Fisher Body Goes to War
I promise to wear this pin as a pledge to every man in the armed services, that, until this war is won, I will devote my full energies to the cause for which they are giving their lives.
Army-Navy Production "E" Award Pledge
On July 25, 1941, in recognition of its standards of high quality and superior craftsmanship, Fisher Body was award the United States Navy "E" for excellence in vital production assignments for World War II months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. By the end of the war Fisher Body was one of only eight civilian organizations to fly the Navy "E" flag with six stars, and the only one in the automotive industry. When V-J Day came on August 9, 1945, Fisher Body had delivered 21,000 tanks; major sub-assemblies for 10,000 B-25 and B-29 bombers; 422,000 aircraft instruments; 3,400 anti-aircraft guns; 16,000 gun breech housings; 550,000 shells; thousands of diesel engine crankcases for submarines, several experimental aircraft, and many other diversified war product to numerous to mention. Five years later, when the United States entered the Korean War, Fisher Body provided critical armaments and products once again. Fisher Body was contracted to build the Patton T48 medium Tank at Grand Blanc, Michigan and, with the Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac (BOP) Division, the Republic F84F "Thunderjet" at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Danny L. McDaniel
Lafayette, Indiana
All plants engaged in was production were eligible to receive the award. Government as well as privately owned plants were eligible, as well as subcontractors or prime contractors.
Some factors which were considered in selecting recipients were:
Quality and Quantity of production
Overcoming of production obstacles
Avoidance of stoppages of work
Maintaining of fair labor standards
Training of additional labor forces
Effective management
Good records on accidents, health, sanitation and plant protection
Utilization of subcontractors
Of the 4,283 plants which were granted the Award, eight had won six Star Awards when the program ended. Four of these had retained their original Navy “E” Awards and were as follows: Cameron Iron Works, Houston, Texas; General Motors Corporation, Fisher Body Division, Die & Machine Unit, Detroit Michigan; Midvale Company, Nicetown, (Philadelphia), Pennsylvania; and Northern Ordnance, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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