Welding Ships And Riveting Planes: 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. Nita Eggers was born in April 1926 and grew up in Idaho, initially in St. Hellens before moving to a bigger farm in Ontario. Her father had a garage in St. Hellens, but when he lost that he became a farmer and raised cattle, turkey, and pigs. She had four brothers and all of them served during World War II. She remembers listening to the news of Pearl Harbor on the radio and her mom telling her, “Get Dad.” Later she remembers when Japanese Americans were put into internment camps. She graduated from high school in the spring of ’44 and took a job at the Kaiser shipyards in Portland as a welder before becoming a riveter at Boeing. She trained for a week to become a welder and was commended for her “light, steady touch” working on the Liberty ships. She recalls walking everywhere and living in a big house with all women. When she transitioned to riveting airplanes, she worked inside the wing sections because she was so skinny. When she finished a section, she called to her male counterparts to pull her out by her feet. She remembers the rivet gun being heavy, but it was no problem since she grew up a farm girl. War rationing did not really affect the family, and her dad supplemented their food by hunting, but she recalls once her mother falsely accused her of taking ration stamps. In her free time, a group of girls went to dances where they danced with all the servicemen. Her extended family had nine members in the service. She describes riding a 1944 Harley motorcycle. When the war ended, she remembers the party lasted for a week, but shortly after she was laid off. In 1952, she married and eventually had five children. After the children were all in school she went back to work at a bank, a hotel, and the phone company. Years after the war, people finally appreciated the work the Rosies did and she describes being a Grand Marshall for the Portland Rose Parade. She is proud and glad for her wartime service. We are grateful that Dr. Yvonne Fasold helped us connect with several “Rosies” in Oregon.