Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the End of WWII

We're commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in coordination with Nassau County, the Museum of American Armor, and the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center. 

Long Island at War: Working on the Homefront, 1942–1945

During World War II, Long Island played a vital role in the massive American aircraft production effort that helped secure Allied victory. With little to no prior experience, local men and women—many of them new to industrial work—built approximately 40,000 military aircraft in around-the-clock shifts. By war’s end, Long Island’s aircraft workforce had grown to over 75,000, including large numbers of women and minorities entering the industry for the first time. These factory workers, though largely unnamed and unseen, were patriotic heroes whose labor matched the courage of those on the front lines. If you recognize any faces in these factory photographs, taken by company photographers during the war, please help us preserve their legacy by sharing their names.

#DoYouKnowMeWWII  

Cameras were not allowed on the factory floor during WWII, so these official company photographs are the only visual records of the workers who built the aircraft that helped win the war. Unfortunately, the names of many of these individuals were lost or never recorded. But we know they lived and worked on Long Island during the war, and their descendants may still live here today. 

Please let us know if you recognize a family member or someone you know. We hope to preserve their legacy by identifying them and honoring their contributions for future generations.

Alternatively, please send us details about your friend or family member who you might have been looking for so we can add them to our archive.

Find more photos in our NY Heritage Collection Long Island Manufacturers page!

Contact

Please use this form to reach out to us about someone you recognize, or to send us details about your family member who worked on Long island during WWII.

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Take a Virtual Tour of our WW2 Gallery

View the Gallery on Google Street View 360° - page opens in a new window.

More About World War II

During World War II, Long Island was a crucial center of military aircraft production. These aircraft, produced in huge numbers for the Army, Navy, and foreign governments, were of superior quality and had a major impact on the course of the war in all theatres. Local residents provided the manpower necessary for this massive production, and women and minorities were integrated into the workforce in large numbers for the first time. The war also had an impact on Long Island in terms of a large military presence, civilian defense, and the conditions the war imposed at home.

In the pages below, you will find some of the stories and details about the planes, companies, and people involved in the war effort here on Long Island.

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  Grumman Avenger

  The Grumman Avenger was the most important carrier-based torpedo bomber on American and British carriers during World War Two.

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  Grumman Hellcat

  Without a doubt, the best carrier-based fighter of World War Two was the Grumman F6F Hellcat.

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  Hellcat - A Fourth of July Remembrance

  "...the fighter continued its steep climb until it disappeared into the summer cumulus and sea mist. Everyone for once was silent until I shouted, 'Hellcat!' "

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  The Grumman Wildcat

  First flown in 1937, the F4F was developed from an earlier Grumman biplane fighter, the F3F.

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  Grumman's Ascendancy

  How the company came to exist, and the story of its remarkable growth, resulted from the genius of three brilliant engineers and their tremendous drive to succeed.

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  Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

  Without question, the P-47 was one of America's greatest fighters of World War Two.

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  P-47 - Aviation Darwinism

  Produced in greater numbers than any other U.S. made Fighter, the story of how it came to exist is at least as interesting as its many accomplishments.

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  P-47 - Shaking the "Jug"

  Tuskegee Airman, William Wheeler reminisces on this "monstrous fighter!"

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  Air Power at Sea

  A New Type of Warfare: Aircraft Carriers Become the Long Arm of the Navy

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  Waco CG-4 Troop Gliders

  Expendable American combat gliders were used on some of the most dangerous missions of the war, landing troops and equipment miles behind enemy lines.

From 1942 to 1945, while men fought on the battlefronts of WWII, over 18 million American women filled civilian and military positions created as the country shifted to wartime. During WWII, most of Grumman’s 25,000 employees, half of them women, worked tirelessly in aircraft factories and shipyards, producing much-needed fighters, bombers, and battleships. The WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) were the first American women to fly military aircraft for the US Army Air Force on the US homefront.

Visit our Women in Aviation section to learn more about this great history.