WASP Margaret Ringenberg’s Life as Revealed Through Her Daughter

My privilege as a writer and now author of World War II Legacies: Stories of Northeast Indiana Veterans is to celebrate occasions when the subject of World War II is promoted to the community.

I admit, before interviewing nearly 60 World War II vets, I might not have been as interested in the subject as I am now. Now that I understand the magnitude of sacrifice and challenges and courage it took to overcome that period, I can’t get enough of it!

Recently one of the people in my book, Margaret ‘Maggie’ Ray Ringenberg was featured during a talk by her daughter, Marsha J. Ringenberg Wright, at the Fort Wayne History Center.

It was the first Mather Lecture of 2015 at the History Center. Marsha spoke well about her mother Maggie Ray Ringenberg and Maggie’s life as an early female pilot. Marsha often flew with her mother as a young girl as Maggie kept her aviator license and in fact, Marsha even obtained her private pilot’s license and acted as co-pilot with her mother and even raced against her in air races!

Margaret, who died in 2008, has received posthumously two Congressional medals – one for being a WASP and another awarded in December 2014 for her involvement in Civil Air Patrol. The medals were on display.

The 1 –hour lecture was free and open to the public. There was a turnout of approximately 50 people, many of whom had known Maggie. Keep in mind it was a cold wintry day so that really was a great turnout!

Marsha and I are friends as we have participated in a Christian writing club together for several years. She wrote a book with her mom about Maggie’s experiences as a pilot: ‘Maggie Ray, WWII Air Force Pilot’.

It was an honor to feature Margaret’s story in my book and support Marsha in her speaking ventures.

Several of these photos of Margaret are in my book, World War II Legacies: Stories of Northeast Indiana Veterans. You may purchase it by clicking the ‘Buy Now’ button at the top of the page. $20+$4.95 P/H=$24.95. Please indicate if you would like the copy personally signed. We mail as soon as payment is received.

The scope of our country’s involvement in 70+ countries that were involved in the war during those 5 or so years means countless experiences to be reported.

I’m doing my best to get as many World War II stories recorded as possible in my area of the world.

Please, if you have access to someone who was involved in World War II and is willing to talk about it, sit down with them and record it and take notes and ask as many questions as they’ll allow. Future generations will gain from our diligence in pursuing these stories!