[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7831-H7832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DEDICATION OF LONG BEACH ROSIE THE RIVETER PARK AND INTERPRETIVE CENTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Richardson) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the dedication 
of the Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Center. This 
launch is going to be next Saturday on December 11, and it's going to 
be a historic occasion, not just for Long Beach, not just for 
California, but for the Nation. Let me tell you why I would take 5 
minutes out of our time to talk about this.
  Back in World War II, from 1942 to 1945, we had 6 million brave 
women, women who stepped forward, who helped us as a Nation to be able 
to help us to really move forward, to keep the economy going and to 
really begin to enter into a workforce that they had never been a part 
of before.
  In my own area, 175,000 women bravely worked and led the way. They 
were really trail blazers, and they worked at the Douglas Aircraft 
Plant where now we build the very famous C-17.
  When you consider a lot of the Rosie Riveters, on average they are 
about 85 years old. So it's important for us now more than ever to 
really acknowledge them and to thank them for their service. When we 
talk about the work that they did and how they supported the United 
States, they deserve our honor and our respect.
  This Long Beach site includes an interactive display of women, Air 
Force Service Pilots, who were known as WASPs at that time. These women 
transported the airplanes. They assembled them. They actually flew them 
to the places where they were needed the most. Because of their 
efforts, they were able to produce--imagine, women--300,000 airports, 
102,000 armored vehicles, 77,000 ships, 20 million small arms, 40 
million bullets, and 6 million tons of bombs.
  They were as much a part of our success and freedom for people all 
over the world, the women, the Rosie the Riveters, as were all of the 
veterans who also served. We will have in this area, not only a park 
and interactive center, but also a history and the names and telling of 
the work that these fine women did. There will be a rose-colored 
walking path, circles around that park area, etched with the timeline 
of all of the work that these ladies incredibly performed.
  Along the pathway, we will have stopping points where there will be

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etched stars and colored tiles and replicas of some of the many famous 
posters that we see today.
  The park will also have the ``compass rose'' that was known to be 
very famous back at that time at the Roosevelt naval base where they 
would fly from one section to another and that would be their focal 
point. Adjacent to the compass rose is a quiet garden, a memorial to 
the men and women who served in the military, noting the inscription: 
``All Gave Some, Some Gave All.''
  When we think of Rosie the Riveter, it's also been an inspiration to 
many of us. I see our Speaker who is sitting here now tonight, and I 
think of some of the things we have had where we have really valued 
what those women did and how they have inspired us today.
  At this particular location, we will have three flags that will be 
flown. One will be a U.S. flag that is actually being flown today. We 
will have a California flag and then a local flag as well.
  I call on my colleagues to take an opportunity to study and reflect 
and think about all the important stories that made this country so 
great. And we certainly couldn't leave out the Rosie the Riveters in 
World War II who began for many of us and why we stand here today.

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