Love Of Flying

Local female WWII pilot honored.

Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor

Detroit in West Bloomfield.
"It was the most wonderful experi-
ence with wonderful women:' she said.
"It was all about flying:'
ll Sylvia Schwartz Granader
Mostly they delivered planes from
wanted was to fly. She was
hooked as a young girl watch- factories to air bases. "You had to be 22
to do this:' she said with a laugh. "We
ing planes take off and land from
were flying at night across the country.
Detroit City Airport from her aunt's
We had notes about where railroad
coffee shop across the street.
tracks were and water towers. When we
That was almost 80 years ago, but
got out of our planes and men saw we
Granader had her chance to fly her
were
women, they couldn't believe it."
last year of college through Wayne
Then
their mission changed to tow-
University's Civilian Pilot Training
ing
targets
behind planes so soldiers
Program — the only woman in the
could
practice
shooting with live
class. She trained at a little airstrip in
ammunition.
When
two friends were
Romulus on the site of today's Detroit
shot
down
and
killed
— and Harry
Metro Airport and earned her license
wanted
to get married
in 1941 at age 21. She
—
Granader
decided
also met her future
to
leave
the
WASPs.
husband, Harry
"All of my friends
Granader, while in the
are
gone now; I'm not
program.
sure
how many are
Harry joined the
still
alive,'
she said.
Navy Air Force;
After
they
married
Sylvia applied to the
and
had
five
sons,
Women's Airforce
Granader earned her
Service Pilots, elite fly-
master's of fine arts in
ers performing non-
weaving
at Cranbook
combat missions to
Art
Academy
in
free up male pilots to
Bloomfield
Hills.
fight in World War II.
Meanwhile, Harry
Though they
built
his chain of
Sylvia
Schwartz
in
the
early
performed military
local
McDonald's
1940s
with
a
plane
she
flew
duties, the WASPs
restaurants
and
as
a
member
of
the
Women's
received no military
was
instrumental
Airforce
Service
Pilots
benefits and were
in establishing the
considered civil ser-
Ronald McDonald
vants — until 1977
House
near
Children's
Hospital of
when they were recognized as veterans.
Michigan
in
Detroit.
Now, 67 years after the WASPs began,
They also helped build Congregation
surviving members will receive a col-
Beth
Shalom in Oak Park.
lective Congressional Gold Medal from
After they bought a large working
President Barack Obama on March 10.
ranch near Missoula, Mont., Harry,
Granader, 89, of Beverly Hills will
moved by his experiences at the Ronald
travel to the ceremony in Washington,
McDonald House, decided they should
D.C., with her granddaughter,
built a camp on a portion of the ranch
Stephanie, of California, and son Alan
for children with cancer.
Granader, also of Beverly Hills.
Now in its 16th year, Camp Mak-
"I never really thought about a
A-Dream has provided thousands of
medal;' Sylvia Granader said. "I flew
children with cancer a normal camp
because I loved it:'
experience — all on a medically super-
Granader was one of 1,074 women
vised site. Harry, who died in 2006, was
out of 25,000 applicants who became
a "Jewish cowboy" who taught the chil-
WASPs. In 1943, she and 19 other
dren to fish. Sylvia continues to teach
women began training in hot, dusty
them to weave.
Sweetwater, Texas.
Even today, the thought of piloting a
She believes she was the only Jewish
plane still makes her smile.
pilot in her class. Her story is told in
"Flying attracted me:' she said. "In
the Jewish War Veterans Michigan
the clouds, it's as close as you'll get to
Department exhibit hall at the Jewish
heaven without dying."
Community Center of Metropolitan

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