80 years ago, these ‘Rosies’ jumped into action after the attack on Pearl Harbor

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Some eight decades ago, after America was thrust into WWII, women on the Homefront rallied while the men fought overseas.

These industrious women took on difficult jobs normally held by men, proving they could break gender barriers and social norms. These women came to be represented by an icon known as “Rosie the Riveter.”

Two of the “Rosies” arrived on Oahu Thursday ahead of the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Mae Krier and Marian Wynn are both 95 years old. Krier was a riveter at a Boeing plant in Seattle, and Wynn was a welder at a shipyard in the Bay Area.

They said when they heard about the attack, they knew they had to jump into action and serve their country.

For them, coming to Hawaii for the commemoration is an honor they take on behalf of so many others who stepped up during that time.

“It’s kind of nice to have two of us around. There is just a few of us now that can travel or do anything. It’s kind of nice to be able to do this,” Krier said after landing in Honolulu.

Over the years, the pair has attended WWII commemoration events like the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France. Each event, including Pearl Harbor, is a time for them to reflect on the lives lost, as well as those that carried on after the attack.

“Most, we’d like to honor the men that were Pearl Harbor survivors, not just the Arizona, but Pearl Harbor,” Krier said.

Wynn said she’s looking forward to paying her respects and commemorating the day during Tuesday’s somber ceremony.

“One last time, to be here and be on the Oklahoma if we can. I just want to be on it because my best friend’s brother went down on — he went down with the ship,” Wynn said.

During the pair’s flight from Oakland Tuesday, they said they got a standing ovation from their fellow passengers on the plane.

“Everybody clapped. Everybody came crowding up to us, taking pictures. All of sudden we were going into turbulence, and all of a sudden it was all over and there was no turbulence. I think the turbulence was us — everybody was coming to get our signature,” Wynn joked.

Hawaii News Now will have live coverage of the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on Tuesday.

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