Middlesboro resident Martha Jones was one of those women. She and her sister Rosy both went to work in a factory to take the jobs men had left behind.
In August 1943, a 17-year-old Jones reported for duty in the payroll department of an automobile factory in Muncie, Indiana. After the war started, however, it was converted to a gear factory for war planes. Jones’ sister worked nearby on the assembly line.
“My business education teacher at the high school called me and said they were needing people there,” said Jones, about how she got the job. She made 45 cents an hour and when she turned 18, and worked 12 hours a day.
“We were just all glad to be able to do something. And women stepped up all over the country and manned everything the men used to do,” said Jones.
Jones’ husband-to-be, Stuart Jones, signed up for the navy before he was even old enough. She said all of his brothers and friends were already in, so his father signed for him and let him go. After the war, she and Stuart got married. When he died, she moved to Middlesboro to be closer to family.
While those days were undeniably patriotic, Jones said she still sees patriotism like that today.
“I saw more patriotism right after 9/11 than I’d seen for a long time,” said Jones. “Patriotism used to be red-hot in this country after WW2... Everybody stood together and helped one another.”
Jones said she feels that spirit was lost after the war.
“I think what’s happened is there’s been too much greed for too long,” said Jones. “And people have forgotten what the valuable things are that we have.”
Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at
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