Evening star., 1942-04-26
More Spoilers Sought
For Arlington Village
Raid Warning Service
Post Hos Headquarters
In 26-Foot Tower
Equipped With Phone
Star Stan Photo.

II you've been wanting to "do
something for defense" there's a
job waiting for you In Arlington
County.
All you need is a fairly good pair
of ears and eyes. You can name
your own hours-any two out of
the "A.
This help wanted plea comes
from Chief Observer C. H. Spence,
who is in charge of the observation
post of the aircraft warning serv-
ice in Arlington Village. Mr.. Spence
and his corps of spoilers need about
so additional volunteers to help
them continue theiy work of looking
out for enemy planes.
Headquarters of the post Is in
Arlington Village. In q 26-foot-high
tower equipped with telephone from
which spoilers phone the Army
interceptor command when a plane
passes.
Decides on Permanent Place.
The post hasn't always been To-
Gated in the cleaning white tower
1t now uses. When Mr.. Spence first
organized it, the post" was a street
corner and phoning. had to be done
in a nearby apartment.
That involved SO many difficult
ties, including spoilers mistaking
the sound of a bus for the sound
of a plane. that Mr.. Spence decided
that something permanent would
have to be built.
Mr.. Spence is no architect, but
he and his assistant, r. B. Dozier,
planned building. Since 1t would
have to be frame (steel priorities.
remember?), they decided on a ta-
pering design.
The post is 10 feet square at the
bottom and 6 feet square at the
top. Lumber was donated by Ar
lington and Washington lumber
dealers. The station was construct
ed by a defense minded Arlington
builder. Painters and much of the
equipment were furnished by the
management of the Arlington Vii
lage Development
Work Two Hour Shifts.
Spoilers tthere are lis now work
two-hour shifts. Mr.. Spence would
like to have things so that each of
them would only have to 60 on
duty once q week. AS 1t Is, many
of them are spotting four and five
times a week.
About 60 per cent of the spoilers
are men. The rest are mainly house
wives from the community, although
some OF them are women who act
as spoilers after working all day In
a Government ONCE.
Men and women are not the only
workers. One of the most earnest
is Terry johnson. is, OF 2ll2 Co
lumbia pike. Terry is Star carrier
boy, does his spotting in the early
hours before he goes out to deliver
his Sunday papers. Several other
teen-age boys from the neighbor-
hood are spoilers, too.
Many of the women, according to
Mr.. Spence, are wives of Navy and
Army men. Mrs o. T. Jamison.
whose husband is a major In the
w ktcA tkAACAANs A4oo 1SSAA a SkOS-
ter about two months. Mrs. G. G..
Morgan. wife OF an Army Air Corps
officer. has been working at spot
ting for three months.
MRS. Morgan would like to see a
training course for the spoilers in
stituted Mr.. Spence, however, says
he can't think about training until
he gets some more people.
Mr.. Spence is a past commander
of the Tank Corps Post of the
American Legion. 1t was through
his Legion affihation that he came
to be put in charge of the post.
1t started operating December 8.
A large part of his STAN left when
the Patent once was moved to
Richmond. Other Government Of
flee transfers have further cut into
his ranks.
| Mr.. Spence himself lives In
Alexandria. although he works In
/ Washington. Other spoilers come
from all over the county. and one
of them lives IN the District.
Men who are a lot better in
formed than I am think that some
| day were going to see enemy planes
up there" says Mr.. Dozier. That's
what we're waiting for"