Rosie the Riveter's real-life inspiration likely uncovered by Nebraska native's exhaustive research

[Omaha Steve]

Naomi Parker Fraley, above, takes issue with those who believe that the late Geraldine Hoff Doyle, who worked at a WWII-era plant in Michigan, was the model for Rosie the Riveter.


http://www.omaha.com/columnists/hansen/hansen-rosie-the-riveter-s-real-life-inspiration-likely-uncovered/article_374c9626-adaf-528a-8593-495187efa0a9.html

POSTED: SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2016 12:15 AM
By Matthew Hansen / World-Herald columnist

The woman that history forgot is 94 now. She tires easily. Her name is Naomi, and pretty much no one knows that she’s likely the inspiration for one of World War II’s most famous images, at least not until now.

Naomi can’t hear much, so when I call her in California her 92-year-old sister, Ada, gets on the line and yells the questions at her, resulting in a jumbled, three-way conversation that exhausts the sisters.

Finally, I decide to keep it simple. Ada, can you ask your sister one question? Yes, she says.

Ask her this: “Naomi, how does it feel to be Rosie the Riveter?”

FULL story at link.

[Jackilope]

1. This is so cool!!! Thank you for this OS!

[Yonnie3]

2. Thanks for posting this Steve.

It stirred my memories of my late mother who worked for the Army as a civilian during WWII. She studied captured armor and munitions effectiveness versus US munitions and armor. I remember her anger would still surface 50 years later about being replaced by a man as the war in Europe wound down. For her this was a defining moment and she pushed for women's equality through out her life. Seeing a Rosie poster she would have said "and what did Rosie get to do after the war?"

[jwirr]

3. So very true. Most of the women went home and did not

have a job outside the home. And that lasted for years unless you were going to be a teacher or a nurse.