In 1941, Winston Churchill realized that if the Allies were to win the war, a new type of ship needed to be designed and constructed. A ship that could land directly on the beaches of Africa and Europe and discharge troops and equipment. This ship became the Landing Ship, Tank or LST. But the United States was already at war and there was a shortage of men in the shipyards. It was the women that went to the shipyards and built the LSTs. These women were not riveters - they were welders. These are the stories, remembered 60 years later, of the women welders who built the LSTs and the men who sailed on them.
I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. While in grade school and high school, I participated in local Tamburitza groups, i.e. Croatian folk music groups. Instruments I played included the prim (similar to a mandolin), the accordion, and the bass. Since I was only a mediocre musician, I decided I better find a different career path!
Because of my concern for the environment, I decided to become a civil engineer. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. After graduation, I moved to Portland, Oregon.
Today, I am President of a consulting civil engineering firm, Thomas/Wright, Inc.
"Don't Call Me Rosie" is the first book that I have written. When I was young, I knew that my mother and two aunts were welders in the shipyard during World War II because my mother would occasionally talk about it. It wasn't until 1999 that I learned that she worked on the LSTs.
Many people view that Civil Engineering and writing are mutually exclusive skills. And I like to tell people that I am definitely left brain. However, to be a successful Civil Engineer, one needs to be at least a good technical writer. My strong organizational and listening skills were invaluable in writing a book such as "Don't Call Me Rosie."
