What a Day at the National Archives!

GranFran and I had a wonderful time at the
National Archives in D. C., including a
book signing!

     GranFran and I had a fabulous trip to Washington, D. C., where we, along with my brother, Wayne, not only spoke during a historical seminar focusing on Operation Dragoon (the 1944 invasion of southern France that my dad was in), but also visited the DAR Headquarters building (a great year to be there, since GranFran was one of their Women in American History Award recipients in May, nominated by the Lily of the Cahaba Chapter).

     Then we had a book signing at the National Archives--my favorite place in Washington! The National Archives gift shop carries both R is for Rosie the Riveter and Free-Falling for Freedom, so it was wonderful--and surreal, to be honest--to have an autograph table there. We stayed nearly twice as long as scheduled, because people just kept coming--Rosie Mania once again! Unfortunately, no photos were allowed, but I can assure you it was fabulous to greet people from all over the country and the world.

My favorite place in Washington, D. C.--the National 
Archives--carries two of our books in their gift shop--
it doesn't get any better than this!

     As an added bonus, it was on Constitution Day. When I was a school librarian and was tasked with providing our school's Constitution Day emphasis, more than once I set up in the library a mock Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, which is at the National Archives building, where the original Declaration of Independence, U. S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights are on display.

     If you have never visited this fabulous place, start planning a trip now--it's awesome! Many thanks to the bookstore staff for being such fabulous hosts!

The Rosies Gathered in Atlanta, and Did They Make a Splash!

     Each year, the American Rosie the Riveter Association has a Convention/Reunion somewhere in the U. S., and this summer it was in Atlanta, GA. Twenty original Rosies gathered (aren't they beautiful?), along with three times that many Rosebuds (female descendants), Rivets (male descendants), friends, and guests to represent 21 states. 

     What a treasure these ladies are!

     Besides hearing some great stories shared by the Rosies--and Rosebuds whose Rosies couldn't be present--we toured the Atlanta History Center, who gave a reception so Rosies could mingle with their members.

  

We loved how many children
were there, even dressed as Rosie
and ready to roll, like this cutie who posed with GranFran.

Five of the Rosies, including GranFran,
rocked a packed auditorium with their panel
discussion at the Atlanta History Center.
Rosies are really very funny ladies!

Back at the Convention, professional storyteller Carol Cain (right), pictured here with my daughter, Sarah Branum Law, gave us a fabulous one-woman Rosie show! It was the SAME performance that Carol presented at Roosevelt's Little White House in Warm Springs, GA in 1997 (and every year since then, BTW) -- the one that helped inspire GranFran to found the American Rosie the Riveter Association in 1998. And P. S. Sarah was a little girl when she saw that performance for the first time - she's been a Rosie enthusiast ever since!

Several presenters told us about historical happenings,
including Sgt. Major (Ret.) Scarlett Williams,
who gave us an update on the USO,
a subject dear to every Rosie's heart.

We heard some great '40's music
by the Freedom Belles trio
as well as our own members.

Follow this link to see more pics from the Convention at our Shutterfly site! 

    OK, friends, next year's convention will be in June, 2017 in Kansas City, MO. Why don't YOU make plans to join us there and hang out with some Rosies? Watch the American Rosie the Riveter Association website for details as they unfold, or get in touch with me, Nell Branum, for more info!

Power UP! for Girls Interested in Construction Careers

Power UP! It's a Mother-Daughter Thing!

     Oh my goodness! When GranFran and I arrived at the Alabama Workforce Training Center in Birmingham on Tuesday evening, we weren't exactly sure what we would find. After all, the Power UP: It's a Mother Daughter Thing event we were attending was the first of its kind for central Alabama.

Note the hands-on bricklaying
being prepared for the girls
in the background -
they loved it!

     But what we found was teams of moms and middle-school/high-school daughters from three counties -- LOTS of them! -- pumped about exploring careers in construction.

A special treat for the girls
was hearing from
 Kayleen McCabe,
host of the popular
"Rescue Renovation"
show on the
DIY Network.
(Note her "Rosie"
lunchbox/purse - how
fun is that!)

Fox 6 anchors Ronda Robinson
and Janice Rogers were
on hand to cheer on
the girls!

