The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion

Fritzi writes to Wink, updating him about her new job. She dreams of starting a flying circus with her sisters, Billy, and Wink. She says that his new son looks like him.

Angie pens a letter to Wink. She wonders why the war had to happen when it did because they had such a short time together. She knows he’ll be different when he returns home, and she wishes that they had had more time to just be kids together.

Fritzi writes to Wink again. She says that business is slow at the filling station. She adds that he should write to Angie and compliments how brave her sister-in-law has been.

Writing on Christmas in 1942, Wink wishes everyone a happy holiday. He says how nice everyone in England has been.

With gas stations around the country closing since people don’t drive as much during the war, Fritzi and Stanislaw make the hard decision to temporarily shutter Wink’s Phillips 66. As Fritzi returns home from locking the doors, Gertude asks if they’ll ever have as much fun as they did running the station.

Sookie starts to feel like therapy has made her less angry at Lenore, but she still debates over whether or not she should tell her that she’s discovered the truth about her adoption. She thinks it might hurt her mother. She loves her father and brother and had a nice childhood. Her life could’ve been completely different if she hadn’t been adopted. She isn’t sure whether her anxiety comes from her mother’s behavior or is just part of her nature.

One morning, she comments to Earle that she is curious what her mother looked like. He responds that she could try and find out. Sookie isn’t sure she wants to and fears that, if she did, her mother and her mother’s family may want to come visit her. It would be hard to hide this from the rest of the town. She is still curious how Fritzi ended up giving birth in Texas when she was from Wisconsin.

When the pilot training program shuts down, Fritzi is left with nothing to do and no way of flying planes. She’s frustrated that being a woman is keeping her from her passion.

At the same time, and unknown to Fritzi, American women pilots like Jackie Cochran and Nancy Harkness Love work to get female pilots into the military. Even Eleanor Roosevelt comments that women pilots can aid the war effort. Government officials suggest that women are too emotional to fly and that it’s a man’s job. In 1942, there aren’t enough male pilots available. 

Finally, officials put together a list of all women in the United States with a pilot’s license and send them a telegram. It asks them to report to Howard Hughes Airport in Houston, Texas. When Fritzi receives the message, she is thrilled. Stanislaw approves too, but Linka cries, blaming Billy for getting Fritzi flying in the first place.

Fritzi writes to Wink with the news, saying that women pilots will first be classified as civilian volunteers, but the rumor is that eventually they’ll be admitted to the military. She hopes to outrank him.

In Houston, Fritzi runs into Gussie Mintz. She asks if Billy and Fritzi are still together, and Fritzi says that it’s on and off. She then asks about Fritzi’s excitement to fly because she doesn’t fly anymore, but is there working in the mess hall. She’s happy to be a part of the war effort alongside other women.

Back in Alabama in the present, Sookie decides to tell her children the news about her birth mother. She starts with Dee Dee, whom she meets in Mobile. Sookie starts by sharing several facts about famous Polish people before admitting the truth. Dee Dee is shocked that she is not really a Simmons. She’s always felt like she belonged to the Simmons family. She’s further surprised when she learns that Sookie’s father is a mystery too. Rattled, Dee Dee thinks about how Lenore told her so much about the Simmons family. Sookie says that she doesn’t think they should ever tell Lenore that they know about Sookie’s true parentage.

Ce Ce and Le Le are not as shocked at the news of Sookie’s adoption. They still feel the same about Lenore, but they also wonder why Sookie lets her push her around. Similarly, Carter takes the news well, and he’s even happy, given the Simmons family history of mental illness. Sookie feels like her children all surprise her in their kind responses to the news and their sensitivity about how she must be feeling.

In Sweetwater, Texas, Fritzi writes to Billy, recounting her experience training as a pilot for the government. She adds that some of the boys right out of flying school were harassing the girls, both on the ground and in the air. Despite their commanding officer initially making excuses for them, a new rule states that they have to stay 500 feet away.

Fritzi tells Billy they train every day and that they now have their own flight suits. She has also made friends with a mechanic named Elroy Leefers.

In another letter to Billy, Fritzi recounts seeing a rattlesnake in the air while flying. Her copilot Willy grabbed it and threw it out of the window.

