With the 60th anniversary of D-Day, Memorial Day and the dedication of the World War II Memorial all coming up, the Home Front, represented by the ever popular “Rosies” is getting its due.

CONGRESS HONORS ROSIES, INCLUDING RICHMOND’S MARY “PEACE” HEAD

On Wednesday, May 19, 2004, there was a Congressional reception honor the Rosies at the Rayburn House Office Building Room in Washington, DC. Hosts included

Ford Motor Company (sharing cost with National Parks Foundation), National Parks Foundation and the National Park Service. Congressional hosts included Sen. Murkowski, Sen. Boxer, Sen. Feinstein, Sen. Thomas, Rep. Moore Capito, Rep. Slaughter, Rep. George Miller, Rep. Candice Miller (Michigan) and all women Senators and most of the House members of the Women’s Caucus.

American Airlines donated tickets, Ford paid for hotel rooms for Rosies to fly in from Richmond California (George Miller), Dearborn Michigan (Candice Miller), Rochester New York (Slaughter), West Virginia (Moore Capito) and Brentwood Tennessee (request of Rep Blackburn).

The members honored the Rosies with a Resolution from the House and Senate, recognizing their contributions to World War II. On May 20, there was a press conference hosted by Ford at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, at the Ceremonial Entrance to Artlington National Cemetery. Representatives from Ford Motor Company, the National Park Service, the National Parks Foundation attended, along with Rosies to exhibit artifacts submitted to the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park through the Ford stories project. On May 19, the Discovery Channel interviewed and filmed the out of town Rosies in preparation for their WW II movie coming up.

Left above, from the May 20, 2004 Washington Post: “Mary ‘Peace’ Head of Richmond, Calif., and Caryl C. McIntire of Laurel were among more than 20 real-life Rosie the Riveters attending a reception, held at the Rayburn House Office Building, honoring their efforts in World war II and their impact on the U.S. workforce. During the war, Head worked at a defense plant in Richmond, and McIntire worked repairing destroyers in the Charleston Naval Yard in Boston.

CONGRESIONAL RESOLUTION 108th CONGRESS, 2d Session, S. CON. RES. 103, Honoring the contributions of the women, symbolized by `Rosie the Riveter', who served on the homefront during World War II, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, May 4, 2004

Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mrs. BOXER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mrs. CLINTON, Ms. COLLINS, Mrs. DOLE, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mrs.

LINCOLN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. SNOWE, and Ms. STABENOW) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Honoring the contributions of the women, symbolized by `Rosie the Riveter', who served on the homefront during World War II, and for other purposes.

Whereas during World War II, 6,000,000 women stepped forward to work in homefront industries to produce the ships, planes, tanks, trucks, guns, and ammunition that were crucial to achieving an Allied victory;

Whereas women worked in homefront industries as welders, riveters, engineers, designers, and managers, and held other positions that had traditionally been held by men;

Whereas these women demonstrated great skill and dedication in the difficult and often dangerous jobs they held, which enabled them to produce urgently needed military equipment at record breaking speeds;

Whereas the need for labor in homefront industries during World War II opened new employment opportunities for women from all walks of life and dramatically increased gender and racial integration in the workplace;

Whereas the service of women on the homefront during World War II marked an unprecedented entry of women into jobs that had traditionally been held by men and created a lasting legacy of the ability of women to succeed in those jobs;

Whereas these women devoted their hearts and souls to their work to assure safety and success for their husbands, sons, and other loved ones on the battle front;

Whereas the needs of working mothers resulted in the creation of child care programs, leading to the lasting legacy of public acceptance of early child development and care outside the home;

Whereas the needs of women on the homefront led to employer-sponsored prepaid and preventative health care never before seen in the United States; and

Whereas in 2000, Congress recognized the significance to the Nation of the industrial achievements on the homefront during World War II and the legacy of the women who worked in those industries through the establishment of the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, as a unit of the National Park System: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That Congress--

(1) honors the extraordinary contributions of the women whose dedicated service on the homefront during World War II was instrumental in achieving an Allied victory;

(2) recognizes the lasting legacy of equal employment opportunity and support for child care and health care that developed during the `Rosie the Riveter' era; and

(3) calls on the people of the United States to take the opportunity to study, reflect on, and celebrate the stories and accomplishments of women who served the Nation as `Rosies' during World War II.