2007-02-22
South Portland — A Legacy of Ships
By Eugene C. Jorgensen
The construction of Liberty ships in South Portland during WWII changed the face of Portland in many ways. At least 40,000 new employees, men, women, young and old, were employed by the two local shipyards, even days a week, rain or shine, year around for relatively high wages. Congress Street and all of Portland, South Portland and Westbrook were busy and crowded with the great influx of men and women employed by the shipyards. There was money in the economy and when the shipyards were closed, the affluence was gone.
I joined the South Portland Shipyard in June of my junior year of GSTC (Gorham State Teachers College), bought a car, worked the 2nd shift (4 p.m. – midnight) as a teacher of “shipfitting mathematics”. I completed my senior year at the college by attending classes on campus from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and reported to work seven days per week. The war was raging in Europe so I enlisted in 1942 as an aviation cadet in the AAF. My first orders were to report for school in 1944!
During my waiting time, I taught adults from all over Maine basic mathematics skills and became involved with the construction several flats.
In a few weeks, I was appointed to the job as “pusher”, he person responsible for getting things done in accordance with the plans for flats W,X, Y and Z which built transverse bulkheads and longitudinal girders. After several months on the job I was promoted to leadman shipfitter and placed in charge of all four flats by Mr. Donald Page, he administrator for assemblies. The pay was $1.58 per hour.
I remained in this position until I was called to active duty by the AAF and reported to Seymour Johnson Field, Goldsboro, N.C., on October 23, 1943.
Eugene C. Jorgensen
Ricker Park
Portland, Maine 04101
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