World War II Honoree

Stacey Pearl Posey

Hometown

Lincoln, Tennessee

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

SHE AND HER YOUNGER SISTER, EASTER, BEGAN WORKING FOR THE ARMY CHEMICAL WARFARE SERVICE AT HUNTSVILLE ARSENAL ON MARCH 16, 1942. ON APRIL 21, 1942, SHE AND HER SISTER WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK IN WAREHOUSE 642, WHERE HUNTSVILLE ARSENAL'S FIRST PRODUCTION PILOT LINE FOR THE FOUR-POUND M-54 THERMATE INCENDIARY BOMB WAS LOCATED. DURING WORLD WAR II, HUNTSVILLE ARSENAL WAS NOTED FOR ITS VAST PRODUCTION OF GEL-TYPE INCENDIARIES. SHE WAS ASSIGNED A POSITION ON THE FILLING MACHINE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LONG WAREHOUSE, TEMPORARILY REPLACING THE WOMAN WHO USUALLY WORKED THERE. HER YOUNGER SISTER, EASTER, WAS WORKING ON A MIXING MACHINE AT ONE END OF THE BUILDING. AT 11:50 A.M., SHE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. SHE LOOKED UP FROM HER WORK, SAW A BLAZE, AND JUMPED FROM HER STOOL TO RUN. SHE FELL DOWN, BUT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN HER FEET AND RUN OUT OF THE BURNING BUILDING. BY THAT TIME SHE WAS ON FIRE, BUT WAS CAUGHT BY SOME MEN WHO EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. BECAUSE OF THE SEVERITY OF HER INJURIES, SHE WAS TAKEN TO HUNTSVILLE HOSPITAL WHERE SHE REMAINED UNTIL DECEMBER 1942. SHE RETURNED TO WORK AT HUNTSVILLE ARSENAL AFTER HER LONG CONVALESCENCE AND WAS ASSIGNED A JOB IN PERSONNEL DOING TIMEKEEPING.