Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-20
Radar Man Says
Dec. I Warninq
Was Ignored
Pearl Horbor Inquiry
Hears Veteran Tell
Of Order to Forget 1t
By Corter Brooke Jones

FORMER Sergt. George E. Elliott,
jr., %, described to the Pearl
Harbor Committee today how he
and another soldier at mobile
radar station in Hawaii plotted
the course of the japanese planes
as they came in to attack the
naval base, helpless to do any
thing about it, since their instant
warning to higher authority had
been disregarded.
Mr.. Elliott, recently discharged,
and his companion, Joseph L. Lock-
hard, afterward lieutenant, had no
way of knowing the approaching
planes were Japanese, but they were
suspicious enough to phone the air
information center, where an officer
told them to forget about it,
The two men were privates at the
time. They had been sent to guard
the equipment at the mobile radar
station on the northern tip of Oahu
Island that Sunday morning, but
were operating it on their own
initiative to further their training.
Continued to Track Flight.
Mr.. Elliott said they sighted the
big flight of planes at 7:02 am,
when they we're 1856 to 1877 miles
away. After an officer, whom he
later learned was 1t. Kermit Tyler
(afterWard lieutenant colonel
told Pvt. Lockhard to forget the
planes, the two privates continued
to plot the course of the approach
ing craft, the witness said.
Did there come a time when
you lost the planes?" asked Seth
w. Richardson. committee counsel.
Yes, sir" said Mr.. Elliott, when
they were IL or 20 miles away, due
ITO distortion we were unable to
follow them further"
At the time they first picked up
the planes, Mr.. Elliott, said he was
receiving instruction at the instru-
ment from Pvt. Lockhard, who was
more experienced.
Figured Location Quickly.
Il went over to the plotting
board the witness added, and
we figured out where the planes
were. That took less than a min
ute"
They had some discussion over
what to do about it, Mr.. Elliott re-
called, and at first Mr. Lockhard
was uncertain whether they should
report it, figuring they might be
American planes. Mr.. Elliott said
~ u I,a !,
ter to report the planes, even if they
were friendly, as a matter of train
ing. Mr.. Lockhard agreed and Mr..
Elliott picked up a direct line they
had to the information center.
There were two phones at the
station" Mr.. Elliott explained. Il
could get no answer on the direct
line, and so I picked up the other
phone, which was on the admins
trative switchboard and called the
information center. A Pvt. McDon-
aid answered. I told him what we
had sighted, and he told me there
was nobody else around there, and
he didn't know what to do about it.
I asked him if he could get hold of
somebody who would know what to
do about it. He said he would call
back"
Lieutenant Called Back.
Mr.. Elliott said 1t. Tyler called
back, and Mr.. Lockhard repeated
what they had learned. Mr.. Lock-
hard put down the phone and told
him the lieutenant had said Ito
forget about it,"
But we continued to operate the
station" Mr.. Elliott told the COM
mittee. 1--WE followed the planes
until we lost them"
They had first sighted the planes
almost an hour before the attack,
counsel brought out.
Did any one get in touch with
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