Rosie the Riveters to 75th D-Day
6/14/19 UPDATE: The Rosies have returned from their trip!!! Please read the 2 updates attached! #2 shows up first so please start with #1.
Update on the progress of the Rosies trip to Normandy:
(While I estimated on the higher end of some of the budget items, funds are still appreciated as Trip Insurance was not initially added to the original estimate).
Thank you so much to all of the donors to make this pipe dream a reality for the Rosies! The outpouring of support has humbled the Rosies while at the same time has filled their hearts to know that people care about them and what they've done for our country. Marian W. will be able to visit her brother's grave in a few short days and the Rosies' calender is overflowing with events, parades, and visits with WW2 Vets while in Normandy.
Unfortunately Rosie Kay is unable to join us on the trip due to Dr's orders. As some of you know, Kay's presence fills the room and we will miss not having her with us. Kay was able to make a 4 day trip to D.C. this past week, not as long as the France trip, but she came home very tired and she knew her Dr. had made the right call.
Donors may contact me if they wish to be invited to two Rosie Facebook pages, one I created and one that Celine created in France. We hope to add pictures and video to them as the trip progresses but most of them may have to be uploaded upon our return.
Tune in to MSNBC's The Andrea Mitchell Report 9am Pacific on either June 5th OR June 6th (Presidents' press conference might preempt them on the 6th, so they would be moved to the 5th).
The Rosies are honored to, once again, stand behind "the boys" they supported all those years ago.
UPDATE: 4-06-2019
With gratitude to our dear friend Celine Rouhalde and to the many people of France, Belgium, and the U.K. who answered her call, they have raised over $7,300.00 to help bring the Rosies to Normandy! Their donations have helped push us closer to our goal. We have been able to purchase airfare and accommodations in Normandy as well as cars for ground transportation. We still have a bit of way to reach our total goal but we are very, very close! Please help the Rosies reach their goal, by donating and sharing their campaign!
“All the day long whether rain or shine
She’s a part of the assembly line
She’s making history, working for victory
Rosie the Riveter”
“Rosie The Riveter” Words and Music by Redd Evans & John Jacob Loeb Published 1942
Six "Rosie the Riveters" would like to attend the 75th D-Day Commemorations taking place in Normandy, France in June 2019. The 75th Commemorations will be a big one and most likely will be one of the last hurrahs as these Veterans are all in their 90’s+. As with most elderly, these Rosies are on a limited budget so our hope is to raise funds as soon as possible to achieve this goal and to lock in travel dates.
With the large number of men heading off to join the military during World War II, women were encouraged to step up and fill the jobs left behind and it included a new industry – Military Production.
The women who came forward to work for the War Effort on the Home Front became many things including Welders, Draftsmen, Electricians, Munitions Factory workers, Outfitters of tanks and jeeps, and of course, Riveters. These women became collectively known as “Rosie the Riveters.” Not only did their contributions to the war effort help bring “their boys” back home, but their time on the job front planted the seeds of the women and civil rights movement.
Having the Rosies attend this event will help to round out the story of America's role during WW2; joining our Veterans, who fought valiantly against the Axis, with the women who produced the military might. The Rosies have met with visitors from France and Belgium who are forever grateful that the Allies helped in the war. (It is a little overwhelming for the Rosies as their modesty leaves them to think their role was minor, but we know that the military needed supplies and their contributions made the difference). There will be many opportunities to participate in parades and gatherings, meeting the people of Normandy.
One of these Rosies not only contributed to the war effort but also lost someone at D-Day. Marian Wynn’s brother, U.S. Army Private First Class Donald F. Parsons, died while serving his country in July 1944 and is buried on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach at the Normandy-American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. This would be the first time anyone within Marian’s family has been able to visit her brother’s grave.
It is my honor to work with these wonderful women— these Rosies, now all in their 90s, who continue to volunteer their time and share their stories to local school groups, libraries, and other community events. Their wish is to ensure their contributions of working for the War Effort on the Home Front are forever woven into the fabric of our country's history, never to be forgotten.
The six Rosies on this trip are:
Agnes Moore, 99, Journeyman Welder Kaiser Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA
Phyllis Gould, 97, Journeyman Welder, Kaiser Shipyard #2, Richmond, CA
Marian Sousa, 93, Draftsman, Kaiser Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA
Mae Krier, 93, Riveter, Boeing, Seattle, WA
Marian Wynn, 92, Pipe Welder, Kaiser Shipyard #3, Richmond, CA
We are raising funds for:
• Airfare for 5 Rosies and 3 helpers (all will fly from SFO Bay Area while one will fly out from PA)
• Accommodations
• The use of two vans or mini-bus and related incidentals during their stay
• Meals throughout their stay
(* Goal listed is based on price research.)
Any amount is greatly appreciated!
GFM does take out 2.9% + .30 cents of each donation for credit card transaction fees (& you can elect to tip GFM for the service they provide with any or no amount if you donate).
The trip idea was the brainchild of Celine Rouhalde, of France, who made a special appointment to meet these Rosies while on a visit to San Francisco in 2017. Celine’s Grandfather was a French Resistance fighter who took her with him to many of his FR reunions as she grew up; this is where she came to appreciate the contributions of the Allies who fought together for liberty and freedom and against tyranny. When she learned about the roles of the Rosies during WW2 she was excited to visit them during a trip to the Bay Area. She has echoed a sentiment the Rosies and Veterans hear often, “Without you I would either not exist or be speaking German. Celine and her husband Wilfried restore WW2 Military vehicles and drive them in parades throughout France, having participated many times in D-Day Commemorations. In addition, Celine participates in a group of women from France, England and Belgium that dress up as "Rosies" for WW2 commemorations, further educating the roles of Rosies beyond our shores.
Any remaining funds will be used for incidentals during the trip and remaining funds will be donated to the American Rosie the Riveter Association (A.R.R.A.) and the Rosie the Riveter Trust.
A little bit about me: I have had the honor of working with these wonderful Rosies since 2012 as their Organizer; coordinating their speaking events and providing for their transportation all over the San Francisco Bay Area. I organized and accompanied the Rosies to the White House in March 2014 where they were honored, on behalf of all Rosies, by V.P. Joe Biden and President Obama. I also organized and accompanied the Rosies to the 75th Commemoration of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in December 2016.
I am organizing this trip for the Rosies and will be one of the helpers on this trip. I am researching the best flights, hotel accommodations, transportation, etc., and I will be handling the donations and will be purchasing, as funds allow, the best deals we come across.
The Rosies thank you for your consideration of their Wish!