quicknick
Well-Known Member
I made an interesting discovery this week and wanted to share my pride with my Mopar Brothers.
Just a quick back story.........My Grandfather Salvatore Perreca was a Chrysler employee for 32 yrs.
He, my Grandmother, and their infant daughter (my Mother) fled to the United States from Italy in 1939 to escape the Nazi War Machine. They settled in Detroit where my Grandfather took a job at Chrysler's Mound and Outer Drive Assy. Plant building bomber wings for the war effort. He worked 14 hr. days, 7 days a week to provide for his family and save for his new home.
After the war he was transferred to the 9 mile and Mound Stamping Plant where he remained until his retirement. In that time he worked 12 hr. shifts during the day and put himself through college at night. Not only did he learn to read, write, and speak English, earned an engineering degree from Wayne State Univ. His degree quickly launched him to upper Mgt. at the plant where he was in charge of the Accuweld machine line which stamped and welded all of the Dodge truck body panels.
In 1964 he presented an idea to the company to improve efficiency on the line which saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in labor costs. For his idea, Chrysler presented him with a gold watch (which I inherited) and a brand new 1963 Chrysler New Yorker (that I wish I inherited) But I digress.
When he passed away 2 years ago, I inherited the wooden Kennedy tool box he had with him all those years. It held all his precision tools. (Mikes, calipers etc.)
Now for my find......... I dug that old box out of the basement this week because I was looking for a certain sized tap. I came across a small compartment in the box I never knew was there. Inside I found a bunch of his Union and Achievement pins and cards.
I am in the process of making a shadow box to display them. i know this is not a very good pic, but you can see his 5yr,10, yr, and 25 yr. pin with 2 diamonds. The upper left are his tool crib tags and the lower right is the 14 carat Gold employee retirement card he got along with his Gold watch. He Retired from Chrysler as a Grade 3 Engineer and high ranking Union member in 1971.
I'm proud of him and every man of that era that started out with nothing and built a wonderful life through hard work, dedication, and guile.
Just a quick back story.........My Grandfather Salvatore Perreca was a Chrysler employee for 32 yrs.
He, my Grandmother, and their infant daughter (my Mother) fled to the United States from Italy in 1939 to escape the Nazi War Machine. They settled in Detroit where my Grandfather took a job at Chrysler's Mound and Outer Drive Assy. Plant building bomber wings for the war effort. He worked 14 hr. days, 7 days a week to provide for his family and save for his new home.
After the war he was transferred to the 9 mile and Mound Stamping Plant where he remained until his retirement. In that time he worked 12 hr. shifts during the day and put himself through college at night. Not only did he learn to read, write, and speak English, earned an engineering degree from Wayne State Univ. His degree quickly launched him to upper Mgt. at the plant where he was in charge of the Accuweld machine line which stamped and welded all of the Dodge truck body panels.
In 1964 he presented an idea to the company to improve efficiency on the line which saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in labor costs. For his idea, Chrysler presented him with a gold watch (which I inherited) and a brand new 1963 Chrysler New Yorker (that I wish I inherited) But I digress.
When he passed away 2 years ago, I inherited the wooden Kennedy tool box he had with him all those years. It held all his precision tools. (Mikes, calipers etc.)
Now for my find......... I dug that old box out of the basement this week because I was looking for a certain sized tap. I came across a small compartment in the box I never knew was there. Inside I found a bunch of his Union and Achievement pins and cards.
I am in the process of making a shadow box to display them. i know this is not a very good pic, but you can see his 5yr,10, yr, and 25 yr. pin with 2 diamonds. The upper left are his tool crib tags and the lower right is the 14 carat Gold employee retirement card he got along with his Gold watch. He Retired from Chrysler as a Grade 3 Engineer and high ranking Union member in 1971.
I'm proud of him and every man of that era that started out with nothing and built a wonderful life through hard work, dedication, and guile.
