The Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941 sparked a call to patriotic duty throughout the United States and in our own communities.

            Those who couldn't enlist or be drafted stepped up to volunteer to run blood

The employees of Rosenau Brothers, who manu- factured clothing under the label of "Cinderella  Frocks" were one of the first groups to launch a company-wide effort in the area to raise defense funds during World War II.

drives, be aircraft spotters, organize aluminum and scrap metal drives, join local defense organizations and perform a host of other regional and national defense tasks.

            With no local ambulance service available George Berman, Inc., a truck dealership in Upper Hanover Township provided a truck that could be used as a community ambulance.  A spokesman from the dealership pledged that the firm would be ready to place an entire fleet of trucks at the disposal of the community.

            It was a local response that would go on for the duration of World War II.

            Of the many patriotic responses was that of the employees of Rosenau Brothers, of Red Hill.  Less than one month after the attack, the employees of the clothing manufacturer pledged to purchase $600 worth of Defense Stamps every month.

            A committee of 15 women at the plant agreed to contact each employee every

Plant Supervisor Victor Miklosovick and other employees sought to raise funds for a plane named "Miss Upper Perk- iomen Valley."

two weeks to gather pledges.  In the first week the committee exceeded its goal and raised $700 from all of the 400 employees. 

            With that success, the group decided to donate money to the Philadelphia Bomber Fund.   But, shortly after that, Plant Supervisor Victor Miklosovick and other employees decided to try and launch a community-wide campaign of a much larger scale.

            They wanted to encourage all factory workers throughout the area to work Saturday morning shifts and donate their wages to fund a bomber or fighter plane named "Miss Upper Perkiomen Valley."  It was an idea that would take much planning and money – lots of money.

            At that time, the cost of a P-51 Mustang plane cost about $51,000 ($613,000 in today's dollars) and the cost of a B-17 Bomber was about $240,000 (about $2.7 million in today's dollars).

            For the next few weeks, Miklosovick solicited support for the ambitious project.  It was announced that even if enough money for a Miss Upper Perkiomen Valley plan couldn't be raised, the funds would still go to the Philadelphia Bomber Fund.

           By end of February the employees realized that there was just no way to raise enough money in the small community to pay for a fighting airplane but, they could still pool their money with the Philadelphia Bomber Fund and help pay for one – just with a different name on it.

            The efforts of the Rosenau employees demonstrated the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt just four days before Miklosovick delivered the first check to the Philadelphia Bomber Fund.

The goal to raise funds for a bomber or fighter plan was just too high.  At that time, the cost of a P-51 Mustang plane (right) cost about $51,000 ($613,000 in today's dollars) and the cost of a B-17 Bomber (left) was about $240,000 (about $2.7 million in today's  dollars).

            On Feb. 23, 1940 the President said: "We shall not stop work for a single day.  If any dispute arises we shall keep on working while the dispute is solved by mediation, conciliation, or arbitration – until the war is won.  We shall not demand special gains or special privileges or advantages for any one group or occupation.  We shall give up conveniences and modify the routine of our lives if our country asks us to do so.  We will do it cheerfully, remembering that the common enemy seeks to destroy every home and every part of our land."

            They may not have been able to raise enough money to purchase a namesake plane but every dollar they raised helped in the war effort and the fact that the employees tried was a testament to their patriotism during the early days of World War II.

            It is also a nod to the pride in their home community.