Palacioz Broke Barriers, Built B-29s And Inspired Women In Aviation

WICHITA—Connie Palacioz, an original “Rosie the Riveter,” punched rivets in the nose sections of B-29 Superfortress bombers during World War II at the Boeing Wichita plant.

She has spent the last 26 years as a volunteer, first helping return the vintage B-29 known as “Doc”—discovered in the Mojave Desert—to flying condition, then serving as an active volunteer with the Doc hangar and traveling with the historic aircraft to air shows around the country.

Palacioz died April 19 at the age of 101. At 17 and right out of high school, Palacioz went to work for the Boeing Co. in Wichita as a riveter on the B-29 production line. She served from 1943 to 1945 in the Wichita factory that ultimately built 1,644 B-29 bombers, nearly all of them carrying rivets she installed.  

Palacioz, who stood several inches under 5 ft. tall, could still point to the original rivets she had installed on the B-29 Doc, one of only two B-29s in flyable condition. Doc came off the assembly line in 1944.

Residing in Newton, Kansas, north of Wichita, Palacioz would catch a bus for workers each day to take them to the plant and back home at night. With a brother, uncle and fiancé at war, Palacioz wanted to do her part for the war effort, she has said.

While at Boeing, her supervisor told her they had hired a Black woman with whom no one wanted to partner. Palacioz said she would do so as, with a Mexican heritage, she was also a minority. The two soon became friends and built a reputation for their speed and skill. It was not long before others began asking to be their partners. The two would decline and stay together.

Palacioz lost her job when the men returned from the war and resumed their work at Boeing. She went on to become a hairdresser and have a family.

As a mother, Palacioz never talked about her days as a riveter, saying she did not think anyone would be interested. When she learned that volunteers were needed to restore the B-29 Doc, she stepped up, and in doing so, became somewhat of a celebrity.

“Connie’s life journey was inspiring, and it’s been our great honor to have shared her legacy and life story through B-29 Doc,” said B-29 Doc Executive Director Josh Wells. “Not only was Connie a Wichita and Kansas legend, but her story and work during World War II on the B-29 Superfortress production line also made her a national hero.”

Palacioz was recognized at the Wichita Aero Club Gala for her service. Spirit AeroSystems named her the inaugural member of the Women in Aviation–Kansas Women’s Hall of Fame inside the B-29 Doc Hangar.