World War II Honoree

Eleanore Nicholas Brown Aguilera

Hometown

Wichita, Kansas

Honored By

Edward L. Brown

Relationship

Son

AS A SINGLE MOM, ELEANORE GRATEFULLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTED HOUSING FOR HER AND HER YOUNG SONS AND WENT TO WORK FOR THE BOEING AIRPLANE COMPANY IN WICHITA, KANSAS IN 1943. OFTEN, WORKING TWO SHIFTS A DAY, SHE ACCEPTED ALL JOBS GIVEN TO HER. SHE REMEMBERS STARTING WITH SHEET METAL FABRICATION AND GENERAL SHOP WORK. SHE WAS QUICKLY PROMOTED TO WORK WITH THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FIRST, INSTALLING AND THEN TESTING THE INSTRUMENTATION INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT, AND THEN LATER, WORKING INSIDE THE “VAULT”. THE “VAULT” BEING WHERE ASSEMBLY AND TESTING OF THE SOPHISTICATED BOMBSIGHTS AND RADAR SYSTEMS TOOK PLACE. SHE WORKED THROUGHOUT THE WAR EFFORT AND WAS RETAINED BY BOEING FOR HER RECOGNIZED SKILL SET FOR SOME TIME, ABOUT FIVE MORE YEARS. FINALLY, REPLACED BY MEN AS THEY RETURNED TO THE WORK FORCE.