[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 96 (Friday, July 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO FAIRFAX DISTRICT WORLD WAR II B-25J PRODUCTION WORKERS

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                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 14, 2005

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, as the Library of Congress 
continues its efforts to memorialize American veterans through the 
Veterans History Project, I rise today to pay tribute to and honor 
59,337 men and women in Kansas City who proudly served the home front 
and their Nation in a time of dire need.
  In what is known as the ``Fairfax District'' in Kansas City, Kansas, 
North American Aviation of Kansas, a B-25J ``Mitchell'' bomber 
production plant, built 6,608 of the 9,817 bombers used during World 
War II. This number represents 67 percent, or 2 out of every 3 B-25J 
bombers built for the war effort. The women and men working in this 
factory sacrificed their sweat, blood, and tears to ensure that the 
United States remained strong and equipped during this fight.
  As thousands and thousands of our citizens joined in the fight and 
left their jobs to serve in uniform, factories all across the country 
were facing a labor shortage, at the same time they were being called 
upon to produce vital equipment needed by our troops. In order to 
fulfill this need and do their part in the war effort, women joined the 
workforce and kept our factories busy producing machinery for the 
military effort, like the bombers produced at North American Aviation 
of Kansas. As some of the first women to join the industrial 
revolution, their hard work and dedication earned these women the 
nickname ``Rosie the Riveter.'' Working hard right beside these 
``Riveters'', men embraced their new colleagues as coworkers and 
equals, ripping down previous barriers of gender-based stereotypes in 
the work place.
  As the United States continues to fight injustice around the world 
today, it is important to remember the courageous production workers 
who continue to give our military the equipment they need to stay safe 
and continue to prevail in the most dangerous of encounters. Mr. 
Speaker, I thank the ``Bomber Builders'' of the North American 
Aviation-Kansas aeronautical production plant who began today's 
tradition of continued sacrifice by offering their dedication, pride, 
and unwavering support for their nation during World War II when our 
Nation and the cause of freedom needed them the most.

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