    And when I say exploring, I mean having hands-on experiences with bricklaying, virtual welding, driving nails, and more. I mean hearing from and talking with successful executive women in construction from around the country who flew in to share their expertise. I mean interacting with 20 contractors about possibilities, as well as representatives from construction-related businesses and organizations. I mean chatting with reps from several universities about training in construction careers.
     All in a girly-girl atmosphere, complete with hot pink, lime green,and purple balloons, not to mention the pink swirly-top raspberry-filled cupcakes. It was awesome!
     Click here to see CBS Channel 42's coverage of the event.

Girls got to meet successful women in 
construction, like Lucy Thompson Marsh 
from Thompson Tractor and Caterpillar.

     GranFran had a table in the hands-on room, where she explained informally the historical Rosie the Riveter perspective, and encouraged the girls and moms to look for a WW II Rosie in their family tree and (of course!) join the American Rosie the Riveter Assocation. Over and often, we find how women's construction groups have embraced the Rosie legacy, since Rosies opened the door for women to fill roles in the work force that were traditionally filled by men. And judging by the number of girls and moms --  and men! -- who lined up to have their picture made with GranFran, the new generation is catching the point of Rosie's part in the process.
    The event was organized by Mittie Cannon of Robins & Morton construction and engineering company, Antiqua Cleggett of the Central Six Development Council, and the folks at Girl's Inc. of Central Albama.
     GREAT JOB!!! to all who put together this extraordinary event. Thanks for letting us be a part of it!

Rock On, Birmingham Rosies!

   

      Our Birmingham Chapter of the American Rosie the Riveter Association had a great time (as always!) this past Saturday when we met at the historic Irondale Cafe for our quarterly meeting. The gentleman speaking in this picture is Mark Akerman, Director of Education for Vulcan Park and Museum. If you've ever driven through Birmingham, you have probably seen the colossal Vulcan statue high atop Red Mountain, and Mark knew all the great history and fun tidbits to share with us -- we love all kinds of history!

Some of our Birmingham Rosies

    Our Birmngham Chapter has such a great group of Rosies, Rosebuds (female descendants), and Rivets (male descendants) -- they regularly collect toiletry items for Three Hots and a Cot, a local shelter for homeless veterans, and they are preparing to gather and share with visitors on May 21 when the Southern Museum of Flight hosts the "Fifi," the last B-29 airplane still flying, and several other vintage aircraft from the Air Power History Tour.
     And we are gearing up to welcome to the Southeast Rosies from across the country, along with their family members and guests, when the American Rosie the Riveter Association has their national convention in Atlanta, June 10-12, 2016.
     And by the way, you are welcome to join us at any of these gatherings! See convention registration information on the ARRA website here, and join us for our next Birmingham Chapter meeting at Irondale Cafe on June 4, 2016!
     Rock on, Rosies!
   

Super Sixth Graders at Liberty Park Middle School

GranFran as Rosie at Liberty Park Middle School

     GranFran and I so enjoyed meeting the SUPER sixth graders at Liberty Park Middle School  in Vestavia Hills, Alabama this week! Rosie the Riveter arrived just at the moment these guys were studying World War II in the sixth grade curriculum, and it was impressive -- and encouraging! -- to see how much these guys know about our nation's history! Jean Deal, their wonderful Librarian, made our visit so smooth and seamless. What a great school! Keep it up, LPMS, and thanks for a great visit!

We loved visiting LPMS!
Our thanks to Principal Kacy Pierce and
Assistant Principal Roger Dobnikar. . . 

. . . and Librarian Jean Deal for the invite! Note that
Jennifer Isbell, LPMS's sixth grade Social Studies
teacher, is sporting her own Rosie t-shirt!

Feeling At Home at Samford University

   

Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama
is a Christian school that is consistently ranked among
the top universities in the nation by folks like
U. S. News and World Report and Kiplinger's.

       In case you have wondered, you CAN go home again! GranFran and I did just that this week when we spoke at the Samford University Retired Faculty Association's monthly meeting. GranFran of course, taught Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Samford for 28 years, and my late father, Dr. John Carter, was on faculty for 31 years, retiring as Dean of the School of Education. I graduated from Samford, as did my brother, my husband, two of my children, and a daughter-in-law.
     So it was pure pleasure when Dr. Ellen McLaughlin, this year's President of the Retired Faculty Association, asked us to do our Rosie  the Riveter program for this special group of people  -- those who have shaped and influenced so many great kids as they have gone through this remarkable university.
       My dad was the driving force in getting the Retired Faculty Association started many years ago, and he and Mother have been active in it all along. But it was especially fun for me to greet some of these folks that I knew from my childhood, growing up as an FK (Faculty Kid), and reveal that I am now a grandmother of eight!
     Go Bulldogs!!!

