Philly Shipyard Welcomes 99-Year-Old “Rosie the Riveter” Ruth Wilson Back to Dry Dock 5

Photo/Mark Zimmaro

September 16, 2021

Last week, Ruth Wilson returned to her former worksite at Dry Dock 5, formerly owned by the Navy but now part of Philly Shipyard, Inc., for the first time since 1945

On Wednesday, September 8, Philly Shipyard, Inc. (PSI) welcomed 99-year-old “Rosie the Riveter” Ruth Wilson back to her former worksite at Dry Dock 5 which was formerly part of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard but now serves as the primal outfitting dock at PSI. The event was organized by Captain Lou Cavaliere, U.S. Navy Retired and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chapel of Four Chaplains, and Gregory S. Cooke, a professor, filmmaker, historian, and founder of the Basil & Becky Educational Foundation.

Remarks were given by Mrs. Wilson, Gregory S. Cooke, Captain Lou Cavaliere, and John Bond, NSMV Project Manager at PSI. The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation presented Mrs. Wilson with its Appreciation Award while PSI gifted a framed photo of the USS Valley Forge while under construction. Cooke and Wilson presented the Four Chaplains and PSI with copies of a portrait by artist Regina Cooke in which the iconic “Rosie the Riveter” was reimagined as a Black woman with Wilson being the face of the campaign.

Learn more about the event from the media coverage below:

Photo/Mark Zimmaro

About Mrs. Ruth Wilson

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Wilson quit her job as a domestic and received training at Bok Technical High School before working as a sheet metal specialist at the Navy Yard. Wilson’s return to Dry Dock 5 holds fond memories for her because it was there that she helped build the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge.

Prior to the war, Wilson and more than 80% of employed Black women were locked in life-stifling, low-paying jobs as sharecroppers and domestics, according to World War II historian and filmmaker, Gregory S. Cooke. “Wilson’s resilience and determination typified the spirit of African American women as they sought brighter futures for themselves and family members in a country dominated by systemic racism and gender discrimination,” Cooke said.

According to Wilson, World War II changed her life. “I did something to help the cause, and I was doing something to help the boys. It just made me feel special.” Wilson is one of the stars of the critically acclaimed documentary Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II (www.invisiblewarriorsfilm.com).

About Basil and Becky Educational Foundation

The Basil and Becky Educational Foundation 501(c)(3) makes history and culture exciting and relevant to present and future generations who deserve to know on whose shoulders they stand. We recognize that African American history and culture are part of a larger, interconnected experience in the diaspora. We “fill in the gaps” of history and “relocate” these experiences from the “margins to the main pages” of global human consciousness by using audio visual educational materials. For more information, please visit www.bbeef.org.

About Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation

The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation is located in the Philadelphia Navy Yard Chapel of Four Chaplains. The mission of the Foundation is to encourage selfless service honoring the legacy of the Four Chaplains aboard the U.S.A.T. Dorchester in 1943, and to teach and promote interfaith understanding and cooperation among all peoples.
The Foundation maintains a very active outreach to Veterans in need, a Youth Scholarship Program, and an emergency Chaplains Training program. The organization also achieves its mission by advocating for and honoring people whose deeds symbolize selfless service and interfaith cooperation. For more information, please visit www.fourchaplains.org.