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A Look Back: Faces of Manufacturing | Episode 7 - A Discussion about 2023 Rosie the Riveter Day at the Michigan Capital

Faces of Manufacturing
March 21, 2024 3:00 PM

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Editor's note: The MBN team is on the road at this hour attending the 2024 Rosie the Riveter event at the Michigan State Capital. We will be filming portions of the event, so look for the new content in upcoming days.

For now, enjoy a 'Faces of Manufacturing' episode from last March discussing 2023's similar celebration!

Faces of Manufacturing is a new show to Michigan Business Network. Cindy Kangas, Executive Director, CAMC, Capital Area Manufacturing Council, Lansing, Michigan, co-hosts with Joy Wagner, HR Manager of Granger Waste Services, also Lansing.

Cindy and Joy strive to share the corporate culture, personal stories, and unique personalities of those making a living in manufacturing today, in Michigan. With that in mind, this month they connected with people involved in celebrating the heritage of Rosie the Riveter.

Hear Cindy, Joy, and their guests discussing Rosie the Riveter and more on episode 7 of this  show on MBN in the 6-segment SoundCloud Podcast episode shared below.

For MARCH 2023 they connected with some involved in remembering and celebrating the heritage of Rosie the Riveter.

The segments include: Liz Zajac and I am a Rosebud - my Granny, Eleanor Paszkowski, was a Riveter and a Buck Welder at the Briggs-Connor Manufacturing plant in Detroit from 1942-1945. She was 20 years old when she moved to Detroit from her family farm in the Thumb-area to live with family and work in the plant, and eventually, she talked one of her sisters into moving down and they worked in the same factory together. While at the factory, she held 4 different positions. When she first started, she was a riveter, riveting parts on the wings of planes. After that, she drilled and burred machines, where she would drill a hole, de-burr it right away, and then rivet the pieces together. Her third job was doing repair work on rejected pieces - she would remove rivets, take them to be inspected for flaws, and re-rivet using salvaged pieces. She spent 3 years at those jobs, then after V-J Day, she switched positions again, becoming a buck welder (which she was especially proud of because you had to be small and thin to fit into the tight spots). She worked at the factory until after the end of the war.

She remembered women having to wear dark colored slacks, bandanas covering their hair, and steel-toed boots (which she hated because they were ugly!). There was no photography allowed in the factory and they were not allowed to talk about their jobs outside of work, although this changed after V-J Day, as did the dark uniform requirements, though they did still have to wear the ugly boots. We have several photos of parties held in the factory, one a bridal shower and the other a holiday celebration. On Granny's marriage license, her occupation was listed as Riveter, as well.

In 2017, Granny was one of the Original Rosies honored at the world record-setting event in Ypsilanti. I was her chaperone for it and she was so proud of the work that she, and all the other Rosies, did during the war. She loved being able to meet other women who riveted and worked in the factories, and even met one woman who worked in the same plant as her. She said after that she felt like a queen that day - she was interviewed by podcasters, had her photo taken professionally and for newspapers, and loved everyone thanking and congratulating her for her service, not to mention the crowd of thousands cheering for her and the other Rosies. Granny was diagnosed with cancer a month after the Rosie event and passed away 3 months later while waiting to be interviewed for the Library of Congress's project to preserve the Rosies' stories.

It would have meant the world to her to have her story shared and preserved for future generations. Her name is preserved at the Willow Run Yankee Air Museum Rosie Honor Wall so her service will always be remembered even though we weren't able to get her story recorded. It still would mean the world to me to share her story in Lansing this March. I grew up listening to her stories of her work during the war and have always been extremely proud of my airplane-building Granny. Attached are a few photos of Granny - one in her daily uniform, one of her paychecks, and one of Granny and me at the World Record Event. Thank you for your work in keeping the Rosies' legacy alive.

Jeannette Gutierrez, president of the Michigan Willow Run Chapter of the American Rosie the Riveter Association (ARRA). We have a dozen or more living WWII Rosies that are a part of our Chapter group, and if you are interested, I am sure that I could bring a few who are willing and able to travel to your event in March. They are very close to or even over 100 years old!
 
In addition, we have several younger members that we consider "21st Century Rosies" who may have the kind of stories that you are interested in.
 
We are a distinct group from the Yankee Air Museum, and distinct from any other ARRA Chapter in that we are the largest and most active ARRA group nationwide, and the oldest and most established Chapter in Michigan.
 
The American Rosie the Riveter Association was founded in 1998 by the WWII Rosies themselves for fellowship and to preserve their legacy. Our Chapter has been celebrating the Rosies and providing fellowship for them since 2013, as well as giving educational and entertaining Rosie Presentations to interested groups.
 
Here is a link to our website to learn more about our Chapter: www.michiganrosies.org 
 
Purpose of the American Rosie the Riveter Association (ARRA): To recognize and preserve the history and legacy of working women, including volunteer women, during World War II; to promote cooperation and fellowship among such members and their descendants; and to further the advancement of patriotic ideals, excellence in the workplace, and loyalty to the United States of America.

Rosie Day is hosted by the Capital Area Manufacturing Council at the Michigan Capitol building in Lansing.

Thursday, March 21

State Capitol Building in Lansing, Michigan

100 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933

The event starts at 3:00 p.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are free! Register to attend at: glbmaorg.wufoo.com/forms/m1fdshdl0b0s9ui/

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Faces of Manufacturing, co-hosted by Cindy Kangas and Joy Wagner, explores the people who make up the talent and culture of today's manufacturing sector in Michigan.

11:00 AM every Friday
Replay: 5:00 PM, 11:00 PM, 5:00 AM Saturday