Mildred "Millie" Inks Davidson Dalrymple was born on 14 February 1920 in Llano, Texas; the daughter of Roy B. Inks (namesake of the Roy B. Inks Dam, Lake, and Bridge across the Llano River).

Before America entered WWII, Millie had already graduated from the Texas State College for Women, where she majored in journalism. In June 1942, she married Bill Davidson. After her husband was shot down over the North Sea while on a B-17 mission in Europe, Millie took flying lessons at Doc Haile’s airport in Austin until she had enough hours to apply for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) training program.

Millie entered training at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas and was soon appointed Flight Lieutenant, Flight #1—where she was the one who shouted cadence while she and her fellow class members marched to their ground school classes and to the flight line.

On 23 May 1944, she received her silver wings and was also presented with her husband's Air Medals and Purple Heart.

After graduation from Pilot Class 44-W-4, Millie was assigned to Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama; where she flew as a utility pilot in smaller aircraft, and as a co- pilot in B-24 aircraft; primarily slow timing them after an engine had been repaired or replaced.

Mildred Inks