Group seeks to honor West Virginia’s ‘Rosies’

Jul 19, 2023

PULLING TOGETHER — The Brooke County Commission, Tuesday, learned of a group attempting to recognize the efforts of the many women who, during World War II, supported the war effort from the workplace. -- Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — The Brooke County Commission learned of efforts by a group to pay tribute to the many women who supported the efforts of U.S. troops during World War II when they entered the workforce.

In a teleconference call with the commissioners Tuesday, Anne Montague, founder of the American Rosie Movement, said while the nonprofit group’s name was inspired by the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter, its scope is much wider.

Montague said the image of a woman raising a sleeve, her hair tied back in a bandana, while proclaiming, “We can do it,” was drawn from the many women who worked on assembly lines producing military aircraft.

But the contributions of a female workforce, who made up for the absence of the many men who had gone to war, went farther than that, she said.

A resident of Cabell County, Montague said she learned as much through her mother, who had inspected lenses made for periscopes and binoculars used by service members.

She said an effort to tell their story culminated in a 2011 documentary, “We Pull Together: Rosie the Riveters, Then and Now” that features interviews with 31 women from various states, including the late Dora Grizzle, formerly of Wellsburg.

“There were as many women working on the home front as there were men serving in the military and their stories are much more than what they were doing in the factories,” said Montague.

She said a common theme among the interviewees was that each wanted to be known as part of a group effort, hence the documentary’s title.

“This issue of pulling together, despite how different we are, I think is really great,” she said.

Montague said the group’s effort is not done, as it’s setting out to encourage communities to pay tribute to the Rosies in various ways. She noted efforts have ranged from tree plantings to the creation of a park in St. Albans honoring them.

She said through such projects, “Every American should know by 2025 what a Rosie is.”

Commission President A.J. Thomas said County Clerk Kimberly Barbetta has shared Montague’s information with the Brooke County Museum board but added there are current and former industrial sites in the county that might figure in a recognition of the Rosies.

County Commissioner Tom Diserio noted several local steel mills and glass houses supported the war effort and Eagle Manufacturing served as a stamping plant, producing parts for military equipment.

County Commissioner Stacey Wise thanked Montague for her efforts to bring attention to the many women who toiled for the war effort.

In other business, the commissioners:

≤ Agreed to seek bids for the removal of trees lining an embankment between state Route 2 and the future site of a new county ambulance station near the highway’s intersection with Pleasant Avenue at Wellsburg’s north end.

Wise said the state Division of Highways, which owns the property, has given consent for the trees’ removal, to make it easier for approaching motorists to see ambulances entering the highway.

≤ Agreed to change the status of the county’s emergency 911 dispatchers from salaried to hourly.

Thomas said while the dispatchers are paid for overtime, the new status will ensure they are compensated properly under the new electronic timecard system employed by the county.

Wise added it also will make it easier to track hours put in by them for their future retirements.

The commissioners indicated they will consider the same move for the county’s sheriff’s deputies, who also are classified as salaried.

≤ Accepted the retirement of Kathy Snyder, who has served in the county clerk’s office for 17 years; and thanked her for her efforts over the years. They authorized Barbetta to advertise the vacancy.

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