Hornet's Nest: The Experiences of One of the Navy's First Female Fighter Pilots

Minerva: Quarterly Report on Women and the Military, Spring, 2000 by Gioia Grasso

Indignities continued to be perpetrated against Cummings even after her FNAEB was overturned by the head of naval air forces of the Atlantic Coast. "Instead of getting better over time, the level of abuse actually worsened." (p. 312) Although already scheduled for a biopsy to determine the possible diagnosis of cancer, she was detailed for immediate sea duty. After attempting to use her chain of command to keep her medical appointments, as a last resort Cummings contacted her congressman, his intervention kept her from sea duty but could not resolve her medical issues. During her remaining time in service, Lieutenant Cummings underwent several surgeries and later served as an NROTC instructor at Penn State University, a position that proved to be enjoyable and rewarding and which eventually led to a civilian career as a professor of engineering.

I found Ms. Cummings' account to be engrossing. I especially enjoyed her last chapter, which is an intelligent and dispassionate analysis of the events that occurred during her years in the Navy. The book is set in an easy-on-the-eyes typeface and reads very quickly. However, an otherwise fine account is marred throughout by grammatical and typographical errors. Incorrect words are used several times; throughout the book, the word "lightning" is incorrectly spelled "lightening." One page 272, line 25, the incorrect word "juggler" is used, thereby altering the intended meaning. One page 340, line 16, the word "esprit" is incorrectly spelled "espirit." Most disconcerting is that Kara Hultgreen,(1) the pilot whose F-14 crashed while attempting to land on the USS Abraham Lincoln, is incorrectly called Kara Hultgren throughout the book. My sense is that the book was edited too quickly.

Lastly, I found it ironic that Ms. Cummings emphatically denies that she is a feminist. I fail to understand why any woman should fear this identification. According to the Random House Webster's College Dictionary (1991), the definition of feminist is one who advocates "social, political, and economical rights for women equal to those of men." Simply by desiring to be a fighter pilot, a profession that previously had been closed to women in this country, Ms. Cummings acted as a feminist, and for this she is worthy of commendation, not condemnation.

Note

(1.) See Call Sign Revlon: The Life and Death of Navy Fighter Pilot Kara Hultgreen, by Kara's mother, Sally Spears. <lancej@cameron.edu>, independent reviewer