Civil Defense Volunteers Launch 'Skywatch': with photo of Mrs. Clara Bartholf and Mrs. Barbara Moyer
The Ithaca Journal, Jul 14 1952, P. 3, Cols. 1-2.
'Operation Skywatch went into effect at 8 a.m. today.
Civil defense volunteers in Tompkins County and throughout New York and 26 other states began 24-hour manning of ground observation posts on the lookout for all aircraft.
The U.S. Air Force ordered this around-the-clock watch so that any hostile planes entering the country below the radar screen could be immediately reported.
Gen. Ralph Hospital, director of Ithaca-Tompkins County Civil Defense, said that while additional volunteers signed up last week and this morning, more are wanted to man the six posts here.
"Civil defense volunteers assigned to other branches are urgently needed to serve as ground observers until the regular quota has been attained," he stated.
"Special effort is being made to enlist the services of wardens and volunteer firemen." Volunteers may telephone civil defense headquarters in the Court House, 3461.
== Would Cut Time ==
George W. Ideman, chief of the Aircraft Warning and Ground Observers Branch, pointed out that if many men and women volunteer for this task, no individual will have to serve more than 2 hours at a time.
No knowledge of planes and no special training is needed to be a ground observer, Ideman said.
When he sees a plane, the person on duty telephones the Syracuse Filter Center. He reports the number of aircraft — one, few, many, unknown; type - number of motors; time delay in reporting: direction of aircraft and approximate distance from observation post when spotted, and which way the plane was flying.
== Others Available ==
Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner, state civil defense director, Albany, emphasized Saturday that "it is permissible to use any and all civil defense enrollees who are willing to accept the assignment in addition to their regular duties in civil defense."
Huebner made the statement in a letter directing mayors, chairmen of county boards of supervisors, and the 99 city and county civil defense directors to make arrangements for round-the-clock observation.
Huebner's order permits volunteers such as auxiliary police, firemen, wardens and others to be used as temporary spotters "until such time as an adequate number of ground observers have been enrolled."
The director's office called the authorization "probably unprecedented in the nation."
Huebner said there would be no let-up in the commission's drive to recruit 70,000 spotters to augment the 30.000 now enrolled.'
Caption for photo: "AIR SPOTTERS of the Civil Defense program began round-the-clock duty this morning. The picture was taken at the station atop the Plant Science Building at Cornell. Mrs. Clara Bartholf (left) is watching the skies while Mrs. Barbara Moyer is taking care of the desk work inside the shelter."