Wendy the Welder: Icons of WWII Labor

American Women Built Ships

As WWII raged in Europe and the Pacific, millions of men were drafted, leaving women to fill roles once held by men. While Rosie the Riveter, the famed Woman Ordnance Worker from Norman Rockwell’s painting, is widely known, Wendy the Welder remains lesser-known. With German U-boats sinking supply ships daily, welders were in high demand, as welding drastically cut shipbuilding time. A typical ship took 45 days to construct, but with Wendy and others, a ship could launch in just 7 days.

This Labor Day, America, honor your valor and hard work—you earned it.