Many of the women who had responded to "Rosie's
Call" had been from small town states, who moved to California. These
women worked in factories that made things necessary for war, such as arms, but
often times whole ships and airplanes too. These girls roughed it out, and did
what was necessary to lead their country to victory.
Bethena Moore
Bethena was a small woman of only 110 pounds, who was
originally a laundry lady. She moved from Louisiana to California, and worked
in a shipyard. She was helpful in sneaking into the small cracks of the ship on
a tiny ladder to weld the ship's bottom. She recalls that it was very dark and
scary, but she worked for the soldiers overseas.
Phyllis was an African-American woman who also moved to
California to become a welder. Prior to her "calling", Phyllis had never
worked a day in her life. She recalls that she felt that it was her suty to
serve the nation. At one point in history, there were 90,000 African-American
women working in California shipyards.
Dot Kelley
Dot had just gone through a nasty divorce, and was now singularly
raising her children. When she saw the $600 checks the women at the shipyards
were making, she quit her job at the local department store, and requested a
job at the shipyard. A determined mother, Dot worked nights so that she could
be with her children during the day. Dot received major injuries due to her hard work. Once the war
ended, she was forced to work 2-3 jobs to provide for her children. When Dot
was 94 years old, the National Public Radio told her story.
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