Rosie the Riveter Association Honors Working Women of WWII

Mar 18, 2011
Katharine Garstka

We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter Poster - J. Howard Miller

Founded in 1998, the American Rosie the Riveter Association helps to preserve the history of women who contributed so much to the war effort in the U.S.

During World War II, millions of young men and women in the United States volunteered to serve their country in the armed forces. Men served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Merchant Marine, and women joined the newly created WACS (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps) and WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service ) in the Naval Reserve.

Women served in an army air corps program (WASPS), whose aim was to train women as military pilots for the military, releasing male pilots for combat duty. Women also joined the Marine Corps reserve, and another program, the Coast Guard women’s reserve (SPARS) also provided an opportunity for women to serve.

A lineage society, The Society of the Sons and Daughters of World War II Veterans has recently been created to honor those men and women who served honorably in the U.S. armed forces during World War II.

On the Home Front

At the same time, a tremendous effort at home was required to support the war. Women were desperately needed to continue the farming, the manufacturing, and a multitude of other work that was essential for maintaining the economy.

Women not only stepped into the normal jobs left by men who had joined the service, there were many more strenuous war-related jobs that needed to be filled. Women began to work in munitions and manufacturing plants and in shipyards, driving trucks and operating service stations, and yes, even becoming riveters.

The American Rosie the Riveter Association

The American Rosie the Riveter Association was the brain child of Dr. Frances Carter (who served as a riveter on B-29 airplanes during the war) of Birmingham, Alabama. She and her husband, Dr. John Carter (a former Army paratrooper), present programs describing the activities of the six million women who worked in steel, lumber, and textile mills, along with countless other occupations during WWII. Those women produced billions of rounds of ammunition, hundreds of thousands of tanks, and worked on almost 300,000 airplanes.

The labors of these women have been portrayed in the famous Rosie the Riveter poster created by J. Howard Miller, and photos of actual women at work during the war show how accurate the image was. Thus when Dr. Carter founded the organization, it was only fitting that the We Can Do It! Poster is prominently featured on their literature and website.

Joining the Rosie the Riveter Association

Several membership categories are available: a Rosie is a working woman from World War II; a Rosebud is the female descendant of a Rosie. A Rivet is a male descendent of a Rosie, or the spouse of a Rosie or Rosebud. A 21st Century Rosie is a women currently doing “Man’s Work.”

The application form requests information about the type of work done by the Rosie. Work directly related (in any industry or government agency) to the war effort qualifies, as does employment in a field that was ordinarily restricted to men, or that freed a man for military duty. Qualifying work also includes volunteer work such as collecting critical materials for the war effort, rolling bandages, or serving with the USO or Red Cross. A Rosie is eligible to join the association if she worked or volunteered during the years 1941 to 1945.

Chapter meetings and a yearly national convention are held, and Rosies are invited to share their experiences by writing articles or speaking at meetings. There are no annual dues, just an application fee of $10 for Rosies, $20 for Rosebuds, and $50 for 21st Century Rosies. Rosie’s Mail Call, the association newsletter, keeps members up to date, and the Rosie Shoppe offers a variety of merchandise and educational items.