Meeting New Friends at Galleria Woods

Chilling with some of our new friends at Galleria Woods!

GranFran and I had such a good time with these ladies (and some other ladies AND men who didn't get into the picture) when we presented our program at the Galleria Woods Senior Living Community in Birmingham. Some of the residents even had their own memories and experiences to share (though most were only children at the time) -- and that makes for a really rich and fun time together!

Quite a task - 1,000 pieces!

In honor of the day, some of the ladies had put together this 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle -- gee, that gal looks familiar!

Many thanks to Activities Director Lesley Stevens for inviting us to spend this wonderful time with our new friends!

R is for Rosie the Riveter won an award!

We are thrilled and honored that R is for Rosie the Riveter won a gold medal in the 

2015 Indie Excellence Awards in the Pre-teen Non-Fiction category! 

Rock on, Rosie -- keep on inspiring the next generation to have the "We Can Do It!" spirit. 

Cross-stitch kit can be
completed with or without
the words.

And here's some more fun -- our friend, Posy Lough of The Posy Collection, has transformed the cover of R is for Rosie into a cross-stitch kit! Sorry, the frame is not included.

Redwork kit -- Posy made it into
a sweet pillow

And the cover is also
available in a redwork kit (red thread outlines on muslin). Again, sorry, the polka dot fabric and other finishing is not included, but many thanks to Posy for working these out.

Posy's motto is "Preserving Our Story in Stitches," and if you check out The Posy Collection, you will be amazed at the historical buildings and scenes she has preserved in those stitches! We are tickled to be part of her collection.

Order cross-stitch kits through the American Rosie the Riveter Association's Rosie Shoppe, or email me at nellbran@yahoo.com for cross-stitch or redwork kits.

Rosie Mania continues!

We loved visiting with the IBEW 6th District in Detroit!

What a great time GranFran and I had visiting with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, District 6  (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) Women's Conference in Detroit! It was great to meet so many women who are involved in electrical careers and to hear their stories. And the men really turned out for the Women's Conference, too. Can't say that I blamed them - the whole morning was great.

GranFran spoke at the end of Tuesday morning, and the audience was so receptive and wonderful. People came to speak to her during the breaks even before her time on program, and they gave her a standing ovation as she made her way to the platform. There was a wonderful lunch, and then came perhaps the most fun time of all -- the photo booth! Women and men alike lined up to have their picture taken with GranFran in her Rosie outfit, then to have her autograph on their prints and books.

GranFran and IR Cheri Stewart

We will never forget the kindnesses of the trip, especially how Cheri Stewart, International Representative (and the only woman IR for District 6 by the way, so way to go Cheri!) took great care of us, getting us to and from the airport, settled in our hotel, etc. All around, District 6 has it going on!

GranFran and Tracy
in the airport shuttle van

And you might be interested to know that this fun time came about because of our 6:00 a.m. airport shuttle ride when we were leaving the Rosie convention in Richmond, CA in June -- that's right, our airport shuttle! The van picked us up at our hotel to go to the Oakland airport, then wound through Berkeley and Oakland to pick up three more passengers. The third passenger was a lovely lady named Tracy Torbert, who was on her way home to Michigan. As we all chit-chatted (albeit a little bleary-eyed at 6 a.m.!) Tracy discovered that GranFran was a Rosie and had been to a Rosie convention. She was VERY familiar with Rosie and so excited to meet an actual one -- turns out she is the President of her union, and District 6 has been embracing Rosie and her "We Can Do It!" spirit for several years. We snapped this quick photo while the van driver unloaded the bags, and -- long story short -- in a few weeks the invitation came to speak to the Women's Conference in Detroit, and we are so glad it did! (I guess the moral of this story is -- anything can happen, even at 6:00 a.m.!)

Thanks, Tracy, Cheri, and everyone else who made this a memorable event for us!

