Recognizing Margaret Spalluzzi

Floor Speech

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Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Margaret Spalluzzi and her fellow Rosie the Riveters as they are awarded the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal.

Born on November 2, 1921, Margaret was raised in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After reading an ad in the newspaper calling for women to fill jobs that men left behind while fighting in World War II, Margaret dared 10 of her friends to come with her to sign up to be welders. After completing their training in Quincy, six of the women stayed on as welders at the Hingham Shipyard. One of the original Rosie the Riveters, Margaret, joined the war effort welding warships from 1942 until the war ended in 1945.

During the war, around 2,500 women worked at the Hingham Shipyard where they built hundreds of ships. Security at the shipyard was tight, and workers were told not to share any information about what they were doing. The working conditions could also be very tough. Working in a room with no heat. Margaret had to wear steel toe boots and flannel pajamas under her heavy work clothes just to stay warm during the cold New England winters. However, Margaret was proud to go into work and help her country while her brothers were serving in the military and her husband, Antone ``Tony,'' was serving in the Navy as an electrician. Her shift at the shipyard was from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, but Margaret often worked overtime and seven days a week. With her first paycheck from welding, Margaret bought her mother a radio.

After the war, when her husband came back to Massachusetts, Margaret and Tony raised their daughter, Annette, together in the home that Tony built in Kingston. Margaret later went on to work at Plimoth Patuxet for 32 years as a costumed interpreter and then a greeter, until she retired at 80. In retirement, Margaret enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and visiting the Kingston Senior Center to take classes and meet up with friends.

On April 10, 2024, Congress will award the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal, which will then be displayed at the National Museum of American History. This medal is to recognize the contributions of all the women who served our country during World War II as Rosie the Riveters and the inspiration that they provided for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Margaret Spalluzzi, and I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating Margaret and her fellow Rosie the Riveters for all the critical work they did to support our country during the war.

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