Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1945-07-12

unusual invitations or courtesies.
Such was my experience and the
experience of newspapermen of
Maryland and Delaware during
the past month when we were
invited to visit the Middletown
Air Technical Service Command
at Olmsted Field, Pa.
To begin with we were taken
to Middletown on CAT from
Baltimore and returned the same
way. We were
Publishers entertained at
Guests At the field with a
OlmSted Field degree of cour-
tesy and consid-
GRAFTON which would do justice to
the finest southern traditions.
We were housed in BOO, given
the freedom of the Officers Club,
the swimming pool, and the PIX.
But that personal, albeit delight
full, phase of the trip is only
small part of the experience.
For one with bent for things
technical it was even a greater
treat than for me for / have
never been able to enthuse a
great deal over the detailed man
ner in which big things are done.
Rather do l like to visualize the
thing being done, plan methods,
coordinate timing, analyze costs,
convince others of it's practical
adoption and then criticize the
finished product looking to great
er efficiency in production or a
better product. And such was
my impressions of the inspection
of the Middletown Technical Air
Service Commands operations.
While it is almost impossible for
a layman to make comparisons or
draw conclusions it is possible
for that layman to grasp the
magnitude of the work and the
efficiency with which the opera
tions are carried on. An over
all impression is what l brought
away with me and | shall never
forget the favorable expressions
of my associates and my own
amazement.
This depot is one of eleven in
continental United States. Each
depot is devoted to the reclama-
ton, repair and rebuilding of
airplanes. The
Technical Middletown de-
Air Service pot is at present
Command specializing on
the C-54 (Uncle
Sans largest transport plane)
and every operation from the
huge motors to the smallest
part and including the delicate
instruments upon which not only
the success; of our flights depend
but upon which the lives of our
men of the air depend. 1t was
heartening to me to know that
such efficient effort lies behind
the plane which my son is now
flying lover the Hump" Twelve
thousand people, all either army
personnel or Civil Service EN-
ployees, each with his or her
particular job to do. All of this
great operation supervised by
General John M. Clark and his
staff.
We inspected the huge Farm
Show Building in Harrisburg
where the MATSC dismantles
every one of the large motors
and repairs, rebuilds or replaces.
We inspected the depot at Ohm
sted Field where all other opera
tics are carried on. We were
not only invited but urged to
seek as much information as We
desired even to the point of ask
ing the individual employee. We
were seated in one of the big
and comfortable conference
rooms where charts indicated
every phase of the work and
told more with requests for
questions. Work is being done
at Middletown which large man.
facturers contended could not be
done. Under General Clark's
supervision, as
Magnitude an illustration,
Of Work an assembly line
Amazing for the repair
of watches has
been in successful operation and
experts have come long distances
to study the method. 1t is esti-