\n<\/p>\n
As the first woman ever hired at Evaporated Metal Films \u2014 now Omega Optical\u2019s Large Format Coatings Division in Ithaca, NY \u2014Dorothy built gun prisms for tanks and aircraft during WWII, helping America\u2019s soldiers fight overseas.<\/p>\n
Now, more than 80 years later, she will return to the very factory where her journey began \u2014 carrying a powerful original song she helped write that brings her story to life.<\/p>\n
The song, \u201cThe Things I\u2019ve Seen,\u201d features Dorothy\u2019s own voice woven into the recording and was co-written by Dorothy herself alongside her niece and caretaker, Robin Nicholas, and songwriter-producers Janeen Ferdinand and Sammy Maloof.<\/p>\n
The track captures Dorothy\u2019s memories, resilience, and enduring love for her family, her faith, and her country.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have many women like her left,\u201d said Janeen Ferdinand. \u201cDorothy\u2019s story isn\u2019t just being told \u2014 she\u2019s telling it herself. Every lyric reflects the wisdom, grit, and gratitude she\u2019s carried for over a century. This is more than a tribute.
It\u2019s her voice, her heart, and her history set to music.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDorothy is a living example of how one woman\u2019s hands helped build the future of America,\u201d said Robin Nicholas, Dorothy\u2019s niece. \u201cThis homecoming honors her work, her love, and her faithfulness.\u201d<\/p>\n
Media Invitation
Dorothy and her family will visit EMF (formerly Evaporated Metal Films), a division of Omega Optical in Ithaca, New York, on Friday August 1, 2025 for the first time since World War II.<\/p>\n
Local press and national media are invited to attend this once-in-a-lifetime homecoming and legacy celebration.<\/p>\n
For interviews or press inquiries,
Contact: Janeen Ferdinand
Email: janeenferdinand@gmail.com<\/p>\n