Last night I was relaxing in my recliner watching TV with opened windows providing a comfortable breeze blowing off the cool river water in my backyard. I was thinking to myself how blessed Jackie and I are to live in such a quiet, tranquil environment when, much to my chagrin, the raucous noise from multiple jets flying low over my house shattered the peace and quiet and rattled the glassware in our oak antique china cabinet. The Air National Guard, flying sorties over the Warren Grove Bombing Range, was at it, again. Unfortunately, my house is below their flight pattern.
Those jets got me to thinking about the early 1940's when New Gretna's Local Defense Council was charged with protecting the local citizenry from enemy air attacks. They didn't have noisy jet air planes filling the sky with noise pollution back then. Rather, they had to resort to the use of an emergency fire siren on a tower adjacent to the Fire House on North Maple Avenue to warn the residents to take cover in the event of an enemy air attack. It was purely a defensive strategy.
The following 1941 Local Defense Council Regulations, which were to be posted in each township home, outlined the various defense signals and procedures to be followed and listed the Special Police and Air Raid Wardens entrusted with the community's safety and well being. I wonder if anyone out in the Blog-O-Sphere remembers those times or are familiar with or are related to any of the Defense Council personnel listed at the bottom of the regulations?
Pete S
