The Washington times., 1936-03-25
AMATEURS WIN
PRAISE FOR
RADI0W0RK

their posts until sleep toppled them
in their tracks and during all the
chaos at Johnstown, Pittsburgh,
New Kensington and Mars, Pa,
and later in the Hartford disaster
area they remained amateurs" Of
the air, receiving no reward ex-
cept the satisfaction of having
helped.
To the public that listens to its
radio favoriteS, these amateur ra-
dio operators are a tribe apart,
but to those close to the narrowing
confusion that seized the flood
stricken centers they are heroes,
and rightly so.
Behind the operations - daily
and often throughout the night
of the amateur airmen is d story
of thrilling loyalty. They help be-
cause they love the job. And out
of $4,000 licensed amateur radio
operators throughout the United
States, 1000 are registered to col
laborate and assist the Signal
Corps of the Army and the many
small Red cross chapters in the
towns not reached by the Army
service.
Licensed to Aid
Capt. Rex w. Minckler, liaison
zfS:ao- tho CinY1ol TnrYOc
and the Amateur Radio Relay
League, has registered the 1000
amateurs under the Army amateur
radio system 'to provide addi-
tional channels of communication
in the United States in time Of
emergency, to replace land lines"
where flood, fire, severe storms
and earthquakes detach communi-
ties from the outside world.
In the flood area in PennSylva-
mia the endurance of the anna
teurs was amazing. They got the
real story of the flood, sent forth
the pleas of the local Red Cross
units, reported on the exact dam
age, answered hundreds Of ques-
tionS, stayed at their sending
sets-often perched on barrels as
they, stood in mud and mire-
maintained their contacts with
amateurs outside the havoc zone,
and asked for relief only when ex-
haustion felled them.
Captain Minckler says:
"They did a grand job. Not
only on the scene of the flood,
but the dozens Of amateurs in
the Washington district gave
fine service.
"On this end Of the line the
operators assisted our men like
professionals. When the local
boys found themselves falling
asleep ON the job, they turned
over their time schedules to us;
that is, they gave us the call let
terS of the Pittsburgh and
JohnstOwn stations they had
agreed to re-cOntact at specified
hours, and we put on fresh
operators to follow up"
Army Gives Relief
Three Army operators at Sta-a
ton W3Cd, at the Munitions
Building, assured the relief shifts,
such as that turned over by Mer-
rill F. Darcy, of Silver Spring.
In short, the amateurs, true to
the purpose of the Army Amateur
Radio System, were in touch with
the devastated regions as soon as
the flood waters rushed upon
Johnstown. They placed them
selves at the direction of relief
agencies; they stipulated the ur-
gent need for relief, often telling
the outside world what medicines.
foods, clothing were in demand.
Captain Minckler, in comment
ing on the accuracy of the anna
teur as well as the official Army
reports from the deluged cities,
said that when rumor stated the
Quemahoning Dam had collapsed,
the operators were reporting:
"The dam is still holding"
This vast field of amateur radio
is conducted on two systems,
straight telegraphic code and tele-
phonic. Much of the actual ex-
change of queries and answers in
the flood period was converse
ton, Captain Minckler explained,
adding that many of the young
operators have both types of ia
cilities for contacts.
Amateurs Encouraged
The Army organization Of the
1000 amateur SenderS and receivers
is being encouraged constantly, for
here is a case of intense appreci-
alton by the Signal Corps for ser
vices rendered. The Army charges
no fee for registration; the only
stipulation being that the appli-
cant hold an FEC license.
Asked concerning the odds
against which the operators in the
flood centers contended, Captain
Minckler said:
"They must have endured
hardShipS, but they didn't talk
about themselves; they were
busy with Red Cross and emer-
genCy messages"
There are, in the Washington
territory, about $50 radio oper-
ators with amateur licenses, but
many of them are not classified
as active. It is believed, from
what reports were furnished The
Washington Times, both directly
apd in RELAYS that 25 men were