Rising to Meet the Cold War Challenge

It was all about teamwork

by Rick H.

In June 1952, I joined Lockheed-California Company in Burbank. I was hired as a structure assembler helper at the rate of $1.25 per hour. I had to go to school for two weeks to learn how to rivet. And, of course, Jim Burke was hired the same time. He went to the same school and went to work for the same Lockheed supervisor on the swing shift. We reported to the A-1 plant to work on the P2V-3 Neptune. I told the supervisor that Jim and I were structure assembler helpers and he said, “OK, you guys are going to work on this panel, and you will help him and he will help you.”