“Rosie the Riveters” to be honored with Congressional Gold Medal

This week, the incredible women who worked in factories during World War II will finally receive the Congressional Gold Medal, a special honor they’ve been waiting for.

Some of these women are in their 80s, and a few are even over 100 years old. Although many women helped during the war, only a small number are still alive today to see this recognition.

One of these amazing ladies is Susan King. She’s 99 years old and remembers working in a factory, using a rivet gun to build warplanes. Susan started working there when she was just 18, along with 20 million other people who took over jobs when men went to fight in the war.

For Susan and many other women, working in factories was different than the usual jobs women did, like being maids. They became known as “Rosie the Riveters” and were shown in a famous picture of a woman wearing a jumpsuit and a bandana. But after the war, they didn’t get much recognition, unlike the veterans.

Even though these women didn’t get recognition for a long time, they spent their lives teaching others about what they did. Now, their stories are kept safe in museums and parks all over the country.

Phyllis Gould was one of the women who spoke up to make sure the Rosies got recognized. Sadly, she passed away in 2021. But because of her and others like her, the Congressional Gold Medal will finally be given to these amazing women who helped change history.

Repurposed article originally from CBS saturday morning