Come meet the “Rosies”: the women who worked at the Douglas Aircraft Plant during World War II. The public is invited to celebrate and honor them on Saturday, May l0th from 11 am until 3 pm for music, games and BBQ’d hot dogs from the Long Beach Firefighter’s Association.

The celebration will be a day dedicated to honoring working mothers and the women who served on the home front during World War II at the Long Beach Douglas Aircraft Plant. There will be an historic exhibit of photographs and memorabilia that captures this important part of American history that took place right in our own backyard.

Saturday, May 10th 2008 is the second annual event at the Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park, located at the corner of Conant and Clark in eastside Long Beach.

“Rosie the Riveter is an icon symbolizing the millions of women who in World War II responded to the billboards and posters calling on women to ‘Do the Job He Left Behind’,” says Schipske. “The park and our annual event are fitting tributes for these women who were an important part of our history.”

In 2006, Schipske proposed renaming the park from “Douglas Park” to “Rosie the Riveter Park” in honor of the women who worked during World War II at the US Army financed aircraft plant. The Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park is the first in the United States dedicated in honor of women who worked at the aircraft defense plants.

Schipske, who represents the 5th Council District, which includes the Boeing aircraft plant (formerly Douglas Aircraft), is looking for women (or their decedents) who worked on the home front in defense plants such as Douglas Aircraft, during World War II, to join her on May lOth at the Second Annual “Celebrating Rosie the Riveter in Long Beach” event as a tribute to their history and legacy.

If you or a relative are one of the thousands of women who worked in World War II defense industries such as Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach — while men, who traditionally held these positions went off to war – Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske wants to meet you.

Contact: Tiffany Andrews, Neighborhood Liaison, Office of Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, here.