Jeanne Lewellen Norbeck
Memorial Chapel

Chapel Honors Woman Pilot
Columbus Republic

A chapel at Columbus Municipal Airport was dedicated Friday afternoon in memory of Jeanne Lewellen Norbeck, one of the few female pilots who served and died during World War II.

Even more elite was the group she served with - the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, or WASP.

Norbeck, a native of Columbus, was a test pilot stationed in Sumter, S. C., who flew planes that had been red-lined or marked unsafe for flight. She died on October 16th, 1944, when a problem with one of the wings caused her plane to crash. Norbeck was one of 38 women who died in service during World War II.

The chapel dedication, held on the grounds of what was a very active military air base during the war, was meant to honor the deaths of all women who died serving their country. Giving the dedication address tracing the history of women in the armed forces was Air Force Colonel Betty Mullis, who traces her flying roots back to the women of the WASP.

"They gave us a gift," she said. "They gave me a gift. That gift was the gift of flying military aircraft." "Women have served our nation in every conflict," she said. "This is truly a momentous occasion for all of us who follow in their footsteps."

Joining the dedication ceremony were five former WASPs who trained with Norbeck at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas. In the words of former WASP Madge Mitton, Norbeck "was a WASP who gave her country the last measure of devotion." Minton told the crowd of veterans and others some of Norbecks life history and the story of how she came to be flying the plane that took her life.

Norbeck's history came to the attention of the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum while it was putting together another exhibit. During the restoration of the base, the Aviation Board decided that one of the buildings should be set aside to honor a war hero. Jeanne Lewellen Norbeck was that chosen hero.

Norbeck received her pilot's license during college. After the bombing o Pearl Harbor, she began training at the Dallas Aviation School and the Roscoe Turner Aviation School in Indianapolis. She went into the WASP training program in 1943. While at Shaw Field in South Carolina, Norbeck flipped a coin with another test pilot to see who flew the plane. As Mitton said, "Jeanne won the toss and lost her life."

Norbeck's casket was brought to Garland Brook Cemetery in Columbus by an Army Air Force escort. She was the only woman at the time to receive such an honor. Norbeck is the only woman from Bartholomew County to have died in the line of duty.

Her nephew , Rod Lewellen, spoke on behalf of Norbeck's family. He was contacted in 1995 about dedicating the chapel in his aunt's memory. He is please that something will commemorate a family member long after he and others are gone. "In a few years there won't be any of us left," he said. "We were very much in favor of it."