in the air). One such exemplary aviator, an example of female combat excellence, was Lydia Litvyak. Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak was born in Moscow, 1921. She was interested in aviation from a very early age, enrolling in a flight club at 14, performing her first solo flight a year later, and quickly graduating from a military flying school. Before the Soviet Union joined World War II …show more content…
But she was a representative for female excellence in combat. Litvyak was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy, the first female to be named a flying ace, and, at 12 solo and at least 4 shared, the record-holder among women for most kills. She was exceptionally skilled in, dedicated, and committed to warfare. This was not a nameless woman who slipped through the cracks of regulations to join the fight; this woman grew up in a cockpit, and sought to write her name in the sky. She was a war hero in a heavily dangerous and pivotal role. Litvyak was decorated during and after her service, including two of the Soviet Union’s highest honors: the Order of Lenin, and the title Hero of the Soviet