Milka Bamond

Milka Bamond served as a Rosie in Detroit, where she worked at Briggs & Stratton. During the war, the plant was converted from manufacturing small engines, to building wingtips and tails for B-17s.

The child of an immigrant coal miner, Milka credits her service as a Rosie to her realization of the American Dream. Supporting the war effort not only gave her immense pride, it also gave her financial freedom.

A published author, Milka celebrated her 100th birthday in 2024 and still passionately speaks about her service and love for this country. 

Laura Millican Spriggs

Laura Belle Millican Spriggs (1922-2012), born in Oconee County, GA

Samuel Eldo Spriggs (1919-1989), T/4 Sgt., U.S. Army, born in Hall County, GA

Mother traveled to Battle Creek, MI, by train when my father was in basic training at Fort Custer in 1942. While there, she worked on the assembly line packing K rations at The Kellogg Company and lived with a local couple.

When his company transferred to Wilmington, CA, for further training as a military police unit, Mother traveled there by train and worked at California Shipbuilding Company first as a welder and then in the office.

I was born in 1945, and my father returned home in early 1946 after serving in both the European and Pacific theaters.

Submitted by Jean Spriggs Ousley, proud Rosebud from Lawrenceville, GA (Past President of American Rosie the Riveter Association)

Helen (nee Joiner) Beaudet

My mother Helen (nee Joiner) Beaudet was a proud "Rosie" at the Dodge Chicago Plant from 1943-1945. Mom was born in Chicago in 1923 but became a ward of the state when her mother died in childbirth when mom was only two years old. She spent her childhood in an orphanage.  Mom was 18 when the U.S. entered the war and was eager to do her part, including doing work that could be hard and dangerous. 

Helen Marie Janning Guthrie

Helen Marie Janning Guthrie worked the family farm in Western Oklahoma to provide wheat for the troops in World War II.

Born in 1930 and living through the Dust Bowl and helping her father FR Janning work the farm, she became a much more important contributor when her three brothers went to War. When her brother Tex was called to War just before Christmas, she asked her mother, “What are we going to do?’ Her mother responded,” We are going to have Christmas.”

Mary Ann Mantegna

“My four brothers are in service. I want to do as much as I can to see that plenty of ammunition and supplies reach them.”

Mary Ann Montegna Speaks at Rally

“Payroll Savings Day” - 1943

Mary Ann Montegna of CMPC’s Molding Department, in company with employees of other industrial plants, was a guest speaker at a Bond Rally held at State and Madison Sts.

Mary Ann, dressed in the blue blouse, slacks and bandanna which she wears on her job, gave her reasons for working at CMPC, molding plastics mortar shell fuzes:

“My four brothers are in service. I want to do as much as I can to see that plenty of ammunitions and supplies reach them. The job I do is small in comparison to what they are doing to help win this war, but at least I fell like ‘one of the family.’

Alyce (Moore) Schneider

During my 18th summer I traveled from our farm in Iowa to see my fiancé, Dave on his first leave in Minneapolis from the Navy May 18-26, in 1943, and decided to stay. My sister, Leota and her husband, Del, lived there and were happy to have me stay at their home at 3216 Hennepin Avenue.

Evelyn Abernethy

Evie worked with her dad in his plumbing business and donated many evenings at Port Huron Hospital.

She never saw her contribution to the home front as anything special. That’s the thing about her generation. They were willing to step up and do what needed to be done.

Rose Alkofer

Rose and her friend Laura went on to work as a team at Vega, the Lockheed Aircraft parts division, in Burbank. Rose worked there from 1942 until World War II ended. In their production team, Rose was indeed the riveter, and Laura would assist her in the process with the parts as the “bucker”.

June P Miller

Upon greeting these two young women, the crop farmer, Guy Smith, scratched his head as to how these two small, scrawny, females were going to work out! But they did and won the farmer over with their efforts! It was quite an experience and while it was very different from what they were accustomed to, they had the time of their lives, working hard, distracting themselves from missing their husbands.

info@whfnmf.org

WWII Women’s MEmorial Foundation

3227 Volta Place, NW

Washington, DC 20007