During Operation Overlord a member of the SS Jeremiah O’Brien’s crew painted a pinup girl against a shamrock to represent the Irish heritage of the Jeremiah O’Brien. She is endearingly known as “Miss Jerri.” Much like airplane nose art that was commonly painted on the front of airplanes, she was painted on the forward gun tub, port side.
Her depiction on the starboard side wearing a grass skirt was added during one of the ship’s voyages across the Pacific. “Miss Jerri” now graces both sides of the forward gun platform.
Returning from Australia in 1946, Miss Jerri was covered over with paint before arriving in San Francisco. Her faded remnants were discovered during the ship’s 1979 restoration. Both images were restored by SS Jeremiah O’Brien volunteer, Janet Doyle, who was an original “Wendy the Welder” at the Richmond Kaiser shipyards.
Years later, the O’Brien crewman who initially painted Miss Jerri, Dan Bandy, a former coxswain of the Naval Armed Guard, visited the ship and supplied photos of his artwork. This enabled Miss Jerri to be fully restored by the French artist and modelmaker, Manu Alteirac, to her former wartime appearance that you now see. Mr. Alteirac also created the Normandy landing diorama you’ll see when visiting the ship’s Museum.
Explore this Station's Gallery
Proceed along the port side to the Foremast. Look up to see the Crow’s Nest atop the Foremast and view the painting of Bruce D. Raven.