Wonderful students at Trace Crossings Elementary

     Do you know what a STEAM school is? It is a school that has elected to concentrate on education through Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Mathematics, and Trace Crossings Elementary in Hoover, AL is one of them. They have been talking about Rosie the Riveter all fall as part of their emphasis, and they used R is for Rosie the Riveter in classes. So we were thrilled when they asked GranFran to come and speak to all the students and share real-life Rosie experiences!


     What great students and teachers we met in three presentations. Many thanks to librarian Stephanie Farnlacher for working out this special day!

      Keep STEAM-ing forward, Trace Crossings!

Such a fun day at Russellville High School

Mrs. Carroll's Hobbies class -
note the Flat Stanleys!

       Many thanks to librarian Debbie Nale of Russellville High School, who invited us to speak to RHS students! We enjoyed so much meeting the wonderful students there. Here is a picture of Mrs. Rachelle Carroll's Hobbies class -- that's right, a class on Hobbies! Wish that class had been around when I was in high school. They were participating in a Flat Stanley project with high school students in South Korea. Students from RHS took pictures with Stanley experiencing different aspects of American life, wrote explanations of what Stanley was doing, and sent them to South Korea. As Mrs. Carroll says, "RHS students will now be able to introduce students across the globe to Rosie the Riveter and make a connection between America's proud history of military service and modern-day students in South Korea." What a great idea!

The Book Lovers Club was a delight, as well. This community service club is active and involved in many charities, and truly has a "We Can Do It!" spirit. You'll notice a lot of teal was worn that day, because of their Ovarian Cancer Month project.

And thanks to Debbie for piloting our book sales fund-raiser, in which schools can take the orders and handle the transactions, then keep a percentage of the book sales! (Email me at nellbran@yahoo.com if you want details for your school.)

Thanks, RHS - we thoroughly enjoyed our visit!

Rosies Going Strong at 2015 Convention in Richmond, California!

      All of the lovely ladies that you see here are real live Rosie the Riveters! They are women who went to work during World War II - building airplanes, ships, and lots of other jobs that were needed to win the war. They live all across the U. S., from Maryland to Pennsylvania to Alabama to Texas to Iowa to Oregon to Kansas to Arizona to California, but they all traveled to Richmond, California last weekend for the 2015 convention of the American Rosie the Riveter Association - and what a convention it was! GranFran and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Click here to meet some of these amazing women via the local KTVU  evening news spot during the convention.

One of many WW II scenes in
the Park's fabulous Visitor Center

     Why Richmond? Because during the war, thousands of men and women were working in four Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, building ships for the war effort. Today, Richmond is the home of the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park, and it was our privilege to tour the Park's wonderful Visitor Center and other historical sites throughout the city. The above picture of the Rosies was taken at the Craneway Pavilion, part of the old Ford Assembly Plant that stopped making civilian cars during the war and made tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other military vehicles instead. The historical building is now a venue for weddings, roller derbies, and lots of other events.

Rosies who volunteer as docents
at the Visitor Center, sharing about
their trip to meet with Vice President
Biden in May 2014.

     We met several of the spunky Rosies who volunteer as docents at the Park's Visitor Center each Friday. In May, 2015, they traveled to Washington, D. C. at the invitation of Vice President Biden. Watch this CUTE video of Lara Spencer's (Good Morning, America) coverage of their trip.

 ARRA National President Yvonne Fasold
with Rosie Elinor Otto, age 95 -- who
JUST RETIRED from the job as a riveter
that she started in 1942!

We also met Elinor Otto, age 95, who started working as a riveter in 1942 and JUST RETIRED from riveting at Boeing this year--at age 95! And I don't think she was too happy about retiring when she did - what a dynamo! Here is an NBC video of Elinor on the job when she was a mere 93.
    All of these women are an inspiration - it is not only
  fun to hear their stories, it is also amazing to realize what they accomplished, and what a legacy they have left for us. Thanks, Rosies!

The Rosies also brought their daughters and granddaughters (Rosebuds),
sons and husbands (Rivets), and guests to the Convention.

GranFran and 13 other Rosies were honored by the Dutch Embassy

    It was quite moving to be part of a ceremony at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D. C. last weekend, when 14 representative "Rosie the Riveter" working women of World War II were honored for their service in helping to liberate The Netherlands 70 years ago. My mom, Dr. Fran Carter (fourth from the left in the photo) was one of them.