Writing to Billy again, Fritzi comments that she hasn’t heard from him in a while. She also talks about the college girls she’s met whom she initially thought were stuck up. She’s decided that they’re alright and great at flying. She’s amazed at the people she’s met.

Back in Point Clear, Sookie receives a call from Pulaski, asking for “Alice Finch.” She finally remembers that this is the fake name she gave to the woman at the Chamber of Commerce. The woman on the phone tells her that three of the Jurdabralinskis were Women Air Force Service Pilots, or WASPs, during World War II. They were known as the “Flying Jurdabralinski Girls of Pulaski.” One died in a plane crash, but it wasn’t Fritzi, who eventually moved to a Danish town in California. She offers to send Sookie more information, and Sookie gives the woman her address.

When Sookie gets off of the phone, she wonders about the WASPs, never having heard of them before. Earle looks up the service when he gets home, explaining that just over 1,000 graduated from the training program. They flew a variety of missions and were stationed at 120 Army air bases in the United States. 

Sookie then asks Earle to find the Danish town Fritzi supposedly settled in, and he does, coming across Solvang, California, online. Sookie isn’t sure she wants to meet Fritzi. Earle points out that she might regret it. Later, Sookie thinks that she’s already disappointed Lenore and isn’t sure she wants to let down another mother.

In a letter, Fritzi recounts to Billy how the male pilots are trying to discredit the WASP program. One night, they bring a group of sex workers to a hotel and tell everyone that they are part of the women’s training program.

She also talks about how three girls passed away that month, including one who messed up a landing and crashed. Everyone feels sad.

Miller is a particularly sexist instructor who insults the women he’s supposed to be teaching. One day, when Fritzi is doing her first military check ride, he gives her a hard time for going too slow and insults Billy, so she does a few extreme tricks, angering Miller. When she executes a perfect landing, Miller yells at her to get out of the plane. She’s sure she’s earned herself a pink slip. 

Before she can leave, the captain wants to see her. He berates her for her carelessness and points out that she put the program at risk. However, he thinks she deserves another chance for getting Miller so upset. He was so panicked by her flying that he soiled his pants. He plans to send Miller to another base. She is grounded for two weeks but will be able to fly again, as long as she never does such stunts again.

Lenore comes running into Sookie’s house, confronting her about her so-called “affair” with Dr. Shapiro. She says that Earle is a fine man and could have any woman. Sookie points out that she isn’t having an affair and that Lenore doesn’t even like Earle. She reveals that she is Dr. Shapiro’s patient. Lenore replies that she needs to stop because this is a scandal.

A few days later, Marvaleen also mentions the rumor that Sookie is sleeping with Dr. Shapiro. Marvaleen is surprised that Sookie is so quiet. Seeing an opportunity to learn what people really think about her, Sookie asks how Marvaleen would describe her. Marvaleen says that she lets herself get pushed around a lot. Sookie feels like she has no personality and wonders how to get one.

She calls Dr. Shapiro and suggests a new location for their sessions.

Gertrude joins her sister in the WASP program.

Fritzi graduates from the program, and Jackie Cochran orders special wing pins for them. Fritzi writes to Wink that she’s been assigned to a base in Long Beach, California.

From Long Beach, Fritzi describes to Billy how much she likes the West Coast. She thinks it’s a great place for flying. She recounts walking down Hollywood Boulevard when Ginger Rogers, her favorite actress, honked her horn at Fritzi and asked if she needed a ride. People see the wings on her uniform and treat her and her fellow pilots with respect. They also often treat her to dinner, and she’s been hosted by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. She ends her letter by saying that she’s grateful for the hospitality. She thinks he should come out there after the war is over to fly stunts for movies.

Her postscript—written an hour later—conveys how Fritzi feels bad about having a good time when women are getting killed flying. She misses them.

Billy writes to Fritzi and says that he thinks he’s ready to settle in one place. In Florida, where he’s teaching, he says that all of the men are inexperienced but think they’re already skilled pilots. He’d rather teach women. He also tells her that, although it’s difficult to lose friends, Fritzi should still have fun.

Fritzi writes to Billy and thanks him for surprising her in Newark, where she was picking up a plane. She feels much better after seeing him. The plane itself was in rough shape, but she enjoyed the flight back to LA.