by
Pauline W.
My Lockheed Martin story begins over 70
years ago. I was born in Clay County, Alabama in 1922. I graduated from Bibb
Graves High School in May 1941. My husband-to-be, Charles, went to work at
Lockheed in Burbank, California on that same day! A few years earlier, he had
moved to Selma, Alabama. That ia where we met.
In 1941, Charles went to school in Nashville,
Tennessee, to prepare for work at an aircraft plant. He graduated, and along
with several classmates, left for California to find work. Charles found work at
Lockheed. The following year, we married in Los Angeles. Our
daughter was born at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, along with a movie
actress’ child on the same day (I do not remember her name).
Wartime was very different. Gasoline, meats
(except chicken, fish, rabbit) coffee, sugar and shoes were rationed. California
was beautiful in spite of war. I remember fields of poinsettias and orange,
lemon and grapefruit trees. I also recall the tar pits, the oil pumps up and
down the streets of Los Angeles and the traffic paddles (instead of traffic
lights). On a trip to back home to Alabama, I met Howard Hughes on the train.
He was going to see his mother in Texas. We ate meals together. My 15-month-daughter was with me, and Mr. Hughes tried to convince me to put her in movies. I flatly
refused.
Charles was working hard at Lockheed. He
worked on the P-38 Lightning and on experimental aircraft, including Lockheed’s first jet. After World War II, we came back south to Georgia. Charles
went to work for the railroad, and I went to work for the Veterans
Administration, which was in the "Bell Bomber Plant." A few years
later, Lockheed came to Marietta, and the V.A. moved to Atlanta. In January
1956, I went to Lockheed's employment office on Peachtree Street and applied
for a job. I was hired! I went to work at the Marietta plant on January 30,
1956. and I worked there until December 12, 1969. I mostly worked in planning,
supporting the C-130 and C141 programs. I was with JetStar from the beginning.
On that program, I got the first computer to try out and test.
My husband passed away 27 years ago. I still
live in the small house on the 29 acres he bought when he retired.
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| I worked on the JetStar program, from its beginning. |
