To all the Tompkins family members, friends, and acquaintances of Gertrude’s whose assistance I described in the afterword, I extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks. Additionally, I appreciate Pat Macha for his time in filling me in on his search efforts and technology. He also provided much information about how aircraft were utilized in World War II. Jim Blunt told me about diving for the wreck. I am also indebted to Gary Fabian, who with Pat Macha has spent many hours in researching and hunting for Gertrude’s P-51.
I spent countless hours with the late Bob Ivory in his Cessna 172 flying across the West. He was a wonderful instructor. Two other former military pilots and personal friends, Lou Siegel and Kevin McCarthy, provided information that enabled me to add color and dimension to this narrative.
I cannot overlook the hard work of my agents, Sheree Bykofsky and her colleague Janet Rosen. They encouraged me and helped shape the proposal that resulted in this work. Lisa Reardon at Chicago Review Press improved this book with her careful editing and thoughtful suggestions. Claudia Wood worked very hard to make sure Seized by the Sun was accurate in every detail. Ellen Hornor meticulously shepherded the book through the production process, and Sarah Olson gets high praise for her jacket design and interior layout.
I am indebted to Lavina Fielding Anderson, who read this manuscript in its youth and made important suggestions. She has been a friend and an astute reader for 20 years.
Thank you to all the others who helped with Gertrude’s story: Judith F. Duchan, emeritus professor from the Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences at the University of Buffalo; Margaret Hatch, PhD, psychologist, Salt Lake City, Utah; the US Air Force Records Division; the US Army Records Division; the Royal Air Force Personnel Management Agency (Casualty); Winifred Wood, WASP 43-W-7; Mickey Axton, WASP 43-W-7; Betty Blake, WASP 43-W-1; Lela Lowder Harding, WASP 43-W-7; Kimberly Johnson, director, Special Collections and University Archivist, Woman’s Collection, WASP Archives, Texas Women’s University Libraries, Denton; Dawn Letson, Official Archives, Women’s Air Force Service, Texas Women’s University; Corynthia Dorgan, Official Archives, Texas Women’s University Libraries, Denton; Sarah Swan, Public Affairs Division, National Museum of the US Air Force; Nancy Parrish of Wings Across America; the children and grandchildren of WASPs and others who are active with the WASP user group on Yahoo, especially Andy Hailey, Amy Nathan, Chig Lewis, and Katherine Sharp Landdeck. Their exchanges kept me apace of the WASP network.
I know I have overlooked some who helped during the course of writing this book, and I want to thank them and offer apologies.
I hope that someday Gertrude is found.
As Virginia Allison wrote, “For my soul lies dormant, restless, waiting for that moment when shackles are cast aside and it is free to fly once more.”