On a beautiful day washed by warm breezes in front of Richmond’s interim City Hall at Marina Bay, perhaps a hundred or more Rosies proudly joined several hundred others in the ribbon cutting for the opening of the temporary Visitor Center for the Rosie the Riveter World War II/Home Front National Historical Park. Superintendent Judy Hart noted that this was the first official function held by the national park.

The permanent Visitor Center will be located in the rehabilitated Ford Assembly Plant when it is completed.

Richmond City Council member Rev, Charles Belcher gave both the invocation and the benediction, remembering all who served and particularly those who are no longer with us. Congressman George Miller, author of legislation creating the park, gave the keynote address, reminding the audience that on this 60^th anniversary of D-Day, it was those who toiled on the Home Front who provided the ships, planes, guns and tanks that helped British, Canadian and American forces carry the day on June 6^, 1944, and go on to victory. Miller also praised the City of Richmond for having the foresight to preserve for posterity sufficient remnants of the shipyards to allow the National Park Service to conclude that Richmond should be the focus of the WW II Home Front story for the entire nation.

Other speakers included Mayor Irma Anderson, George Turnbull, Deputy Regional Director of the National Park Service, Assemblywoman Loni Hancock and Supervisor John Gioia. Senators Feinstein and Barbara Boxer sent greetings. Richmond Rosie Mary “Peace” Head was presented a bouquet by Mayor Anderson and recognized for representing Richmond at recent events in Washington, D.C.

The band from the U.S.S Hornet played, and at the end of the ceremony, everyone sang “America the Beautiful,” and then the ribbon was cut.

If you know a Rosie or Home Front Worker, please invite them to write their story and submit it, with any artifacts, to be preserved forever in the park for the public to read and see. To contact the Rosie Story Project, phone 800/497-6743. For general park information, phone 510/232-5050.