‘Rosie the Riveters’ inspire young girls to become leaders of tomorrow

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two women who served as Rosie the Riveters during World War II visited the Hawaii School for Girls Thursday to meet students ahead of the 84th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Jeanne Gibson, 99, and Dorothy Jane Nicholas, 102, shared stories, answered students’ questions, and signed commemorative posters during their visit to the La Pietra campus.

What are Rosie the Riveters?

Rosie the Riveters, also called Rosies, served as factory and shipyard workers during World War II to sustain the nation’s war effort while men fought overseas.

Gibson worked as a welder at Todd Pacific Shipyard in Seattle, helping build U.S. Navy destroyers after being denied admission to veterinary school because the field was considered “too hard” for women.

Nicholas was the first woman ever hired at Evaporated Metal Films in New York, where she polished prisms used in tanks and aircraft.

“This is a unique opportunity for female leaders of tomorrow to meet trailblazers from the past,” said Aileen Utterdyke, President and CEO of Pacific Historic Parks. “The Rosies’ ‘We Can Do It’ spirit helped win the war on the home front and continues to inspire service and citizenship.”

Meeting the next generation

La Pietra students in sixth and eighth grade began the assembly with a chant and ended by singing the school’s alma mater.

A meet-and-greet between the Rosies and the students followed the assembly.

Gibson continues to share her wartime experiences every Friday at the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center in California.

Nicholas, who still sends out more than 180 “Thinking of You” cards each month, said her wartime years were “the best days of my life.”

The Pearl Harbor attack occurred on Dec. 7, 1941, prompting the United States to enter World War II.