Councilmember Gerrie Schipske at Rosie the Riveter Park. Photo Credit: GerrieSchipske.com
11:34am | The city will celebrate Armed Forces Day a week early this year with a ceremony planned at Rosie the Riveter Park and Interpretive Center on Saturday, May 14, in observance of the May 21 holiday.
The 10 a.m. ceremony is free and open to the public, and it will feature a flag presentation by the Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps from Millikan High School. Additionally, the Rosie the Riveter bas relief created by Raymond Kaskey, designer of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, will be dedicated.
“Mr. Kaskey reproduced one of his 24 bas reliefs featured at the National World War II Memorial for our Long Beach park,” said Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who is sponsoring the ceremony, in a statement. “The artwork depicts the women who assembled the airplanes that helped the U.S. win the war. We are grateful to Mr. Kaskey for allowing Long Beach to be the only location outside of Washington, D.C., to display this wonderful work of art.”
The councilwoman added that the bas relief could not have been purchased had a number of donors not stepped to the plate and made contributions to the nonprofit Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Foundation, which was established to develop and enhance the park.
Among them are Nancy Alexander, state regent of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, who “made certain that funds raised by DAR went toward this artwork,” Schipske said.
Proceeds from sales of the NSDAR publication “The Legacy of Rosie the Riveter – Rosie’s Daughters,” were used to assist in funding the artwork.
Mayor Bob Foster also had a hand in the fundraising, Schipske said.
“Mayor Foster’s mother was a ‘Rosie,’ and he told me of his interest in the project and offered to put the Long Beach Rosie the Riveter Foundation in contact with several local businesses who might be interested in donating,” she said. “And they did donate.”
Additional contributions were received from contributions were received from Southern California Edison, Union Bank, Toyota Auto Body Company and Toyota Motor Sales.
The park is located at the intersection of Conant Street and Clark Avenue.
Armed Forces Day was initiatied by former President Harry S. Truman, who led efforts to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank the country’s military members for their patriotic service in support of America.