Molly Merryman, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kent State University, is working in conjunction with and Oscar-nominated filmmaker , as well as producer to create a documentary about the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II. The documentary is using Merryman’s book, “,” as source material.
Merryman’s Interest in the WASP
“Clipped Wings” examines the dangerous role the WASP held during the war, assumptions of male supremacy within the service and the women’s struggle to gain military status. Merryman’s interest in the WASP took root at a young age.
“My father had actually been in the Army Air Force during World War II, and at a certain point when I was a kid, I thought about being a pilot,” Merryman said. “He told me that there were these women who had flown during the war, and I remember my mother telling me there were actually a couple in my hometown [of Alliance, Ohio].”
Merryman’s desire to uncover more information about the WASP was renewed later in her life when she became frustrated with the lack of literature available about the women. Her interest in stories relating to legal gender constructions, assumptions of masculinity and femininity and societal gender roles aligned with the story of the WASP.
“While I was interviewing WASP veterans in the 90s [with the intention of making a documentary], I realized that the WASP themselves didn’t know exactly why they didn’t receive military status during World War II,” she said. “World War II documents had recently been declassified, so that allowed me to really dig into the record and conclusively document what happened to them and why.”
Telling the Story Visually
Although Merryman’s original film project never came to fruition due to lack of funding, over 20 years following the original publication of “Clipped Wings,” she is working on the production of “,” the documentary companion work to her book. She joined the Red Door Films team as a co-producer, in the role of historical research producer, in which she assists with bringing the story to life visually.
“In written form you can get into a lot more depth, detail and substantiation, whereas with a film, your focus is much more on storytelling and bringing the key points forward, which can lead to inaccuracies,” Merryman said. “A lot of what I’m doing is helping guide the process to really ensure accuracy and assisting the other research advisors with parts of the story that weren’t in my book.”
Previous Experience
Merryman is no stranger to filmmaking. She has directed and produced nine documentaries which aired in the United States and United Kingdom. She was also the recipient of Emmy and film festival awards. Her work covers a range of subjects, usually focusing on complex social issues such as sex work and prison re-entry.
“My work in both writing and filmmaking is really interested in looking at social inequity and the ways in which people have been oppressed and marginalized to create community, and in certain ways, activism against issues,” she said. “There is real value in doing film to bring more attention to these issues and providing people who are willing to be interviewed with tools they can use.”
Impact & Legacy of the WASP
“Coming Home: Fight for a Legacy” will feature much of the core content from “Clipped Wings,” namely the women’s battle to gain veteran status in congressional hearings. It will also touch on some uncovered material, such as military prohibitions restricting African American women from joining the WASP or Tuskegee Airmen. The film will include interviews with actual WASP veterans and highlight their individual perspectives.
“The film is focusing on a handful of women pilots and telling their story,” Merryman said. “We’re really trying to tell the long-term story of what made these women special, what their contributions to the war effort were and how they’ve influenced women pilots, both civilian and military, since that time.”
Matia Karrell, director and producer on the project, emphasized the bond between the WASP and their many important contributions.
“What our documentary will convey through our characters is the very real feeling of sisterhood and kinship that is only heightened by entrusting your life to the people beside you—the capable, valiant people that were the WASP,” Karrell said. “These women are role models for our generation, they were trailblazers who left the fight of World War II to come home to a fight for equal standing, and who built the foundation for a better America.”
Besides their contribution to the war effort, WASP veterans also played an important role in assisting future generations of women in the military.
“During the 1970s, women actually relied on documents about the successful service of the WASP to be allowed to fly planes again,” Merryman said. “So, the WASP reorganized and pushed for retroactive veteran status because [although they were not activists], felt like a disservice had been done to them and really understood that this would help other women.”
The documentary will feature WASP veterans Bernice “Bee” Falk Haydu, Alyce Rohrer, Beverly Beesemyer and Edna Davis, among others. In total, 16 WASP were interviewed for the film, and many have expressed approval of Merryman’s book and this upcoming project.
“As with my book, the veterans are happy when attention is focused on their legacy, as it is too often overlooked,” Merryman said. “As well, there are a number of descendants of the WASP who are supporters of the project, because they want to see their mothers’ and grandmothers’ service recognized.”
What’s Next?
Recently, Merryman and the Red Door Films team received a grant of $600,000 from the to support the creation of the film. This money, as well as future investments, is crucial for the creation of important scenes and the completion of the documentary.
According to Merryman, the production is aimed at a large market and hiring multiple editors and animators, gaining legal access to and colorizing footage, shooting aerial scenes with actual World War II airplanes and recreating congressional hearings requires considerable funding. The film is currently in post-production.
Hilary Prentice, producer, believes the film will have a widespread impact and a positive effect on the perception of women in leadership roles.
“On its face, our documentary will be inspiring, and our social media following speaks to our broad reach of Americans from all political spectrums, young and old, male and female,” Prentice said. “The underlying effect of our film, we hope, will be to view women of all races in positions of leadership as more of the norm.”
Merryman credits resources provided by Kent State University as helpful assets to her creative endeavors. From access to equipment to connecting with contributors for projects, she has found value in what Kent State has to offer.
“I’ve been able to get internal grants through Kent State to buy camera equipment, and [Kent State] has been very helpful with providing me with support so I could go after other grant opportunities,” she said. “Having access to software and computers, and finding collaborators, both faculty and students, who have worked on different films I’ve done is also a part of that.”
As post-production continues, Merryman will continue her work at Kent State teaching classes such as conflict management, peace education and research methods. She is also working on a project with scholars from several states aimed at using artificial intelligence as a tool to help incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals deal with loneliness and isolation. Additionally, Merryman is working as a research partner with , Northern Ireland's LGBTQ+ service organization, collecting video-based oral history interviews of founders for an exhibition and lecture series celebrating the organization's 50-year anniversary.
To learn more about Molly Merryman, visit /spcs/molly-merryman. For more information about WASP, visit .
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