Mary Torres

Mary Torres was a Journeyman Welder from 1942-1945 at Moore's Shipyard, Oakland.

NPS Photo/Luther Bailey

Mary Schevchik Torres

Moore's Shipyard, Oakland - Journeyman Welder, 1942-1945

In Memory of...
Early Life and Decision to Join the War Effort
Mary Schevchik Torres was born on May 26, 1923, in Donora, Pennsylvania, a quiet town with few job opportunities. The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and President Roosevelt’s subsequent declaration of war changed the course of many lives, including Mary’s. Her brothers, John and Eddie, joined the Army and Navy, respectively, while Mary sought a way to contribute to the war effort. Seeing an ad in the local paper that war workers were needed in California, Mary decided to head west, even though she was only a few months away from graduation.

After saving money from her job at J.C. Penney, Mary, at the age of 18, made a bold decision. While her parents were at church, she gathered her graduation money, packed a suitcase, left a note explaining her intentions, and boarded a bus for a five-day trip to California. With no job, no place to stay, and no knowledge of what lay ahead, she was determined to find her way.

Arrival in California and Work at Moore's Shipyard
Upon arriving in Sacramento, Mary found a job as an inventory clerk at McClellan Air Force Base and rented a room. However, she soon grew restless, finding the work unchallenging. Hearing about job opportunities in the Bay Area shipyards, Mary took a bus to Oakland and applied for a welder position at Moore’s Shipyard. After a week of training, she was given a small test, which she passed, and began working as a tacker (spot welder).

After six months, Mary took and passed the Journeyman Welder’s test, which involved extensive shell welding—the process of welding the plates that formed the outer skin of a ship’s hull. Mary felt proud to contribute to the war effort and appreciated the better pay that came with the job.

Personal Life and Transition After the War
During her time at Moore’s Shipyard, Mary met and fell in love with her boss, Frank. They married, and since it was difficult to distinguish workers when they were suited up in welding leathers and helmets, Frank and Mary decorated her welding helmet to make it easier for Frank to spot her on the floor. Mary worked at Moore’s from 1942 until 1945 when the shipyard began laying off women workers to make way for returning male veterans.

After leaving the shipyard, Mary became a housewife while Frank continued working as a foreman at a larger shipyard, eventually retiring after 48 years of service. They raised two sons, invested in the stock market, and purchased a bowling alley in Fremont. After ten years, they sold the bowling alley, and Mary became a beautician, maintaining a full slate of clients even to this day.

Legacy and Volunteer Work
Mary and Frank were married for 62 years until his passing in 2004. Today, Mary volunteers at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, CA, where she greets visitors with a big smile, saying, “Hi! I’m one of the Rosies!”