As the train approached the station and came to a stop, Jackie and “Sug” stepped out onto the depot ramp in the legendary “Cow Town,” Fort Worth, Texas. They were excited about the adventure of being on their own in the big city, which was quite a change from the rural life they were used to back in the piney woods of southeast Louisiana.
Jackie (l) and Sug (r) strolling in downtown Fort Worth
It was the summer of 1942 and World War II had engulfed the globe. Sisters Jackie and Sug (as in “Sugar”), my great-aunts, had recently finished training in Rayne, Louisiana to work in the newly built Consolidated Aircraft Corporation plant outside Fort Worth. They would be helping to build “bombers,” — the new B-24 “Liberator” bomber, as well as the C-87 Liberator Express Transport.
The B-24 was to become the most produced military aircraft…
Pacific Paratrooper 
My Grandfather was on The USS New Jersey in WWII (Navy), and my dad was in the Korean War (Army), they both would have loved this page.
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I am sorry that I can not thank them myself for what they did for us. But I can include them in the Farewell Salutes, if you wish – simply give me their basic info as you see it here for other servicemen. I would be honored.
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Ah.. ladies build the famous B24.
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And…away they go…. quite good at it too!!
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My Jackie’s maiden name was Rivett. We are told that comes from the ancestral occupation of rivetting Knights’ armour
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That sounds quite feasible, Derrick. Our words and names all came from some logical source and that fits the bill!! I never thought about the term coming from that far back – good point, now you’ve got me curious.
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The Online Etymology Dictionary says:
rivet (n.) Look up rivet at Dictionary.comc. 1400, from Old French rivet “nail, rivet,” from Old French river “to clench, fix, fasten,” possibly from Middle Dutch wriven “turn, grind,” related to rive (v.). The English word may be directly from Middle Dutch.
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Thanks, GP. According to my brother Chris, who was the family archivist, if you have the surname Knight, you almost certainly weren’t one, much more likely a squire, the Knight’s attendant.
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Now, that one isn’t logical, is it?
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🙂
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Great article! Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks, I thought it was a good find!
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Again shows the amazing changes that war brought about at all levels.
(Someone has to say it!) A riveting tale!
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I HAD to smile at that one!! Thanks for stopping in today!
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Enjoyed reading the story and love first hand accounts!
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Aren’t they the best?! And it helps to show the support of the women – something I tend to be lax in doing. I’m attempting to correct that.
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You do a great job, Everett!
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Thanks, Kathy. I wish I could take credit for this one.
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Thanks to people such as Jackie and Sug, plants like these were vital in pumping up the economy in the Fort Worth, Grand Prairie and Arlington area as well as supporting the brave men and women who served and defended our country.
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Very true – it helped every one out during a very trying time in our history. Thanks for reading!
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What a great story. I’m impressed with America for recognizing the natural resource that women were, despite tradition. What a world it was for them!
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I firmly believe that working like this helped many of them to survive the years away from their loved ones, by keeping them busy and not imagining the worst every minute of every day.
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And Right in my own backyard – Fort Worth! I’m wondering if the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation is now called, Lockheed Martin – I’m off to read the post.
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You know your town, Mary –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force_Plant_4
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Thanks GP – they have a huge complex that we used to jog by when we lived over that way.
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That’s quite an inspiring story of them, especially in that era! Off to reading the full version now.
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I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. A home front story we can all enjoy!
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I can imagine the excitement of the young girls.
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I’ll bet, a big thrill – especially in those days!!
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Like Argus, I recall the ‘Rosie the Riveter’ propaganda film. Nice to have a touching personal story to balance that against, and a family recollection as well.
Best wishes, Pete.
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That’s how I felt, Pete. So many of these women and hear about so few.
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I’m off to read the entire story but thanks for bringing it to us.
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My pleasure. I’m sure Melinda will appreciate your visit, Dan.
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A beautiful real life record of a family’s participation in the war.
Records like this , are what is handed down through family’s, a family legacy.
A beautiful story and post.
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Yes it is. Nothing is better than eye witness accounts. Thanks, Ian.
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Weird that Safari won’t (well, mine doesn’t) give you a ‘Like’ button this time—I had to revisit in another browser to get one.
(It’s happened before—if you count likes for any reason you may be missing out on some.)
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I notice sometimes, the way you enter off of the Reader, the “Like” button is in the top-right of the page. This new-fangled program of theirs will take time for me to get used to too.
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I only remember ‘Rosie the riveter’, I guess they had more than one (but Rosie had a better agent—got more publicity~!)
As the guy above says, unsung heroes. (Dammit, I’m old and ugly enough to still use ‘heroines’ with a clear conscience) …
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The famous “Rosie” was basically a symbol for all the women who worked in a war-related job, but Rose Will Monroe who did work at Willow Run went on to do posters and was asked to star in a movie about “Rosie.” Hero or heroine – they did their part as a team.
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Unsung heroes, in the UK there were many women working in munitions, building panes and tanks..The “Air Transport Auxiliary” makes for an interesting read.
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The women did a great deal. I’m sure Melinda will appreciate your reading this story, I know I do!!
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Thanks
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Thank you.
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