"Send 'em back Alice" Desko
"Send 'em back Alice" started working for the North American Aviation plant in Kansas City, Kansas in May of 1942. Just 5 months after the completion of the first B-25, production rates were increasing. By then, the war was in full swing and the demand for B-25's outpaced the ability of the plant to produce aircraft. Bombers were accepted into inventory as soon as they were completed and immediately flown to air bases around the world.
Prior to the war, Alice was a detail painter at a local manufacturing plant. She painted flowers, swans, and other scenes of serenity on every item from trash bins to decorative platters. She had a steady hand and an eye for detail that resulted in perfectly executed forms. By the standard of the day, she made a significant salary. At the time, she was dating Harry Desko with plans to be married in July of 1942. Little did she know, her attention to detail would be put to use in the war effort.
Today, we would refer to Alice as a "Rosie". Back in 1942, she was "Inspector #457". In early 1942, North American Aviation was recruiting men and women to work in their Kansas City bomber plant. Since her future husband would not be drafted due to medical issues, Alice decided to join the war effort with him by applying to work at the plant that would make one of the most important aircraft of World War II. After a short interview and a bit of paperwork, she was hired to work as an inspector in Department 54. Her new supervisor would be H. S. Rankin.
After completing training, "Inspector #457" started work. Her attention to detail and eye for perfection soon gained her the nickname "Send 'em back Alice". Truth be told, she wore that name like a badge. Her attitude was that no B-25 crewmember would go down due to a faulty part she would inspect. That attitude gained her a lot of respect around the plant. Alice would go on to marry Harry and they had one son prior to the war's end. Both Harry and Alice would work at the plant until it closed in August of 1945. They would have their second child, a daughter, just 7 months later. In December of 1989, Harry and Alice would send their first newsletter to former employees of the North American Aviation - Kansas plant.
Her story is important for many reasons. It is important to remember that although collectively we refer to women in the work force of that time as "Rosie the Riveters", not all "Rosie's" were riveters. North American Aviation was one of the few places back in the 40's where men and women of any color could make a decent wage with good benefits. I have talked with "Rosie's" that did many jobs, from electrical work, to assembly work, and yes, even some that were riveters. Every single one of them loved their jobs.
Socially, you could argue that the environment fostered by companies like North American Aviation paved the way for the women's liberation and desegregation movements. That is not to say everything was equal at the plant. There were some jobs that were reserved for women. These were mainly jobs that did not require a lot of physical strength. Women did the electrical work, running wires and installing gauges in the aircraft. They did sub-assembly work putting different parts together that would be installed later. They were indeed riveters as well. The small frames of the women made it easier to squeeze into some of the tight spaces that job required. I have also found that women were not excluded from management. There was at least one female department head. As of right now, I cannot confirm any women in management positions higher than that.