Kelsey: Where were you born?
Bracigliano: Paterson, New Jersey.
Kelsey:
And where did you live when World War II started?
Bracigliano: Well, I had lived on Madison Street,
but when my husband went in service, I went back and
lived with my mom, 300 Grand Street, in Paterson.
Kelsey:
So you were married when the war started?
Bracigliano: Yes, June 14, 1942.
Kelsey:
And did you have any children?
Bracigliano: Not ’til after.
Kelsey:
Why did you decide to go to work in the defense
industry?
Bracigliano: My husband was drafted, he got his
greeting. We got married in June, he got his
greetings in September, and he left January 2,
1943. So after that I decided to go and do
something, do my part.
Kelsey:
Where did he go?
Bracigliano: Well, first he went to Fort Dix, and
then he went over to the Olds plant in Lansing,
Michigan, which I went,
because he had to put guns together blindfolded—put
them together and take ’em apart. And then he left
from
North Carolina over to India, where he was in the
Air Force.
Kelsey:
Where did you go to work?
Bracigliano: I went to work in Wright Aeronautical,
Plant 7, in Wood Ridge.
Kelsey:
And what did you do there?
Bracigliano: Well, first we had to be tested to see
what we qualified for, and then I became an engine
tester for the B-
29s. It was a very restricted area. We actually
had to put engines up, we had to hoist them up on a
wind
tunnel, pick out wooden props that were acclimated
to the pressure—the pressure outside. Then we’d
have to
test them for a couple of hours. You were either
the pilot or the observer, and you had to take a
record. Then
when that finished, you had to go back down, and you
had to check for oil leaks, gas leaks, any loose
parts.
We had government inspectors come. And once that
was all corrected, we would test them again. And
our
names were on log sheets. The funny thing is, my
husband was in service in India, and working on
bombs and
so forth, and he come across a log sheet with my
name on it, which was quite a surprise and proud for
him, to
show and tell everyone. But that was something.
Kelsey:
And how long did you work there?
Bracigliano: From ’43 to ’46 when he got out of
service. And by that time the war was considered
pretty much over.
Kelsey:
So did you resign?
Bracigliano: We were all kind of let go, more or
less. I guess maybe just supervision or something
was kept, but all the
workers…. But as far as being in a restricted area,
we were even where they had turbo engines, also,
which
was quite interesting for me. I can’t believe I did
all that!
Kelsey:
What did you do then, after you left Wright?
Bracigliano: Well, that year I had my daughter, the
one who got in touch with you. And then four years
later another
daughter. Then after, when my children were older,
I worked on little things for the Minutemen for the
missiles, in
Haledon.
Kelsey:
What company was that?
Bracigliano: Seal-O-Matic it was called. And that
was in Haledon.
Kelsey:
Do you think that working in that plant and doing
those things, that you couldn’t believe that you
could all do it?
Do you think that made a difference in your life?
Bracigliano: Oh, it did! We had picked furniture
out when we were first married, and I was proud that
I was able to pay
off that bill, working.
And one other thing I wanted to say:
My mom worked in Plant 4 for Wrights, and she was a
baffle maker for a
couple of years. So she was a
real Rosie, because she would do the riveting
and so forth on these baffles.
Kelsey:
And what are baffles?
Bracigliano: Baffles go around the pistons to keep
the heat, to protect the heat, because they go so
many rpms and so
forth.
Kelsey:
And these were airplane parts?
Bracigliano: For airplanes, yes. But that was in
Plant 4 in Fair Lawn.
Kelsey:
All right. Well, thank you very much, that was very
interesting. I learn a lot from each interview.
Bracigliano: Thank you so much.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
