Pullman Square was full of people ringing bells on Monday, and it wasn’t because of a holiday season. The second annual “Ring a Bell for Rosie” event honored women in the workforce with multiple speakers and several honorees.

The 11 women honored went to work during World War II when men were sent away to serve their country on the front lines. The women did everything from working with TNT to building airplanes. One such woman said she never realized how women were changing history then.

“We never dreamed we would be honored really; we just did our work like we were supposed to,” Dorothy Summers said.

Summers worked at a radio station in Baltimore right after she finished high school. She said she was just like any other young girl who dated, went to parties and never thought her work was anything special. As time has gone on, however, these women have garnered more attention.

“As they age, we are losing out on an important piece of history if we don’t get their stories,” Tijah Bumgarner, a filmmaker who interviewed many of the working women for an upcoming documentary, said.

Bumgarner said she was honored to meet the women and have the opportunity to not just interview them, but also see into their daily lives.

Bell-ringing ceremonies were organized all across the state in five different locations by Charleston-based nonprofit group Thanks! Plain and Simple.

Brooke Griffin can be contacted at [email protected].