Todd-Bath Shipyard Badge, South Portland, Maine, 1942-1945. Courtesy of the Maine Maritime Museum.
Todd-Bath Shipyard Badge, South Portland, Maine, 1942-1945. Courtesy of the Maine Maritime Museum.
The woman featured on this Todd-Bath Shipyard security badge stares directly at the photographer. Looking closely at her expression, one can see the determination to succeed in a field of work formerly reserved for men.
The East Yard in South Portland was originally commissioned by the Roosevelt administration to create ships for Great Britain under the Lend Lease program. Through this federal program, America provided aid to countries whose defense was vital for American security. In early 1941, workers at the East Yard began building "Liberty Ships" under the Emergency Shipbuilding program.