Veterans Day, which is celebrated annually on Nov. 11, commemorates the hardworking men and women who sacrifice their time and put themselves in harm’s way to defend the country’s core values of freedom and opportunity. While Veterans Day certainly is a chance to honor those who have donned the uniform during wars and military installments, it also can be a chance to recognize the unsung heroes of wartime – those who step into roles so that soldiers and strategists can focus their attention elsewhere.

Take for example Naomi Parker Fraley. In 1942, Fraley was a machine shop worker at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, Calif. She was one of scores of women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, helping to produce munitions and war supplies. Parker was 20 years old in 1942 and served as the inspiration for what would become one of the most indelible images of the era, known as “Rosie the Riveter.” Parker unknowingly inspired the iconic image after she was photographed at work bent over an industrial machine in a jumpsuit with her hair tied back in a polka-dot bandana. In 2018, Naomi Parker Fraley died at the age of 96, not nearly the household name she perhaps should have been.

Rosie the Riveter helped to tout the contributions of female war employees who were defending America by working on the homefront. Rosie was a successful morale-booster, and some may be surprised to learn that Rosie has various incarnations.

Norman Rockwell’s depiction of a female riveter, which appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on May 29, 1943, became an iconic staple of that time. Muscular, with a rivet gun on her lap, a sandwich in hand and a boot stomping on a copy of “Mein Kampf” – and timed perfectly to coincide with the release of a song called “Rosie the Riveter” by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb – Rosie became a household name. But another Rosie image actually predates Rockwell’s Post cover.

Naomi Parker Fraley was reportedly the inspiration for an ad created by a lesser known artist named J. Howard Miller. Miller produced a “We Can Do It!” poster for Westinghouse Electric in 1942 aimed at boosting spirits among the company’s workers. The poster helped to recruit new female personnel, according to scholar James J. Kimble. This Rosie was portrayed in a red bandana with her bent arm flexed, rolling up her shirtsleeve.

Both Miller’s and Rockwell’s depictions of female war workers became ingrained in popular culture. Rockwell’s cover art was eventually loaned to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for use in war bond drives for the duration of the war. Miller’s version has been emulated for generations and still epitomizes a strong female presence in the workforce.

This Veterans Day is a prime time to delve into American wartime history, with interesting stories like the origins of Rosie the Riveter, and pay homage to all of the heroes that help ensure America’s reputation as a great nation.

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The month of Nov. is a special time for the nation’s veterans. While Memorial Day honors fallen soldiers and service people, Veteran’s Day, which takes place each Nov., is an opportunity to commemorate the efforts of all who have been in the armed forces, with a special emphasis on living veterans. While people are encouraged to thank veterans throughout the year, Veteran’s Day is a particularly poignant time to show your appreciation for the men and women of the military.

Veteran’s Day takes place on Nov. 11 and marks an important moment in history. On Nov. 11, 1918, World War I, known at the time as “The Great War,” unofficially ended when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, took place between Germany and the Allied nations on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. World War I ended on paper when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. In Nov. 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Armistice Day became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. However, after subsequent wars, including World War II and the Korean War, veterans’ service organizations lobbied for Armistice Day to be revised so it would be more inclusive of all veterans. On June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to strike the word “Armistice” from the holiday’s name in favor of “Veterans.” Since then, Nov. 11 has been known as “Veterans Day” and has honored veterans of all wars.

Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday in October for roughly seven years under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which sought to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating certain national holidays on Mondays. But since Nov. 11 bore such significance, many states disapproved and continued to observe the holiday on Nov. 11. In 1975, President Gerald Ford signed legislation to return the observation of Veterans Day to Nov. 11 beginning in 1978. Should the day fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the federal government observes the holiday on the previous Friday or following Monday, respectively, according to History.com.