Evening star., 1941-05-25
Virginia Calls
Volunteers 10
Watch Skies
Copt. Glenn Elliott
To Head Aircraft
Warning Service
By the Associated Press.


RICHMOND, Va. May 24.-Gov.
Price today directed the State De-
fense Council to take immediate
steps to enroll $4,000 volunteers in a
Virginia aircraft warning service
and designated Capt. w. Glenn Ell
lott of Richmond as State organ
izer.
Capt. Elliott, assigned to the gen.
eral staff of Brig. Gen. E. E. Good
wyn, commanding the Virginia pro-
tective force, presented details Of
the proposed aircraft warning service
to the Executive Committee of the
Defense Council at a meeting today.
Organization of the service would
be one of the first steps in making
operative the civil defense program
in the State.
The committee also heard plans
for an experimental airplane landing
strip adjacent to U. s. route II and
State route 2, near Fredericksburg,
a possible forerunner of some 400
similar strips in the United States.
The area would be used as an emer-
gency landing field and for parking
space for Army motor conveys. The
committee today took under advise
ment the matter of indorsing the
plans.
Plans for the aircraft warning
service, prepared by Capt. Elliott
with the assistance of Army author
tiles during the last several months.
call for the establishment of 1,l39
observation posts to care for the
entire State. There would be III or
ganizers appointed to handle the
task of selecting 1,139 chief observ-
ers, who in turn, will appoint IS
observers to man local observation
posts on a 24-hour- r-a-day basis.
Chief observers will be instructed
not to make public the exact loca-
ton Of their stations.
Headquarters at Norfolk.
Reports from listening posts would
be made TO filter centers" to be
located in Richmond and Roanoke.
and these centers would report
to a State headquarters at Norfolk.
Gov. Price said the entire organ
lzatlon would be manned with
volunteer workers. There will be
no paid jobs, nor will listening posts
be rented. Except in rare instances,
existing telephone facilities would
be used.
Capt. Elliott said plans approved
today require the majority of
volunteers to be men capable OF
service out of doors at any season
of the year. but that the plan does
not preclude the enrolment of
women volunteers, if they are
qualified for the type of service
desired.
Regional defense councils will be
assigned supervisory and inspection
duties in connection with the service.
The service in Virginia will be a
part of a national aircraft observa-
ton service.
Capt. Elliott said that the public
was requested to withhold offers
to volunteer until the organizers
are announced, after which volun-
teers would be asked to contact their
nearest organizer.
Strip Near Maneuver Area.
The proposed landing strip for
planes would be located about six
miles south of Fredericksburg aud
near the Army maneuver area now
being taken over in Caroline County.
The committee was told that the
Public Roads Administration could
procure the right-of- and match
State highway funds for improving
the site at an approximate cost OF
$4,000.
Capt. Frank H. Wheeler of Clifton
Forge reported that organization
had been completed in eight of the
20 zones of the State for co-ordinat-
ed flre-f1ghting mobilization. The
committee Instructed Capt. Wheeler
to name vice chairman to assist
him.
All companies of the Virginia
Protective Force, Gen. Goodwin re-
ported, have been mustered into
service and all would be in uniform
by Memorial Day when MANY of
the 46 units will parade in their
localities.