▁near ▁Paris . ▁ ▁James ▁passed ▁her ▁flying ▁and ▁physical ▁tests ▁for ▁the ▁W AF S ▁and ▁was ▁sw orn ▁in ▁on ▁October ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁James ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁W AF S ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁the ▁first ▁long - distance ▁solo ▁mission . ▁The ▁mission ▁was ▁to ▁fer ry ▁a ▁P T - 1 9 ▁from ▁Maryland ▁to ▁California . ▁James ▁stayed ▁with ▁the ▁W AF S ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁merged ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁Women ▁Air force ▁Service ▁Pil ots ▁( W AS P ) ▁and ▁until ▁the ▁organization ▁was ▁dis band ed ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁After ▁W AS P ▁was ▁dis cont in ued , ▁James ▁returned ▁to ▁Pitts burgh ▁and ▁found ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁not ▁very ▁many ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁women ▁pil ots ▁any ▁longer . ▁James ▁wrote ▁to ▁Congress , ▁request ing ▁veter ans ' ▁status ▁for ▁the ▁W AS P . ▁She ▁even ▁wrote ▁to ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Air ▁Force , ▁request ing ▁to ▁fly ▁for ▁them , ▁but ▁was ▁rejected . ▁James ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁fight ▁for ▁the ▁W AS P ▁to ▁be ▁recognized ▁with ▁veter ans ▁status . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁she ▁became ▁a ▁commission ed ▁major ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁Res erves . ▁Like ▁other ▁W AS P s , ▁she ▁didn ' t ▁get ▁credit ▁for ▁her ▁service ▁as ▁a ▁pilot ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 2