Huntington Station woman was a real-life Rosie the Riveter
At 5 feet tall and a diminutive 100 pounds, Sophie Sarro became a real-life Rosie the Riveter during World War II. The now-101-year-old Huntington Station resident joined an army of young women at
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May 8, 2015, 4:00 PM
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Updated 3,514 days ago
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At 5 feet tall and a diminutive 100 pounds, Sophie Sarro became a real-life Rosie the Riveter during World War II.
The now-101-year-old Huntington Station resident joined an army of young women at Grumman and Republic Aviation as American men, including her five brothers, went overseas to fight.
"I helped the country," she says.
About 6 million women like Sarro bolstered the war effort by filling jobs in the manufacturing of airplanes, ships and tanks.
At 29 years old, Sarro made 65 cents an hour working on a fighter plane assembly line. The wage was considered good at the time, and she says she gained strength and a sense of empowerment.
Wartime work gave the "Rosies" new independence -- paving the way for future women in the workforce.
Many women laborers kept working in some capacity after the men returned home from war.
"I worked hard all my life really," Sarro says, explaining how she likes to keep busy.
Today, Sarro is still hard at work as a volunteer making clothing for abused children on Long Island.
And she's proud of all she's done, she says.
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