Phyllis G., 95, Fairfax, CA

Phyllis Gould, 95, a resident of Fairfax, California,  had her wish to attend the annual American Rosie the Riveter Association (ARRA) reunion granted, thanks to several generous donors.  During WWII, Phyllis worked as a welder at the Kaiser-Richmond shipyards, helping to build Liberty and Victory ships. She and fellow Rosie, Mae Krier of Levittown, PA, were instrumental in getting lawmakers to pass a resolution designating March 21, 2017 as ‘National Rosie the Riveter Day,’ a national day of recognition for the millions of women who supported the war effort on the home front during WWII.  These women joined the workforce in increasing numbers and took on roles previously held by men during the war. The two women have worked tirelessly over the past eight years, contacting politicians and media outlets seeking this much-deserved recognition. Phyllis could not afford the cost of the trip from her home in California to the reunion in Kansas City, Missouri so she turned to national nonprofit Twilight Wish, who two years prior, had granted Mae’s wish to do the same. Her wish was granted in early June 2017. Phyllis is in the top row, fifth from the left.