WICHITA, Kan. ( KWCH /Gray News) - A Kansas woman who made history by helping build infrastructure during World War II is being recognized as she turns 100 years old.

Connie Palacioz is Wichita’s own “Rosie the Riveter,” for volunteering at the B-29 Doc hangar during the war.

“When visitors come and they ask us, and then I tell them that I worked there and that I did this, and everything is still in order,” Palacioz said. “You know, I always tell them there were seven rivets missing when it was in the desert.”

During wartime, women entered the workforce, with many recruited to assemble airplanes for the war.

Palacioz was one of them. She joined Boeing at 17 years old and became a riveter working on the B-29 Bomber.

“I wish all the others that worked with me could be here, but of course, they are gone,” she said. “But, I don’t know, it’s been great. It just is something that I can’t tell you exactly how, but I feel wonderful to be here.”

Calaciaz still volunteers at the B-29 Hangar and Visitor Center, where visitors look for her to learn how she helped open the doors for women in aviation.

Palacioz’s daughter, Leticia Nielsen Palacioz, said seeing the admiration people have for her mother is heartwarming.

“She has taught us a lot about being a dedicated, devoted, and committed worker,” Nielsen Palacioz said. “Her role was just as important. Sometimes she will say, ‘I wasn’t a veteran like they were,’ but she did her work for the service and for our country.”

Palacioz hopes to continue inspiring women and encourages them to persevere.

“Keep on going,” Palacioz said. “Never give up and give a good example to everybody.”

The B-29 bomber that Palacioz helped restore was found in China Lake, Calif. and brought back to Wichita in 1987.

Once the plane was restored, Palacioz saw it return to the sky.