WWII Women on the Home Front: Correcting a 60 Year Old Misconception

For over 60 years, women who worked in "men's jobs" during World War II are called "Rosie the Riveter". It is time to recognize the many women in the defense trades who were not riveters.

(PRWEB) February 17, 2005 -- No. We were not Rosie the Riveter. We welded ships. Rosie got all the attention. No one even gave us a name." -- Ann Jurjevic Thomas in Dont Call Me Rosie, the Women who Welded the LSTs and the Men who Sailed on Them"

Rosie the Riveter was the U.S. Governments icon during World War II and posters showing Rosie were produced to encourage women to join the work force. Women went to the airplane factories, the shipyards, the munitions factories, and other defense related industries and performed work that was considered mens jobs".

Although today we try to honor these women by calling them Rosie the Riveter, if you ask a woman welder who worked in the shipyard if she was a Rosie, she might tell you no. She will then explain to you that welding is different than riveting.

If the U.S. government had come out with a different icon, for example Doris the Defense Worker", these women would have felt more connected to it. As an example, if one called all doctors, Sam the Surgeon", this might create a detachment for those who are general practitioners, pediatricians, gynecologists, internists, etc.

Recognizing that Rosie the Riveter does not represent the thousands of women who worked in the other trades during World War II does in no way lessen the importance of those who really were Rosies. All of the women who worked on the home front during World War II are very proud of their accomplishments and contribution to the war effort. But if we want to truly remember them, then we need to find an all-encompassing icon.

Kathleen Thomas is author of the book, Dont Call Me Rosie, the Women who Welded the LSTs and the Men who Sailed on Them."

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