Bonham was born on April 2, 1922, in Bennington, Oklahoma, and joined the Army Air Corps, where she was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Medical Corps. She served in the Philippines and Japan after World War II, and then returned to the United States, resigning from active military duty. When the Korean War broke out she rejoined the military, this time as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Bonham logged 245 flight hours and helped in the evacuation of over 600 wounded men.
Bonham, who was completely submerged in the aircraft, managed to fight her way to the surface, where she found herself swimming for her life in a sea churned up by high winds. She hung onto a floating barracks bag until she was able to grab a life raft rope. She stayed in the water, grabbing other survivors and guiding them to the rope. It was not until 17 of them were safe that she allowed herself to be pulled into one of two available rafts.
Once rescued, Bonham spent nine months in the hospital recovering from a broken cheekbone, skull fracture, broken shoulder and broken left wrist. She later became the first female recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and was promoted to Captain.
References include: National Archives | Military Awards Archive | Award Descriptions | Hall of Valor Award Database | Eisenhower Library WASPs Cochran | Virtual Wall Lane | Distinguished Flying Cross Bonham | Silver Star Hester | National Aviation Hall of Fame Cochran | Navy Cross Higbee
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