North Dakota
Former ‘Rosie’ from Dawson, ND, continues advocating for recognition of World War II women
JAMESTOWN — A woman born and raised in Dawson, North Dakota, continues to advocate for the recognition of the women — often known as “Rosie the Riveter” — who worked in the defense industries during World War II.
Mae Krier, who will be 100 years old on March 21, was born as Anna Mae Burkett when she grew up in Dawson. She now makes her home in Pennsylvania and has lived an active life of work and advocacy for women and veterans.
“I’ve worked for over 50 years for recognition of the women and what they did,” she said. “The women were the ones who made the airplanes and the landing craft.”
She earned her title as a “Rosie” at the Boeing factory in Washington during World War II.
“I was just a teenager when Pearl Harbor got bombed,” she said. “My sister and I had been in Steele (North Dakota) for the matinee and came home to find our parents listening to the radio coverage of the Japanese attack.”
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941. The U.S. declared war on Japan the next day and entered World War II.
When school ended in the spring of 1943, Krier, her sister and a friend went to Seattle for the summer and stayed for the duration of the war.
“We were happy with the work,” Krier said. “They trained us well. Trained us in drilling, placing the rivets and bucking the rivet.”
Bucking a rivet requires two people. The gunner operates an air hammer on one end of the rivet while the bucker holds a small anvil against the other end. The result is a rivet with a head on both ends that holds metal pieces firmly together.
Krier worked bucking rivets on the B-17 and later the B-29 as part of the war effort. On May 12, 1944, Krier and the rest of the crew signed their names to the 5,000 B-17 Flying Fortress built at the Boeing factory after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Krier took pride in the work that she and the other Rosies did, producing the tools of war. She also feels the women were ultimately shortchanged when it came to recognition by society.
“The men came home to parades,” she said. “We got a pink slip.”
It is this injustice that she has worked for decades to correct.
Through the efforts of Krier and other advocates, March 21 has been observed annually as Rosie the Riveter Remembrance Day since 2019.
In 2020, the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act passed Congress and was signed into law. The medal, which Krier helped design, was presented to her on April 10, 2024.
The medal honors the millions of women who worked in defense factories during World War II. The original medal is housed at the National Museum of American History.
Bronze replicas of the medal are available through the United States Mint.
Families of Rosies can register with the American Rosie the Riveter Association for inclusion in the records maintained by the organization. Krier hopes more North Dakota women will be recognized.
“I want North Dakota women to realize they were important,” she said, referring to the efforts on the home front of WWII. “Everything was important … When the men left, the women stepped in.”
Recently, a children’s book about Krier’s life was published. The book — “We Can Do It!” by Dave Winters and friends — targets readers between ages 8-18.
Proceeds from the book benefit The Black Dagger Military Hunt Club in assisting recovering veterans and the WWII Women’s Memorial Foundation in its effort to build a permanent memorial on the mall in Washington, D.C.
The WWII Women’s Memorial Foundation hopes to raise $17 million in private funds for the construction of the memorial. The memorial would honor the estimated 18 million women working in all fields during WWII.
Krier said she is living an interesting life and wants to promote the lives of women of all ages.
“I hope to promote women and young girls,” she said. “They don’t know their own strengths.”
WASHINGTON — The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services has been recognized for its wildfire prevention efforts with a national Bronze Smokey Bear Award.
“These awardees demonstrate what fire prevention looks like in action,” said U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief Sarah Fisher. “Their efforts protect lives, support firefighters and make a real difference in communities across the country.”
May is Wildfire Awareness Month, and with North Dakota experiencing another active spring wildfire season, each fire prevented is one that local responders don’t have to put out, underscoring the importance of each individual’s responsibility to work and recreate safely outdoors. The award to the N.D. Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) recognizes its efforts in communicating just that.
The communications team is led by Strategic Communications Chief Alison Vetter and is supported by Autonomous Systems and Communications Specialist Clint Fleckenstein.
According to information from the Forest Service, the team’s creative products are visually appealing, engaging and effective. The “Learn Before You Burn” tagline urges North Dakotans to visit the interactive N.D. Fire Declarations and Burn Restrictions map to learn their local restrictions, fire danger and red flag warnings before burning or recreating outdoors. Vetter and Fleckenstein consistently take initiative to address fire prevention issues proactively and go above and beyond to become the best possible storytellers of wildfire prevention messaging.
Alison Vetter
Their statewide efforts identify unique and effective avenues to communicate these important public safety topics, addressing top human-caused fire causes like open burning and equipment use through reels, interviews, Gas Station TV, visits with local students, and GoodHealthTV kiosks found in local health units, schools and other public buildings.
During the historic October 2024 wildfires, NDDES mobilized the Joint Information Center, responding to the elevated need for education, prevention and response to determine messaging needs in real time. This included topics like publicizing daily fire danger, sharing resources for affected landowners, advocating for defensible space and safety tips, and messaging ways to minimize fire risk when harvesting, hunting, or enjoying the outdoors. Alison and her team worked over the winter of 2024-2025 to identify prevention efforts and causes, and crafted effective communications strategies to reduce wildfire occurrence, which proved necessary into an active spring 2025 fire season as well. After the devastation of the October 2024 wildfires, they created a documentary to highlight the value and appreciation for those who responded to the call and showcase the unique way North Dakota communities show up for one another in crisis.
The 2026 Smokey Bear Awards will be presented at the National Association of State Foresters’ annual meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, in September.
North Dakota
Armstrong directs flags at half-staff Thursday in observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong has directed all government agencies to fly the United States and North Dakota flags at half-staff on Thursday, May 14, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, in observance of national Peace Officers Memorial Day.
The governor’s directive is in accordance with a proclamation issued by President Donald Trump, who also proclaimed May 10-16 as national Police Week.
Armstrong will join North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Supreme Court Chief Justice Lisa Fair McEvers in delivering remarks during a North Dakota Peace Officers Memorial Service at 7 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Hall of the State Capitol. North Dakota’s 69 fallen peace officers will be remembered and honored during the service, and the Capitol windows will be lit to display a “Thin Blue Line” as a mark of respect for all law enforcement officers, past and present.
MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – Todd Cresap, who has served as a North Dakota district judge since 2009, announced he will retire in July.
Cresap wrote a letter to Gov. Kelly Armstrong, R-ND, he would retire effective July 17.
In the letter, Cresap said he had ‘mixed emotions’ over the decision, calling it an ‘honor’ to serve, but said it was time for someone ‘with a new perspective’ to serve.
A Valley City native, Cresap studied at Minot State University and the University of North Dakota.
Then-Gov. John Hoeven appointed Cresap to fill a judgeship in the Northwest Judicial District in 2009 that was created by the legislature. He served in that district until 2014, when it was split into Northwest and North Central.
Voters elected Cresap to the bench in 2012, 2016, and 2022. He served as a lawyer in private practice before his appointment as judge.
Armstrong can appoint a replacement to fill Cresap’s remaining term from a nominating committee’s list, ask the committee for new candidates, or call a special election.
The North Central District covers Ward, Mountrail, and Burke Counties.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
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