A Lathe Operator Constructs Liberty Ships: The Story Of An American Rosie The Riveter

During World War II, over six million American women took paid employment in defense industries, while another estimated ten million women volunteered to support the war effort. They worked in factories, shipyards, munitions plans, mills, on farms, and on railroads. They were welders, cutters, riveters, laborers, secretaries, drivers, nurses, pilots, and plane spotters, as well as USO, Red Cross, and Canteen volunteers. Many women were working for the first time, often doing jobs that had been typically reserved for men. After the war, many returned home, unceremoniously released from their jobs, their contributions being forgotten for generations. Over time, however, their wartime service began to change perceptions of the type of work that women could do. They did their bit for their country and the war effort, and without them the Arsenal of Democracy would have suffered. Doreen Kilen was born in April 1926 in Portland, Oregon, but moved to Tacoma, Washington, when she was four years old. She was the oldest of four siblings, growing up with a younger sister and two brothers. Her parents met at Yellowstone, where her father was a Park Ranger. Her mother taught school in a one-room schoolhouse. When times were good, her father conducted a band in Yakima and played for the movies on Saturdays. He also taught school. When times were tough during the Great Depression, there was no money in music, so her father picked cotton in California, and the family was on the road. Doreen describes the black plywood wagon her father pulled behind the car. At night, the children slept on the fold-down sides of the wagon while her parents slept in the car. When Doreen was in high school, the family moved to Monmouth, Oregon. She recalls listening to Roosevelt announcing the declaration of war on the radio, and following the news of the war at home. She remembers concern about a Japanese sub reported off the coast of Oregon, and two bombings within the state. In the spring of 1943, she and her father traveled to Lebanon, Oregon, to learn to work the shaper and lathe in war industries. They then took up residence in at the Roseland Hotel, the second largest hotel in Portland, to work at Monarch Forge and Machine; she was a machinist and lathe operator making parts for Liberty Ships. Her mother remained home in Monmouth with the three younger children while she and her father were working. She had very little free time. In the morning, she walked to school, where she was completing her senior year at Lincoln High in Portland. After school she and her father drove to work the swing shift from 4 pm until 11 pm. In May 1944, she returned to Monmouth so she could graduate from high school with her friends (her class had 12 students). She recalls the men in the machine shop were “very kind,” and offered assistance when needed. She had to read blueprints and shape and smooth metal shafts for the ships that were accurate to 1/1000 of an inch (which she verified with calipers). Her father collected her check, and her pay was used to help support the family. She felt that her efforts were appreciated by the government and military; once her family was invited to watch the launch of one of the Liberty Ships, the SS Marine Falcon, at Vancouver Yard on April 27, 1945. At the end of the war, she remembers a big celebration in a park in Monmouth. She enjoyed welcoming service members home from the war, but also recalls the mourning for those who were lost. After the war, her father asked her if she wanted a fur coat or to go to college. She chose college at Oregon State University, where she began majoring in Mechanical Engineering, one of only six women in that program. She describes meeting her husband Bruce, marrying him on June 13, 1948, and raising two sons. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a business degree and worked as a CPA. Doreen later finished college and enjoyed working to help others. Now that she is a member of the American Rosie the Riveter Association, she feels that her wartime service is appreciated, and it is heartwarming to be welcomed into their group. Reflecting on her service, she was glad to be part of something that helped restore peace. We are grateful that Dr. Yvonne Fasold helped us connect with several “Rosies” in Oregon.