“Rosie the Riveter”

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Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
—Colossians 3:23,24

Years ago I knew a “Rosie the Riveter.” She was my husband’s grandmother, now deceased, who had proudly and courageously served during World War II in a factory which manufactured aircraft near Dallas/Ft. Worth. Her life was very difficult—she was a widow whose oldest son had enlisted in the Army, leaving her with the need for a decent income in order to care for her daughter during the years of rationing and national sacrifices.

Jobs were plentiful then for women who were willing to work in factories—not a common job for mothers in the years prior to WWII. But with so many men off at war it became necessary for companies to look to American women to fill the vacancies. Conditions were tough and the pay was not always equal to what the men had made. . . .but for many it was their patriotism which kept them going until their husbands and sons returned home to once again fill labor pools throughout the land.

Some say that the work force has never been the same—that the entrance of women into traditionally male-dominated jobs brought lasting changes with the attitude of “We Can Do It!” displayed in this 1942 poster. No doubt this poster, and others like it, accomplished the purpose of recruiting large numbers—as many as 11 million—women to work on assembly lines so vital to our national defense.

The woman depicted in this “Rosie the Riveter” iconic wartime poster, Geraldine Hoff Doyle, died a few weeks ago (Dec 26, 2010) in Michigan at the age of 86. Her obituary ran in newspapers across the U.S., catching my attention because of the familiarity of the poster in military memorabilia. Geraldine’s (Rosie is a fictitious name) bandana-wearing image was made famous by a United Press photographer at a Lansing, Michigan, factory where she worked for a brief time early in the war. Her picture was then used by an artist hired by the Westinghouse Company’s War Production Coordinating Committee in order to create posters for the war effort. She married Dr. Leo Doyle in 1943 and worked in his dental office, while raising their six children, until she was 75 years old. To me she represents many hard-working women who rallied behind their nation and their families to do what was needed during a difficult time in our history.

Isn’t that what families do? Today we see spouses courageously caring for their children during extended times of wartime separation from their military loved ones, filling in the gaps with faithful attention. We see grandparents caring for young children because both active-duty parents are deployed. We see Guardsmen and Reservists leaving behind good jobs to fulfill an obligation with distinction. We see husbands and wives sacrificing precious years because they believe in the cause of freedom for nations which could never gain it on their own—and who believe that our beloved country must be protected from an enemy which few understand. While not all across our land realize the legacy of shared sacrifice, veterans and their families can all speak to the importance of the values of duty, honor and country.

Families in every war have sacrificed, and certainly that is true in this global war on terror. Keeping “hope on the home front” in order to preserve our national unity and purpose is a familiar calling in our military community. As we begin 2011, we thank God for each and every one of you who is serving sacrificially in ways we will never know.

You are heroes.

Work Cited:

McLellan, Dennis, “Geraldine Hoff Doyle (1924-2010) Reportedly Inspired Famous Wartime Poster,” Daily Press, December 31, 2010.

“Rosie the Riveter” found on wikikpedia.org

Questions to Share:

1. What sacrifices have veterans in your family made in years before your current military service?
2. What legacy would you like to leave for future generations in terms of your military service?