Betty Ridenour sits in front of Girl Scout Troop 6017 of Coronado. Her white hair glows in the sun, and she has a big smile on her face as the Girl Scouts introduce her. Her pink-rimmed glasses match the pink on her lips.
Ridenour was a riveter in World War II, a term that refers to women who produced the military equipment crucial to winning the war. She joined in 1942, when she had just turned 18 years old.
She is now 99 years old.
It was recently Rosie the Riveter Day on March 21. Due to weather, the Coronado Historical Association celebrated the day on Tuesday, April 11, with Ridenour and her husband, Bill Ridenour, who is also a World War II veteran, in front of the Spreckles Senior Center in Coronado.
Every year, Girl Scout Troop 6017 looks into what it means to be a woman, back then and today.
“Girl Scouts does such a great job of empowering young girls, and it’s just an honor to be a leader,” said Crystal Bettenhausen-Bubulka, a co-leader of Troop 6017.
Rosie the Riveter represented over 9 million women who were involved in the war, either in factories, the Red Cross or serving in the military.
She became an inspiration as she encouraged women to join the workforce and contribute to the war effort.
She also became a symbol of female empowerment and independence, an image that challenged the traditional gender roles of the time.
And although Rosie the Riveter symbolized millions of women, there was a specific group that this name represented.
Women who worked to produce tanks, ships, planes and other material during World War II called themselves “Rosies,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
“Rosies,” also known as riveters, were responsible for assembling and joining the metal plates and parts of airplanes, ships and other military vehicles during World War II.
They used hand-held tools called rivet guns to insert and fasten rivets, which were small metal pins used to connect two pieces of metal together.
Ridenour was a “Rosie,” an actual riveter from World War II, who worked on the B-24 Liberator which was a heavy bomber, an aircraft introduced in 1941.
And looking up to women like Ridenour is what the Girl Scouts aim to teach with this important day.
“It’s to inspire young generations that women can work in STEM…they see it’s not just a new field. These women, like Mrs. Betty, worked in engineering!” said Christine Stokes, the executive director of the Coronado Historical Association.
Coronado City Council members Carrie Anne Downey, Mike Donovan and Casey Tanaka were also in attendance, presenting the proclamation from the City of Coronado for Rosie the Riveter Day.
“Today was about young girls recognizing women who stepped up to learn new skills to support their country when asked,” Downey said. “As a mother of three daughters, a former Girl Scout and a retired Naval Officer myself, I appreciate the doors the Rosies opened for me and my daughters.”
