Rosie the Riveter

Happy Memorial Day!

My dad took my grandma (a WWII vet) to our hometown parade this afternoon. He drove his 1930 Model A and my grandma, with her hat on, waved to the crowd. I'm sure they were freaking hot, but she gets a kick out of it so I guess it's worth it. She worked as a riveter and loves to tell stories of her days in the army.

Actually, many of her stories involve her and her girlfriends going to the clubs dancing and meeting service men... She was quite the party girl. All four of her older brothers were in service and, being the only girl in the family, she decided she would too. I would absolutely love to have the family flag with five stars that once hung in my great-grandparent's window, but one of my cousins is a museum/history guy so I think he has it. My one uncle was on the beaches of Normandy, shortly following D-day. He was in Patton's army and has a much harder time telling his war stories without getting teary eyed. I'll never understand what he saw or what it must have been like having your friend die in your arms.

My grandfather was also on the beaches of Normandy, in the tanks that follow the troops. I don't know a lot about his war stories. They didn't date until they were both home, so most of the stories I've heard were after the war. My grandma only says that he was, "so handsome in his uniform." Gotta hand it to her, she called it about men in uniform. :)