Emma Hillenbrand Olsen - Our own Rosie the Riveter

Emma Dorthy Hillenbrand Olsen (1924-2011) and Clifford Olsen (1922-1966) were married on November 28, 1943 at Grace Lutheran Church in Bellmore, New York.  This was one year after Clifford had enlisted in the army.

Edited digital image of framed bridal photograph of Emma Hillenbrand Olsen in the personal collection of ©Virginia Summers Olsen.

We aren't sure if after the wedding Emma immediately joined Clifford when he returned to the west coast for his training with the 104th Infantry Division.  On March 14, 1944 the 104th Infantry left Camp Granite, California for Camp Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado.   It was while in Colorado that we know for sure that Emma was with Clifford.  

Digital images of snapshots of Clifford and Emma in Colorado Springs, Colorado from the personal collection of ©Virginia Summers Olsen

While she was in Colorado, she worked in the laundry at the Air Force Base. By early July they found out that Clifford would head overseas to fight in Europe by mid August.  Emma had received this Statement of Availability from the USES when she quit working around August 8. She returned to her parent's house in Hicksville, NY and Clifford and the rest of the 104th Infantry left Colorado for Europe between August 15 -17.

Some time after returning to Long Island,  Emma began working for the Republic Aircraft Factory in Farmingdale, New York.

Republic Aviation can trace its beginnings back to 1931.  By 1942 Republic had developed the P-47B plane and received an order from the US Army Air Force that was so large they had to quadruple the size the size of their factory.

P-47G Thunderbolt ‘Spirit of Atlantic City’ (42-25254, NX3395G) belonging to the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, CA.  Image downloaded 2020.04.15 from http://www.militaryaircrafthistorian.com/republic_aviation.html.

With the ramped up production women entered the workforce in untypical occupations as gaps in the industrial labor force were made by the large number of men enlisting to fight in the war.  The US government created a campaign called Rosie the Riveter to help recruit women into the workplace.

By J. Howard Miller - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80242715

Emma was our own Rosie the Riveter working as a riveter in the Republic Aircraft Factory in Farmingdale, New York from late 1944 to early 1945.  During this entire time Emma worked as a riveter, she was pregnant!  She had left Clifford and Colorado Springs in August very early in her pregnancy, at the time she may not have even known.  Their son was born in April 1945.

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How I'm related to Emma Hillenbrand Olsen:

                           Clifford Olsen = Emma Hillenbrand Olsen

                                                      |

                                                    Dad = Mom

                                                            |

                                                          Me

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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them.  The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com.  The prompt for the week of April 20 is "Air."

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References:

http://www.militaryaircrafthistorian.com/republic_aviation.html
"EIGHT GENERATIONS OF THE OLSEN FAMILY GENEALOGY", Virginia Summers Olsen, Sept. 20, 2016.