‘Proudly She Served:’ Late Montclair Woman Honored With Painting

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A late U.S. servicewoman from Montclair was recently among 12 military veterans to be depicted in a stunning series of large-scale portraits.

Bernice “Bee” Falk Haydu is one of the honorees in the “Proudly She Served” portrait series by artist Steve Alpert. The project pays homage to women who have served in the United States military, highlighting their “courage, strength, resilience and selflessness.”

“I began this project to tell the story that women in uniform are just as courageous and capable of leadership as men soldiers – simple as that,” Alpert said.

“Women are unheralded as such, and I wanted to contribute to telling their success stories through portrait paintings in oil,” Alpert continued.

According to project organizers, here’s why Heydu was selected:

“Bernice ‘Bee’ Falk Haydu (born December 15, 1920) served as a Women Air Force Service Pilot (WASP) during World War II. Bee will turn 100 years old later this year! Bee was born and raised in Montclair, NJ and after high school, while working as a secretary, she enrolled in aviation classes on weekends. In 1944, Bee was selected for the WASP flight training program and along with 5 of her girlfriends, they paid their way via train to Sweetwater, Texas, to basic training at Avenger Field for the 7 months of WASP training. Bee graduated in March 1944 and transferred to her first assignment at Pecos Air Force Base, Pecos, Texas, to work as an engineering test pilot and a utility pilot. She flew the 225-horsepower Bobcat, designated as the UC-78 and AT-17, at Pecos and was preparing to fly the B-25 Mitchell bombers when the decision was made that the WASPS would be disbanded in late 1944. After Bee returned home to New Jersey, she continued flying and ferrying aircraft and opened a Cessna dealership. She owned a flight school with several other veterans and worked for a company that sold aircraft parts. She also participated in airshows and Powder Puff Derbies. Bee served as president of the Order of Fifinella, an alumnae group for WASPs and also as the president of Women Military Aviators in the mid 1970’s. She was one of the three surviving WASPs present in the Oval Office in 2009, when President Obama awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the WASPs for their service.”

Project organizers continued:

“Bee married fellow aviator, Joe Haydu, in 1951. They had three children together, Joseph, Steven and Diana. Bee published a memoir Letters Home 1944-1945 in 2008 and she has donated memorabilia to the Library of Congress and the Texas Women's University in Denton, Texas. There is a plaque commemorating the work of Bee at the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey at Teterboro Airport, and her WASP uniform is on display at the National Air and Space museum.”

Other women honored with a painting included:

• Kim Brooks, born in Portland, Ore., U.S. Marine Corps, Separated - Sergeant
• Nicole Cimino, born in San Diego, Calif., U.S. Coast Guard, Retired - Chief Petty Officer.
• U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, representing Illinois, U.S. Army, Retired – Lieutenant Colonel
• Kirstie Ennis, raised in Milton, Fla., U.S. Marine Corp, Retired – Sergeant
• Dawn Halfaker, raised in San Diego, Calif., U.S. Army, Retired – Captain
• Miyoko Hikiji, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S. Army, Separated - Specialist
• Angel Hughes, raised in East Orange, N.J., U.S. Coast Guard, Separated - Lieutenant Commander
• Nicole Malachowski, of Las Vegas, Nev., U.S. Air Force, Retired – Colonel
• Chaplain Karen Meeker, raised in Huntington Mills, Penn., U.S. Army, Active Duty - Colonel
• Louise Rand, of Martins Ferry, Ohio, U.S. Air Force – 1st Lieutenant (deceased)
• Arabia Shanklin, of Steubenville, Ohio, U.S. Navy, Active Duty - Lieutenant

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