Rosie the Riveter: The People Behind the Picture
Updated: Feb 22, 2022
Highlighting Carmen Contreras-Bozak: A Real-Life Rosie the Riveter
The canon of American history is rich with iconic images and art, especially those, like Uncle Sam, created to support our nation’s wartime efforts. And along with Uncle Sam, there may be no other piece of wartime art more instantly recognizable or iconic than Rosie the Riveter.
While many Americans know the poster, few know its history—or that Rosie the Riveter was a broad representation and nickname for hundreds of thousands of women who participated in the workforce during World War II. With many men directly fighting in the war and the need for munitions and war supplies ever on the rise, women responded in force, taking jobs in factories and shipyards and filling important roles throughout the American economy.
We’re fond of describing our namesake, Alberta Boone, as “the real-life Rosie the Riveter”—and she was—but she actually was one of many Rosie the Riveters who helped America win the Second World War. Another was Carmen Contreras-Bozak, the first Hispanic American to serve in the Women’s Army Corps.
In the midst of the war effort, the Army was in dire need of bilingual Hispanic women to perform cryptology, communications, and interpretation. Contreras-Bozek answered the call to service, volunteering to take a position in North Africa. There, she sent and received coded messages between Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s headquarters in Algiers and the battlefield in Tunisia.
Contreras-Bozek lived until 2017, when she passed away at age 97 was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Just as our firm’s legacy lies in one real life Rosie the Riveter, we value, respect, and honor the tradition of hard work and service embodied by all of the women who served as Rosies during the war.
As we commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month as a nation, Boone celebrates Carmen Conteras-Bozak and all Hispanic Americans who have served our war efforts—in uniform and in other ways. Their legacy, service, and commitment inspire us every day.