Everyone knows the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter, representing World War II women on the homefront. Waco resident, 92-year-old Louise Woodall was one of millions doing just that back in World War II. She recalled working in a Fort Worth factory in the 1940s working on one of the final parts of the assembly line.
"We'd have the wires come from this way and this and you'd have to match the numbers and slip a little something over the top," Woodall said.
And she did much more than riveting.
"I put some radar into the plane after it went off the assembly line," she explained
The real-life Rosie the Riveter had an opportunity to go to college, but on a wave of patriotism, did her part on the home front. She said the morale at the factory was positive.
"Good spirits, I think, we were worried about the boys, everything was rationed," she said.
While Louise helped get the plane ready to fly in the factory more than 70 years ago, Assembly mechanic Terry Wood is keeping it flying today.
"It's a fun job because of the historical factor of it, 1, and 2, the uniqueness of it. Nobody works on round engines anymore really," Wood said.
He is replacing part of the engine on the historic Liberator.
"Broke some studs on a cylinder. So I came to remove the studs, have to take them all out and replace them all and put a new cylinder on," he explained.
One might wonder just how Wood and other mechanics get a hold of these specific parts from more than 70 years ago. He told me it's not that hard.
Wood said, "We have a lot of new old stock that was packaged in 1942. You open it up and it's brand new shiny."
The Wings of Freedom event in Waco this week at the Waco Jet Center brought people to the flight line of all ages. For some, it was an education on World War II history; for others, it was a chance to explore pieces of history; and for Bruce McGregor, it was a way for him to feel closer to his father, a World War II vet, who passed away. He earned three Purple Hearts.
"I feel a little more connection with what my dad went through by being inside the plane and seeing what it was like for him and he spent so many hours inside these planes on missions, so it does give you more of a connection and an appreciation," McGregor said.
McGregor said his father was shot down more than once, but flew more than 200 missions in the China, Burma and India theatre.