By Grace Hill, October 22, 2014
After Pearl Harbor was attacked, I left my job at Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. in Philadelphia and took a Civil Service Exam. I was hired for a job in the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
I took the ferry on the Delaware River in National Park, New Jersey to the Navy Yard and was sent to the Aircraft section where they were building airplanes.
My job as Secretary to Lieutenant Commander Otto E. Szekely, over all shops building the PBN’s was quite interesting. There were a number of shops handling the building of the planes. Therefore, my office had a number of officers from ensign to lieutenant who would go out each day and check on progress of the work and report to my boss, Commander Szekely. At one particular time , we had a Russian officer come in to observe the building of this particula flying PBN aircraft.
This was a very interesting job, and crossing the Delaware River by ferry was scary at times especially in the winter. I had my own car and carried several girls with me who also worked there.
One part of the Navy Yard was the building of ships, and there were many large ships docked and repaired.
After five years, I left my job and started a new life with my husband who had returned from his Naval battle in the Pacific Theater.