Honoring the Women Workers on the Home Front During World War II

During World War II, many contributions were made by women workers on the home front. Many of the jobs and responsibilities previously handled by the men were now left for the women to perform. Women left their homes to support the war effort. They responded to the government’s encouragement to fill jobs left vacant by the men who were serving overseas. “Rosie” is a fictional character that came to represent the spirit of women who worked to fill men’s jobs during World War II. Their slogan was “We Can Do It.” The “Rosies” went into the workforce – some factory some non-factory jobs, and some volunteer work. They worked as riveters, welders, file clerks, stenographers, electricians, operated drill presses, made surgical dressings, camouflage nets, drove buses, trucks, locomotives, assisted the American Red Cross, worked in hospitals, operated presses to make gunpowder, cleaned field glasses for the Army, and served on rationing boards. These are just a few of the many jobs performed by these “Rosies.” The women were of all ages and from all walks of life – a diversity of women. The ladies of Swainsboro and Emanuel County were no different than the ladies in communi-ties around the United States who pulled together and did their part to support our country and our troops in the war effort. A Senate resolution indicates there were approximately 16 million women who worked or volunteered for the U.S. war effort during World War II.

My mother, Sara F. Long, grew up in rural South Georgia, the oldest of nine children. During the war, she and her family lived in the country on Ehrlich Farm Road in Emanuel County, Georgia. She, along with her mother and sisters, provided laundry service for the soldiers on training maneuvers who were camped out in the field and woods behind their home. The fol-lowing excerpt taken from Emanuel Memories, page 108, in an article by Bill Rogers, Sr., served to confirm the above information which was related to me: “The county sacrificed to make as comfortable as possible 17,488 soldiers camping here enroute from Camp Blanding, Fla., to Chester, S.C.”

My mother also told me about making camouflage nets for the military in Swainsboro. I did research by going through old issues of the Swainsboro Forest Blade on microfilm at the Frank-lin Memorial Library in search of information on the camouflage net project in Swainsboro. Many articles were printed during the war years encouraging women to volunteer for the war effort. Beginning in December of 1942, articles of particular interest were those about the man-ufacture of camouflage nets to be made in Swainsboro.

According to an article in the Swainsboro Forest Blade dated December 10, 1942, “Camouflage Nets to be Made in Swainsboro,” “Otis G. Price of Price Construction Company holds a con-tract to furnish them to the War Department.” Plans were made to begin operation on Decem-ber 15, 1942.

“C.M. Jones was the General Superintendent and in charge of employment, as well as produc-tion. Willis Roberson was the bookkeeper in charge of payroll etc.”

The article noted that it was estimated that at least three car loads of nets would be shipped weekly. The shipping points were designated by the government and were to be shipped to the nearest destination overseas. The nets were 30 feet x 30 feet in size and production eventually reached an output of around 600 per day.

My mother was 17 at the time, worked in Swainsboro making camouflage nets for the military. The locations for making the nets were the John C. Coleman warehouse behind Carr-Lee Gro-cery Company and the Swainsboro High School auditorium/gym. These two buildings had sufficient height for this type of work. Frames for the nets reached high into the ceiling. Designs were done with strips of burlap and were to resemble trees, shrubbery, etc. as viewed from the air. The materials for the nets were furnished by the War Department, along with a picture or sample for workers to follow. The work was strictly under government supervision and an in-spector was there at all times to examine and pass on every net completed. It was strictly a war production and not connected with the W.P.A. Officials stated that employment would be given to approximately 400 workers. Most of the work was done by women who were paid 30 to 40 cents an hour for 40 hours a week. (This information came from articles in The Forest-Blade relating to the camouflage net project in Swainsboro.)

As late as May of 1945, nets were still being made in Swainsboro. The end of the war in Europe would not affect the contract or production of the camouflage nets. It was estimated that work in Swainsboro would continue through December as these nets were urgently needed in the Pacific area.

My mother left Swainsboro prior to the end of the war and moved to Savannah to live with rel-atives. While there, she worked at a shipyard and also Union Bag Corporation continuing her work and support of our country. On doing research, I learned that Union Bag Corporation in Savannah “produced paper packaging which was a critical war material. During that time. Women started working at the mill to take the place of men who had gone off to war.”

Rosie Facts: The following are some examples of items produced by “Rosies”:

Airplanes: 297,000

Tanks: 102,000

Warships: 88,000

Small arms ammunition: 44,000,000,000 (44 billion) rounds

Artillery ammunition: 47,000,000 tons

Examples of items produced from materials collected by volunteer Rosies:

An old shovel had enough iron for four hand grenades.

One pound of waste fat had enough glycerin for a pound of gun powder.

12,000 old razor blades had enough steel to make a bomb.

The American Rosie the Riveter Association was founded December 7, 1998, at Warm Springs, Georgia, to honor the working women of World War II. Honorary Headquarters are at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Little White House and Museum in Warm Springs. Dr. Frances Carter of Bir-mingham, Alabama, is the founder of the ARRA. Dr. Carter was a sophomore in college when Pearl Harbor was bombed. Very soon, she was doing her part for the war effort, working as a riveter on B-29s. Her wartime experiences inspired her with an idea to start an organization to honor the working women of World War II and to preserve their legacy. Members are “Rosies” and their descendants, both women (Rosebuds) and men (Rivets).

The term “Rosie the Riveter” was inspired by the title of a popular song written in 1942.

March 21, 2017, was the first ever “American Rosie the Riveter Day” – a nationwide observance honoring the women who worked in defense roles and volunteer work on the home front during World War II.

ROSIE THE RIVETER GETS HER DUE 75 YEARS AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR II: “Bill H.R. 1773 was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on December 3, 2020. The bill collectively awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the women in the United States who joined the workforce during World War II, providing aircraft, vehicles, weaponry, ammunition, and other materials to win the war,” and were referred to as “Rosie the Riveter.”

A Congressional Gold Medal was commissioned to honor the service and sacrifice of women all over the United States who stepped up to support the war effort during World War II, not only in factories, but other areas of work also.

On April 10, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., the “Rosie the Riveters” of World War II were awarded, collectively and symbolically, a Congressional Gold Medal. This represents many years of work on the part of American Rosie the Riveter Association members Mae Krier and the late Phyllis Gould, a couple of real WWII “Rosies” who proved that, “We Can Do It.” The medal will be displayed at the National Museum of American History. Twenty-seven orig-inal “Rosies” from across the country, ages 89 to 106, were present in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to represent the women who worked on the home front dur-ing WWII.

The medal design features five “Rosies” on the front to represent the diversity of the women in the war effort. The back features a “Rosie” with a wrench resting on her shoulder and a rivet in the other hand, a Liberty Ship, a M4 tank travels behind her, and a B-17 bomber flies above, representing the variety of equipment built by “Rosies”. A ring of rivets frames the design with windows featuring the inscriptions. A Bronze replica can be purchased from the U.S. Mint. The medal comes in 1.15 inches and 3.0 inches.

A “Rosie” tribute to the Women on the Home Front, across the USA and here in Emanuel County, during WWII, is on display at the Franklin Memorial Library through the month of March – with March 21 being recognized as “Rosie the Riveter Day”. The display was prepared by Joyce Long Fennell.