Mae with volunteers Sharla Rausch and Ami Vandevelde. Mae and Sharla visiting H.R. 4912 Sponsor and long time Rosie supporter Congresswoman Jackie Speier. Mae visiting the office of co-sponsor Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

Mae Krier Walks Capitol Hill

to urge passage of Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal

Mae Krier, 92, walked through all six Senate and House office buildings on November 13, 2018 (a total of more than 6 miles), to urge members of Congress to pass the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Medal of Honor legislation introduced earlier this year, before the current Session ends on January 3, 2019.

Mae was accompanied by Spirit of '45 National Supervisor Warren Hegg and Debi Wynn of the American Rosie the Riveter Association, who recruited volunteers to canvass all 535 offices in a single day, meeting staffers and distributing rack cards and a personal message from Mae.

Spirit of '45 and ARRA will continue to keep reminding the members of the importance of passing the S. 2300 and H.R. 4912 in time for families and friends of surviving Rosies tocelebrate over the holidays.

Here are some photos of Mae and the team in action:

Mae with Debi Wynn of the American Rosie the Riveter Association and and Sharla Rausch, Stacy Selken of R.Riveter, and Tanner Sampson who volunteered to help canvas Congressional offices.

With Congressional guides and preparing to board the U.S. Senate shuttle.

Visiting the offices of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and current Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan and his successor Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, to ask for their help in passing the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal before the end of the 115th Congress

Rack cards distributed to all members of Congress, explaining the importance of acknowledging the Rosies as a way to promote national unity and honor the role of women in America

"To get the pot to boil, you have

to put the fire under the pot!"

Mae and her team of volunteers met staffers in each office to ask them to take the message directly to their representative and help establish a communication link with all the offices that were visited so Mae could personally follow up with each of them.

Mae with Congressional staffers

Mae's personal message to the 115th Congress

Dear Member of the 115th Congress:

I am writing to you to urge you to pass the legislation now pending in the Congress that would recognize collectively the millions of women who worked on the Home Front during WWII with a Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal. (S.2500, H.R. 4912)

I am a 92-year old former Rosie who began working as a riveter at age 17, building B-17 and B-29 bombers at the Boeing plant in Seattle, WA during the war. We women were all so proud of what we were doing to support our troops and our country. Despite having lost loved ones, Gold Star Mothers and widows kept on working to help win the war and bring our boys home. They were strong, dedicated women, and it was an honor to work with them.

We women proved that we could do the jobs that had traditionally been considered men's work. However, when the war ended, most of us were let go. No records were kept identifying the women who built the aircraft, ships, vehicles, munitions, and other materials needed by our troops to achieve final victory. Few of us ever told anyone about our wartime experiences, even our families.

The last of the surviving Rosies will soon pass on into history, unacknowledged for their role in America's struggle to preserve freedom in the world.

The Congressional Gold Medal would be a wonderful way to honor the Rosies, and help ensure that their legacy continues to inspire future generations - especially young girls. The Rosies not only helped save democracy during WWII, they also paved the way for greater opportunities for women in all walks of life today.

Passing the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal now, before the end of the current session on January 3, 2019, will also encourage a spirit of bipartisanship, national unity and respect for women that will be to the credit to all of those who served during the 115th Congress.

We Rosies made history. Now it's YOUR turn. YOU CAN DO IT!

On behalf of the surviving Rosies, and those who are no longer with us, their families and the American people, thank you for your public service.

Mae Krier

dogwoodhollow22@aol.com