Interview with Mary White

Length
36:12
Date
Interviewer
Cahill, Patricia
Cassette tape
Audio file
Description

Interview with Mary White about her experience as a "Rosie the Riveter" during World War II. She discusses growing up in rural northwestern Missouri, and coming to Kansas City at age 18 to work at the North American Aviation plant building B25 Bombers as part of the war effort. She later worked for a top secret project for Aireon Manufacturing, which she later suspected was an early radar system. She recalls rationing and shortages, people lost in the war, meeting troop trains and going to USO events; and also recounts the story of finally getting to see a complete B25 in 2012, and learning that it was one she worked on. She also discusses working for Sears and other companies after the war, her family, and life in retirement, as well as her thoughts on whether the level of patriotism reached in the WWII era will ever be reached again.

Interviewee
Object Type
Neighborhood
Country
Notes
Interview done in cooperation with the "Tell Me a Story" program at Mid-Continent Public Library's Midwest Genealogy Center: https://www.mymcpl.org/genealogy/collections/tell-me-a-story
Transcription
Owning Organization(s)
Institution Website
Shelf Location

Veteran's Oral History Project

Digital Object Identifier
JCHS-VHP-White-Mary
Disclaimer
This oral history recording is presented as a historical document of the recollections and opinions of persons living and/or working in Kansas City when the history was conducted. Minor edits have been made to remove pauses, interruptions and verbal tics, and the recording is otherwise verbatim as it was captured. These oral histories represent the thoughts and opinions of the original participants and do not reflect the views of the Kansas City Public Library or its partner organizations in this oral history project.
Use & Reproduction

This material is protected by copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Acknowledgement
This project was funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library.