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A photo of Ola Mildred (Rexroat) McDonald

Ola Mildred (Rexroat) McDonald 1917 - 2017

Ola Mildred (Rexroat) McDonald was born on August 28, 1917 in Ogden, Riley County, Kansas United States, and died at age 99 years old on June 28, 2017 in Hot Springs, Fall River County, SD. Ola McDonald was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, VA. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Ola Mildred (Rexroat) McDonald.

Ola Mildred (Rexroat) McDonald

August 28, 1917

Ogden, Riley County, Kansas, United States

June 28, 2017

Hot Springs, Fall River County, South Dakota, 57747, United States

Female

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Ola Mildred (Rexroat) McDonald Ola McDonald (1917 - 2017)

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Ola Mildred (Rexroat) McDonald's History: 1917 - 2017

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Introduction

Captain Ola Mildred “Millie” Rexroat-McDonald was a remarkable woman whose legacy of service and achievement spanned several decades. She was born on August 29, 1917 in Ogden, Kansas to an American father Ulysses Stewart Rexroat (1869-1941) and a Lakota Native American mother Clara Peck Rexroat (1893-1989). She grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. After completing her education in Oklahoma and South Dakota, she worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and a company building airfields, before discovering her passion for aviation. Ola joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II and was the only Native American serving in the group. Later, she joined the US Air Force and spent most of her career as an air traffic controller, serving through the US Air Force Reserves and the Federal Aviation Administration. Her commitment to her community extended beyond her professional life, and she served as the president of the New Mexico Chapter of the North American Indian Women's Association. Her achievements were recognized with her induction into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame in 2007 and the award of the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009. After her death on June 28 2017, the Ellsworth Air Force Base airfield operations building was renamed the “Millie Rexroat Building,” during a ceremony, Oct. 2, 2017 in her honor. See more at Ellsworth AFB airfield ops building renamed in honor of WASP.
08/28

1917

Birthday

August 28, 1917

Birthdate

Ogden, Riley County, Kansas United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

She was born to an American father Ulysses Stewart Rexroat (1869-1941) and a Lakota Native American mother Clara Peck Rexroat (1893-1989).
Nationality & Locations

Ola was born in Ogden, Riley, Kansas, USA and grew up in Strike Axe, Osage, Oklahoma, USA and lived on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
Early Life & Education

After attending school in Wynona, Oklahoma, Ola pursued her education further by enrolling in a teachers' college in Chadron, Nebraska. Her academic achievements did not stop there, as she later received a bachelor's degree in art from the University of New Mexico in 1939.
Military Service

Ola Rexroat's military career began when she joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. As the only Native American serving in the group, she quickly made her mark as a skilled pilot, towing targets for other pilots to shoot at during training exercises. Her work was vital to the war effort, as it helped train pilots for combat missions. When the WASPs were disbanded in 1944, Rexroat continued her aviation career by joining the US Air Force. She spent most of her long and illustrious career as an air traffic controller, serving through the US Air Force Reserves and with the Federal Aviation Administration. As an air traffic controller, Rexroat was responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient movement of aircraft in and out of airports, and played a critical role in maintaining the safety of the skies. Throughout her military career, Rexroat demonstrated an unwavering commitment to service and excellence. Her contributions to the field of aviation were recognized with her induction into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame in 2007, and she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal along with her fellow WASPs in 2009. Rexroat's story serves as an inspiration to generations of aspiring pilots and military personnel, and her legacy of service continues to be celebrated to this day.
Professional Career

After completing her education in Oklahoma and South Dakota, Ola "Rexy" Rexroat embarked on a career that would take her from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to a company building airfields. However, it wasn't until she discovered her passion for aviation that her professional life truly took off. Joining the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II, she became the only Native American serving in the group. Employed by the Army War College in Washington, D.C. at the time, Rexroat learned to fly and became a skilled military pilot. After the WASPs were disbanded in 1944, she continued her aviation career by joining the US Air Force. Spending most of her long and illustrious career as an air traffic controller, Rexroat served through the US Air Force Reserves and with the Federal Aviation Administration. Her contributions to the field of aviation were recognized with her induction into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame in 2007, and her story serves as an inspiration to generations of aspiring pilots.
Personal Life & Family

Ola had two sisters, Verona Josephine Rextroat (1915-1978) and Wynona Jessie Rextroat (1919-). She also had a half brother Bryce Walker (1893-1968).
06/28

2017

Death

June 28, 2017

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

Hot Springs, Fall River County, South Dakota 57747, United States
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia United States
Burial location
Obituary

