It was a hot humid day in New York City when Celia
Szapka climbed into the packed train at Union Station. She had splurged and bought
a new black and white dress that looked fairly smart on her 24-year-old figure, just
for the trip. She was also sporting her Times Square find, I. Miller shoes that
she had to do some quick maneuvering to keep clean in the crowd.
Celia was not from Manhattan. She had moved to the
island after many months of convincing her Polish mother that it was the right
thing to do. See, she was the baby and as such was expected to stay home with
her mother and father until she could get work close to their Shenandoah, Pa.
home.
She felt this polish tradition a little
constricting, especially, after seeing both her brothers, Al and Clem, head off
overseas to fight in the war. Then there was the older sister who ran off to get
hitched in New Jersey. Oh, and Kathy, her other sister was attending college with
money the family scrimped from working the coal mines. It was Celia’s oldest
brother, Ed, who recognized her despair in sooty Shenandoah.
Ed was a gentle soul and destined for the priesthood
from an early age. He currently presided over a tiny border-town church in
Texas, but was visiting to see Kathy off to school. He had talked Celia into taking
the Civil Service test back in the early ‘40s, but every assignment that was
generated by her passing score was deemed too far away for her mother’s comfort.
Celia showed Ed the latest job offer from the State
Department. The letter offered her a secretary position in Washington, D.C.
making $1,440 a year! Father Ed was a brother on a mission and once he was done
with Mary Szapka her full blessing was bestowed on Celia for the move.
Now, Celia sat amongst a car load of women all
destined for the same place. She quickly asked around to see if the other women
on the train were also being carted off to a new and secretive job. They
compared offers and even though none knew where they were going a shared purpose
permeated the letters. These new jobs promised, “…to bring a speedy and
victorious end to the war.”
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the
Women who helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan is a must-read, especially
with Veterans Day right around the corner. Also, you will be among many fine
Ole Miss Freshmen students who are participating in the excellent Common
Reading Experience led by Melissa Dennis using this very same title.
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