June 24, 2010
West Virginia “Rosies” Recall Their World War II Work Experiences
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
St Albans, WV (HNN) - “Rosie the Riveter,” a fictional icon, came to represent women who took jobs vacated by the men called to serve their country overseas during World War II. The sacrifices and work by females in previously mostly male dominated manufacturing jobs provided a catalyst for what would become the movement for women’s equality.
“Sociologists now say World War II would have been greatly prolonged, possibly lost, if women had not done critical jobs well,” explained Anne Montague, executive director of the West Virginia based “Thanks Plain and Simple.” “ ‘Rosies’ started vast changes in women’s work and roles in society,” Montague added.
Armed with a grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council for production of a documentary, the film will likely include footage from this weekend’s return visit of a former Rosie to Nashville, where she performed work during WW II. Edie Lyons, now 92, worked on a team training and recording 60 daily flights of pilots at Gillespie Airfield in Nashville. The young pilots also studied at George Peabody College for Teachers, which merged with Vanderbilt in 1979.
“Rosie’s,” Mazie Mullins and Q. D. Williams, will accompany Lyons on the visit to Nashville along with Montague, who during the war was a research assistant at Vanderbilt,
Montague, whose mom worked as a Rosie, directs the St. Albans model community, which incorporates the women’s unique contributions into the culture and history of the town. A grant from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation assists in the goal of “unifying the schools, historical society, businesses, government, senior center, park service, arts and civic groups” which helps the “Rosie’s become more at ease and involved” in the community.
“We hope for other grants and donations to assure that people have many ways to learn about the impact these women have had on America, [through] plays, music, creative nonfiction, even crafts,” Montague explained.
The trip to Nashville includes opportunities for former Rosie’s in that city to tell their stories for posterity. “A deep loss occurs every time a ‘Rosie’ dies without someone to hear and preserve her experiences,” Montague explained. “ We believe that not more than 1/8th of women who performed critical jobs during World War II are still living. Their work varied tremendously – young women’s built airplanes and ships in factories even deposing war criminals in Washington, while younger and older women stayed home and rolled bandages, managed farms and more.”
She continued, “Our goal is to do such an excellent job in [ St Albans, WV ] that other locales will model us all across America. Without a simultaneous effort in America, our last chance will be lost.”
Ms. Lyons visit to the Nashville site of her former service represents an example of the women participating in perpetuating their legacy. In a prepared release, Lyons stated, “I’m most fortunate to return to Nashville. I want to see the commercial area that has been built over Gillespie Airfield and to see Peabody College, again, where our young pilot trainees were so proud to be educated.”
She explained, “I was not a riveter. The phrase ‘Rosie the Riveter’ includes women who did many kinds of direly-needed work. I am 100% behind Anne’s work to help communities see that they can find, learn from and include “Rosies.” In the short time we have left, it’s great that, just by being involved, I encourage others to cooperate to preserve our stories.”
John Haulotte, the project’s lead veteran served in Iraq. “I could not have imagined that I would [come home] and learn to manage a nonprofit project that honors women born about 1920 who have been largely ignored.”
He concluded, “These women show, we can do it.”
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West Virginia “Rosies” Recall Their World War II Work Experiences
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
St Albans, WV (HNN) - “Rosie the Riveter,” a fictional icon, came to represent women who took jobs vacated by the men called to serve their country overseas during World War II. The sacrifices and work by females in previously mostly male dominated manufacturing jobs provided a catalyst for what would become the movement for women’s equality.
“Sociologists now say World War II would have been greatly prolonged, possibly lost, if women had not done critical jobs well,” explained Anne Montague, executive director of the West Virginia based “Thanks Plain and Simple.” “ ‘Rosies’ started vast changes in women’s work and roles in society,” Montague added.
Armed with a grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council for production of a documentary, the film will likely include footage from this weekend’s return visit of a former Rosie to Nashville, where she performed work during WW II. Edie Lyons, now 92, worked on a team training and recording 60 daily flights of pilots at Gillespie Airfield in Nashville. The young pilots also studied at George Peabody College for Teachers, which merged with Vanderbilt in 1979.
“Rosie’s,” Mazie Mullins and Q. D. Williams, will accompany Lyons on the visit to Nashville along with Montague, who during the war was a research assistant at Vanderbilt,
Montague, whose mom worked as a Rosie, directs the St. Albans model community, which incorporates the women’s unique contributions into the culture and history of the town. A grant from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation assists in the goal of “unifying the schools, historical society, businesses, government, senior center, park service, arts and civic groups” which helps the “Rosie’s become more at ease and involved” in the community.
“We hope for other grants and donations to assure that people have many ways to learn about the impact these women have had on America, [through] plays, music, creative nonfiction, even crafts,” Montague explained.
The trip to Nashville includes opportunities for former Rosie’s in that city to tell their stories for posterity. “A deep loss occurs every time a ‘Rosie’ dies without someone to hear and preserve her experiences,” Montague explained. “ We believe that not more than 1/8th of women who performed critical jobs during World War II are still living. Their work varied tremendously – young women’s built airplanes and ships in factories even deposing war criminals in Washington, while younger and older women stayed home and rolled bandages, managed farms and more.”
She continued, “Our goal is to do such an excellent job in [ St Albans, WV ] that other locales will model us all across America. Without a simultaneous effort in America, our last chance will be lost.”
Ms. Lyons visit to the Nashville site of her former service represents an example of the women participating in perpetuating their legacy. In a prepared release, Lyons stated, “I’m most fortunate to return to Nashville. I want to see the commercial area that has been built over Gillespie Airfield and to see Peabody College, again, where our young pilot trainees were so proud to be educated.”
She explained, “I was not a riveter. The phrase ‘Rosie the Riveter’ includes women who did many kinds of direly-needed work. I am 100% behind Anne’s work to help communities see that they can find, learn from and include “Rosies.” In the short time we have left, it’s great that, just by being involved, I encourage others to cooperate to preserve our stories.”
John Haulotte, the project’s lead veteran served in Iraq. “I could not have imagined that I would [come home] and learn to manage a nonprofit project that honors women born about 1920 who have been largely ignored.”
He concluded, “These women show, we can do it.”
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