April 2024 Newsletter

As the weather warms up, so do the activities of The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial. We have launched two new programs in March, which are outlined in stories below, and have events planned over the next couple of months.

Just as our nation came together to win the war, we need your help. Your donations, large and small, will help us reach our goals.

The support of businesses is also important. Michigan's role in manufacturing and development was pivotal to winning the war. Companies can pay tribute to the legacy of our home front heroes through corporate contributions. Contact us for more information and be sure to check out the video in this newsletter.

On Monday, March 18^th, 65 women gathered at Belle's Lounge by Valentine Distilling in Ferndale for an event, Celebrating Women Who Made a Difference. The evening was the inaugural event for The Rosie the Riveter Society, a women's philanthropic group dedicated to honoring and celebrating Michigan's home front women. The Society's mission is to carry on their legacy through support of The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial.

The highlight of the evening was the attendance of original Rosies Frances Masters, Delphine Klaput, and Virginia Basler. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, speaking to us from Washington, DC, emphasized the role of women on the home front, supplying the troops and our nation with food and supplies needed to win the war.

With a gift of at least $1,000 made annually, women will become members of The Rosie the Riveter Society. Each year, new members will be invited to an Annual Spring Luncheon. At this event, we will honor contributing members and provide an opportunity for prospective members to join the cause.

We want to thank the following businesses for their generous support of our Celebrating Women Who Made a Difference event:

• Celebrity Catering in Troy donated the delicious food
• Valentine Distilling donated use of Belle's Lounge, an incredible venue
• Meijer Woodward Corner Market's and Bank of Ann Arbor's for their cash sponsorships



We are grateful to the support from these local establishments. Their generosity helped make our event a success!

Last summer Team Depot built a beautiful garden box at the corner of 13 Mile and Woodward for The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial. Now it's time to plan and plant! If you love to garden and have a knowledge of plants, we need you!

If you are interested in helping plan, plant, and maintain the garden this spring and summer, please let us know!

Book of the Month

When we think of war, we often focus on the battlefields. But during the war years of 1941 to 1945, Americans at home did whatever they could to support the troops and defeat the Nazis. While millions of soldiers ship out to fight on battlefronts in Europe and the Pacific, millions of men, women, and children step into new and exciting roles in cities and towns all across the United States. Four curious kids take us into factories, farms, and even kitchens to show what the fight on the home front looks like up close!

Part of the History Comics series, World War II Fight on the Home Front is a graphic novel geared to ages 9-13. It is a great way to introduce middle-school aged children to the stories of self-sacrifice, courage, and patriotism that was the backbone of our Greatest Generation.

(book review taken from Amazon)

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