During World War Two, the J.A. Jones Construction Company operated a plant about 1 mile south on Brunswick's waterfront. Between 1942 and 1944, a skilled labor force of over 16,000 men and women supported the Allied war effort by producing 99 steel vessels for the U.S. Merchant Marines. These ships served as cargo and troop carriers, and their ability to keep vital supply lines open earned them the name "Liberty Ships." Shipyard workers produced four of the 447-foot, 3500-ton steel vessels each month. In December 1944, while the Battle of the Bulge raged in Europe, the Navy requested six ships, and Brunswick's workers built seven. The J.A. Jones Construction Company and the people employed in Brunswick's shipyards came to symbolize the patriotic duty and tireless efforts of America's wartime home front.