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. The Dodge Chicago Plant opened in 1943 and included the world's largest factory at the time on an 82 acres campus with 35,000 workers. The plant's primary focus was on manufacturing the 18-cylinder 2,200 horsepower Wright Cyclone R-3350 engines for the B-29 Flying Fortresses. Each engine had 6,000 precision parts and mom was a machinist on one of the 9,300 metal fabrication machines. One day her machine malfunctioned, and the drill bit went into her hand. Co-workers got the machine to reverse and took mom to the plant infirmary. After being treated and bandaged, the doctor told mom to go home and take some days off. Mom wouldn't hear of it and went back and finished her shift with a heavily bandage hand and didn't take any days off. She said if the men can fight hurt, then the women can work hurt. For the rest of life, little metal shaving from the drill bit would occasional push its way out of her hand. Mom and her co-workers produced over 18,000 engines for the B-29s. Mom worked after the war including building Zenith televisions, but no job could ever replicate the sense of purpose and pride she had as a "Rosie." Like other "Rosies" mom went on the marry a veteran (106th Infantry Division) and lovingly raised a family (six children) and absolutely adored her many grandchildren. Mom passed away peacefully in Chicago in 2006. The attached photos are of mom (in the middle with a B-29 patch on her jacket) at the Dodge Chicago Plant and dressed up for a well-deserved night out. Her granddaughter Katie proudly has a copy of the photo of grandma at the Dodge Chicago displayed in her apartment along with a replica of the Congressional Medal honoring all of the "Rosies."