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Rosie the Riveter and Women of WWII
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Rosie the Riveter
a cultural icon of the United States, Rosie represents the American
women who worked in factories during World War II, many of
whom worked in the manufacturing plants that
produced munitions and war supplies.
These women sometimes took entirely
new jobs replacing the male workers who were in the military.
The term "Rosie the Riveter" was first used in 1942 in a song of the same name written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb. The song was recorded by numerous artists, and became a national hit. The song portrays "Rosie" as a tireless assembly line worker, doing her part to help the American war effort.
Rosie the Riveter became most closely associated with a woman named Rose Will Monroe, who was born in Pulaski County, Kentucky in 1920 and moved to Michigan during World War II. She worked as a riveter at the Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Michigan, building B-29 and B-24 bombers for the U.S. Army Air Forces. Monroe achieved her dream of piloting a plane when she was in her 50's and her love of flying resulted in an accident that contributed to her death 19 years later
Working Woman
Many women became nurses, or used their nursing expertise, in the war effort.
Some became Red Cross nurses. Others served in
military nursing units. About 74,000 women
served in the American
Army and Navy Nurse Corps in World War II.
Figures for women serving with the American military in World War II:
•Army - 140,000
•Navy - 100,000
•Marines - 23,000
•Coast Guard - 13,000
•Air Force - 1,000
•Army and Navy Nurse Corps - 74,000
More than 1,000 women served as pilots associated with the US Air Force in the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) but were considered civil service workers, and weren't recognized for their military service until the 1970s.
Women Marines were assigned to over 200 different jobs, among them radio operator, photographer, parachute rigger, driver, aerial gunnery instructor, cook, baker, quartermaster, control tower operator, motion picture operator, auto mechanic, telegraph operator, cryptographer, laundry operator, post exchange (store) manager, stenographer and agriculturist.