Pilot. She was the daughter of an American father and her mother was from the Oglala subtribe of the Lakota Native Americans. She resided on the Pine Ridge Reservation located in South Dakota. She attended school in Wynona, Oklahoma, and later graduated in 1932 from the St. Mary's Episcopal Indian School in Springfield, South Dakota. She attended a teachers' college in Chadron, Nebraska, and in 1939 she received a bachelor's degree in art from the University of New Mexico. She worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and later for a company building airfields. This was when she decided to learn to fly and joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). She was the only Native American serving in the WASP. At this time she was employed by the Army War College in Washington, D.C. After the WASPs were disbanded in 1944 she joined the US Air Force where she spent most of her very long career as an air traffic controller through the US Air Force Reserves and with the Federal Aviation Administration. She served as president of the New Mexico Chapter of the North American Indian Women's Association. She was inducted into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2009, she and her fellow WASPs were awarded a Congressional Gold Medal. After she died in 2017, the airfield operations building at Ellsworth Air Force Base was named for her.

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Ellsworth AFB airfield ops building renamed in honor of WASP

Lizzie Kunde

27.6k+ favorites

03/13/2023

Ellsworth AFB airfield ops building renamed in honor of WASP

Photo posted along with the Ellsworth AFB airfield ops building renamed in honor of WASP

Date & Place: October 4, 2017 in Ellsworth Air Force Base, Meade County, South Dakota United States

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Gaye Thomas

273 favorites

01/13/2019

Ola Mildred Rexroat

A photo of WASP Ola Mildred Rexroat, of the Ogala Sioux (August 28, 1917 – June 28, 2017), who was the only Native American woman to serve in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP).

Ola Mildred "Rexy" Rexroat was looking for a way to do her part in the war effort in the 1940s. Being a riveter seemed too dangerous, she said, so she opted for a different path: being a military pilot, one who towed targets for other pilots to shoot at.

One day a superior flipped her the keys to a jeep to retrieve a training target in a field after she landed one day.

"This was a big problem for me, because I didn't know how to drive," Rexroat said. "I had never learned how to drive a car. I don't think anybody trusted me with a car, but I could fly a plane.

"Asked if she ever worried about the dangers of flying or getting shot, Rexroat shrugged.

"I never gave it a thought. You couldn't worry about things like that. ... You can't live forever," she said. "They checked the target after we came down, and of course, it was to our credit if it had lots of holes in it; that meant we had been maintaining our altitude and heading."

Date & Place: 1943

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Lizzie Kunde

27.6k+ favorites

03/13/2023

Ellsworth AFB airfield ops building renamed in honor of WASP

The Ellsworth Air Force Base airfield operations building was renamed the “Millie Rexroat Building,” during a ceremony, Oct. 2, 2017.

The 28th Bomb Wing dedicated the building to Ola “Millie” Rexroat, cementing her legacy to all who walk through the building.

Rexroat was the only Native American member of the Women Airforce Service Pilot corps and, after the WASP was disbanded, went on to serve as an air traffic controller in the Air Force Reserves, as a captain.

“She never forgot that she was a Native American,” said Forest R. McDonald, Rexroat’s son. “She never forgot her heritage and her native culture; it was very important to her.”

Rexroat was a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where she spent summers with her grandmother.

“Everything my mother did, it sent a message to me when I was very young,” McDonald said. “If you really want to do something, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t just because of who or what you are. It wasn’t something she ever said to me, it’s just who she was. It’s something I’ve always kept with me.”

During the unveiling, Col. John R. Edwards, commander of the 28th Bomb Wing, spoke in front of many of Rexroat’s friends and family members who were present during the ceremony.

“Captain Ola ‘Millie’ Rexroat joined in 1944,” Edwards said. “Before flying for the WASP corps, she knew she had to support the war effort and thought the best way she could do that was applying for the WASPs, where she would learn how to fly an aircraft before she could even drive a car.”

While serving as a WASP, Rexroat towed targets behind a T-6 Texan for air-to-air gunnery and ground-to-air anti-aircraft practice for male pilots. She also transported personnel and cargo. After the WASPs disbanded, Rexroat served another 10 years in the Air Force Reserves as an air traffic controller.

“It is [with] great pride that I can be here to honor ‘Millie’ Rexroat and the legacy she gave to us,” Edwards explained. “She was someone who led with inspiration, courage and dedication to the country, and is an inspiration for many Native Americans; for all Americans.”

Published Oct. 4, 2017 By Airman 1st Class Donald C. Knechtel 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

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