Margaret Burrows “Margy” Sanford Oldenburg (1909–1943): First Casualty of WWII WASP Program

Margy Oldenburg & Grave Marker

Plot 65, Grave 2573

Margy Oldenburg was a pioneering aviator and one of the earliest members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Born on July 29, 1909, she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1931. Her passion for aviation was ignited in 1933 after meeting legendary pilot Amelia Earhart, inspiring her to take up flying during a time when few women had access to the cockpit.

PT-19 Aircraft

Oldenburg joined the WASP program as part of Class 43-W-4, which began training in February 1943. In early March, the weather in Houston had been poor and training flights were grounded. When skies cleared, the students of 43-W-4 were eager to resume flight training and practice spin maneuvers in the PT-19 aircraft. Tragically, something went wrong on one of the flights, and Oldenburg and her instructor dove straight into the ground. She was killed on March 7, 1943, during that routine training flight, becoming the first fatality of the WASP program. The Army Air Forces Training Command reportedly ordered that the accident be kept quiet to avoid public scrutiny.

Because WASP pilots were considered civilians at the time, Oldenburg was not afforded military honors or benefits. Program director Jacqueline Cochran and fellow pilots personally covered the costs of returning her body to Oakland, California, for burial.