THE STORY: In 1996 I moved from teaching US History at the middle school level to teaching US History in a high school. I knew that in teaching World War II and women's roles, I wanted to present the topic in a way that would be more meaningful and in more depth than what was in the textbook. I had done research on the Denver Ordnance Plant - now the Denver Federal Center - and knew that that would be a perfect vehicle. So I scoured Broadway antique shops for props and developed my story as Gail Murphy, a bullet case worker at the plant. From that humble beginning, I added more and more props and expanded the presentation. Soon I was presenting to women's auxiliaries, clubs, organizations, churches, senior citizen groups and facilities. Some were only a few miles from my home; others were as far away as Omaha, Nebraska, and Telluride, Colorado. 

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THE LEGACY: The best part of presenting the contributions of American women to the World War II effort was meeting many, many "Rosies," female military veterans, male veterans, and others who labored behind the scenes to support and care for our servicemen. The stories they told me in Q & A sessions and afterwards were so inspiring that I knew I had found the topic for my next book. And thus, Colorado Women in World War II was born.

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PRESENTATIONS: For a fee, you may schedule a presentation of Gail Murphy. Generally, the presentation is 40-45 minutes followed by a Q & A session. Contact me at gabeaton@comcast.net for more details. Or Jennifer Macias at jennifer@coloradohumanities.org for foundation support.