The story

Marty Gardner faced strict standards when she started training to be what was then known as a stewardess in 1954 for Delta Air Lines: Being young and single were conditions for employment, and weight, girdles, hats and gloves were monitored closely. Her flying career ended after five years.

"You had to quit when you got married. That was the rule," said Gardner, 73, a member of Delta Clipped Wings, an organization of retired and longtime flight attendants.

Still, Gardner and other members of the group that gathered this week on Delta's Atlanta, Georgia, campus to celebrate the Clipped Wings' 50th anniversary said they loved their jobs. Read full article »