14 Rosies represented all the Rosies who helped
 make Operation Chowhound a reality, pictured here 
with organizers.

    By the winter and spring of 1945, the war had taken its toll on so many countries in Europe. Still under German occupation, citizens of The Netherlands were starving. You can read more about The Hunger Winter in The Netherlands here and here.
     In late April and early May of 1945, Allied bombers dropped food, including military rations, into the countryside. The British wave of drops was called Operation Manna and the American wave was named Operation Chowhound. Click here to see some great historical footage of actual sorties and drops in this humanitarian effort. Though distribution was a challenge under such difficult circumstances, the operations provided more than 10,000 pounds of food, as well as hope for Dutch citizens. Rosies had helped to build the planes, the parachutes, and even package the food that was dropped, so The Netherlands honored these 14 Rosies as representatives of the many who helped. The military who participated are being honored in a separate ceremony.

GranFran (front, right) with a
fellow Rosie, Ambassador Bekink,
and Commodore Reefman.

It was exciting to be a part of
this ceremony with GranFran
and my brother, Wayne.

   Dr. Hugo Keesing, who was two years old in The Netherlands at the time of the airdrops, helped to organize the thank-you, as one of the children who was saved by the drops. A prolific collector and archivist of pop music, he arranged for a presentation of popular songs from the '40's: "Lady's on the Job," "Sweetheart in Overalls," "Mama, Put Your Britches On" and one we knew very well, "Rosie the Riveter." Also expressing gratitude to the Rosies were Ambassador H. E. Rudolf Bekink and Commodore Ralph Reefman, Defense Attache.
     Other organizers were Thanks, Plain and Simple, which is a West Virginia-based non-profit that honors Rosies, and a club of Dutch residents in the D. C. area called D. C. Dutch.
     What a day!

The 70th Anniversary of V-E Day!

     Did you realize that on May 8, 1945, the fighting was over in Europe? What a day that must have been!
    In Free-Falling for Freedom and also Some Sidelights of Operation Dragoon, my dad described his experience of trying to report back to his Headquarters, which meant navigating Paris in two open jeeps:

   

My dad, John T. Carter, in 1945

 "The entire city of Paris was one big celebration. The streets were crowded and blocked. I was driving, and there were many human traffic jams, so we had to stop often. The Parisians were so jubilant, they would pile into the jeep and celebrate, even if we wouldn't get out. Every time I had to stop, the French passengers would jump out and another batch would jump in. It was by far the most fascinating battle I had participated in!"

     Now 70 years later, GranFran and I celebrated the 70th anniversary of V-E Day with visits to two awesome schools.

Advent Episcopal School and Church

     First, we visited Advent Episcopal School in its beautiful downtown Birmingham location. We were so fortunate to be there on the day of their weekly chapel service, in which students participated and also took leadership roles. Second grade teacher Beverly Crawford had arranged for us to share with students in grades pre-K through 8 about the legacy of Rosie the Riveter. What amazing students we met there!
     Then, we were with Williams Intermediate School in Pell City on the actual V-E Day. Under the direction of 6th grade teacher Amy Martin, ten classes of sixth graders rotated to six stations that emphasized patriotism and the legacy

GranFran with sixth graders at
Williams Intermediate School

that we all received from World War II. A WW II veteran answered questions at one station, they learned the proper way to fold a flag at another, they learned some kickin' 1940's dances at another--and Rosie the Riveter (aka GranFran) shared her experiences at another! The local VFW Honor Guard provided a moving 21-gun salute and Taps, and to top it off, their school choir sang. The students were fabulous, and we were so honored to be part of their special day!

Lots to check out at the Gardendale (AL) Public Library!

Many thanks to the staff at Gardendale Public Library for inviting us to their Author Expo today, and several other events recently! It's so much fun to share the Rosie story with children and grown-ups! And we have loved connecting with other local authors at the Author Expos  - who knew there were so many in our own back yard!

GranFran at Gardendale Public Library Author Expo, April 2015

We met some wonderful ladies
when we spoke for their Women's History Month presentation.

GranFran and I were THRILLED when these three special young ladies
visited our author table at Gardendale Library's Author Expo in November
(especially since they are my granddaughters)!

A Great Day at Gardendale Elementary!

GranFran and I had so much fun returning to Gardendale Elementary, where I was Librarian for 13 years, and seeing "My Kids" for an author visit! Thanks to Elizabeth Lochamy, their new and very capable Librarian, for inviting us!

The time machine took us back to 1942!