El Pasoans mobilized after attack on Pearl Harbor: Trish Long
As we approach the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, here is a look back at how El Pasoans mobilized in anticipation of war:
Dec. 8, 1941
Nation rallies to fight back at Japanese attack
EP Citizens mobilized as war comes
The outbreak of war with Japan Sunday saw military, government and civic organizations in El Paso prepared and “on the alert” to cope with any situation that might arise.
El Paso office of the federal Bureau of Investigation was prepared for action but agents here had received no orders to arrest Japanese and pro-Japanese suspects in the El Paso area.
Dr. C.M. Hendricks director-general of the Southwestern Sun Carnival said Sunday the annual Sun Carnival celebration and parade “will go ahead as scheduled New Year’s” despite the present emergency.
The U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration Service were on the alert.
E.F. Adcock, Border Patrol supervisor, said that his men were “tightening up their defenses” to prevent the departure of anyone not authorized by the State Department to leave the country.
BORDER CLOSED TO JAPANESE NATIONALS
He said that he did not anticipate any addition to the Border Patrol forces at the present but that there might be a shifting of personnel so as to concentrate strength in various spots.
Government officials here were preparing to uphold Treasury Department orders issued Sunday to close the nation’s borders to Japanese nationals and to impose a strict ban on any financial transactions by Japanese.
AIR CORPS LEAVES CANCELED IN NATION
Biggs Field officials said that orders cancelling leaves and furloughs had not been received there yet but that they were expected by radio before Monday morning.
Air Corps leaves were being canceled throughout the nation.
DEFENSE COUNCIL SWINGS INTO ACTION
Approximately 2,500 members of El Paso Civilian Defense Council swung into action Sunday as the organization, under leadership of Roy S. Nelson, prepared to handle local defense assignments. Fire Chief W.E. Jackson headed 16 companies of volunteer El Paso fire fighters. Chief Jackson and Sheriff Bill Hawkins have divided El Paso into sections for fire fighting in case of an emergency. Each volunteer squad handles one El Paso district.
Central Recruiting Office of El Paso Civilian Defense Council is in the Chamber of Commerce building.
Divisions in the organization include fire and rescue, Red Cross, utility divisions, intelligence department and recruiting division.
More: Pilot Robert Fowler's transcontinental flight for $50,000 stalled in El Paso: Trish Long
MAYOR SAYS MEN NEEDED AS GUARDS
Mayor J.E. Anderson authorized the following statement Sunday night:
“The Chief of Police is receiving steady calls for reliable watchmen. Able-bodied American citizens of good health and character, who can furnish references, desiring such employment, may register with the Chief of Police, starting Monday, at 119 South Campbell street. Men past the draft age are preferred.”
El Paso Electric Company officials Sunday called up additional guards to protect the firm’s property in the El Paso area from possible sabotage.
“We have had an organization of guards for some time for use in event of an emergency,” one company official said. “This guard has been increased and is on duty now,”
Guards will watch the company’s power plant in the Upper Valley, sub-stations and all power transmission lines.
Dr. C.M. Hendricks, chairman of El Paso chapter of American Red Cross, has issued a call to all workers and volunteers under the jurisdiction of the chapter territory which includes El Paso, Culberson and Hudspeth counties.
“In view of the impending state of war, I respectfully urge the following chairmen of committees to re-check and bring up to date a perfection of their organizations and to increase and intensify the training of each member of their organization,” Dr. Hendricks said.
Chairman of Roll Call, J.Y. Wheeler, is urged to direct his workers to complete the present Roll Call at once and keep his organization standing by for further requests from National Headquarters.
JAPENESE BARRED FROM ALL AIRLINES
Airlines operating through El Paso – American Airlines and Continental Airlines – were instructed by Chairman Robert H. Hinckley of the Civil Aeronautics Authority to take no Japanese nationals aboard.
The order went out Sunday afternoon to all American airlines, both domestic and those on foreign routes.
LAS CRUCES GUARD UNIT ORDERED TO DUTY
The Third company, New Mexico State Guard, in Las cruces, N.M. were ordered to duty Sunday night by Governor John Miles. The company is commanded by Harlow Hyland.
Chief of Police Jack Robertson of Las cruces said Sunday night that precautionary steps were being taken by all peace officers in the area against any possible sabotage.
El Paso amateur radio operators learned that the Federal Communications Commission Sunday prohibited further operations of the stations in the United States, its territories and possessions. The order was reported by Associated Press.
El Paso newspapers were notified Sunday night by A.R. Gere, Federal Burau of Investigation, that all press dispatches to Japan, Germany, Italy, France and Finland had been forbidden by the United States Government.
More: El Paso criminal records go back to 1866, manslaughter first case on record
PRIVATE PLANES REPORTED GROUNDED
Jerome Martin, operator of El Paso Flying Services at Municipal Airport, received orders from the Civil Aeronautics Authority not to allow Japanese to leave the airport as passengers or as pilots.
El Paso pilots awaited orders, reported by the Associated Press in Washington, grounding all private airplanes in the United States and its possessions, except commercial airlines. The order was announced in Washington by the CAA.
BOUNDARY COMMISSION PREPARED
The International Boundary Commission is prepared to meet any emergency that may arise, L.M. Lawson, commissioner here, said.
“We have guards stationed up and down the border guarding government structures,” Mr. Lawson said, “and they have been on the alert for some time.”
Working with the boundary commission in protecting America property on the border is the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Highway Patrol, U.S. Customs and the U.S. Border Patrol.
Heavily-armed guards were keeping a 24-hour watch over Elephant Butte Dam in New Mexico and the vital hydro-electric plant there.
Supt. L.R. Flock of the U.S. Reclamation Bureau here said that 12 guards were on duty at Elephant Butte and four men were watching the Caballo Dam.
All guards have been warned to maintain a strict watch over the big project.
No person will be allowed to stop at the dam or to loiter nearby, Mr. Flock said.
The precautionary measures taken at Elephant Butte were in line with a general “alert” sounded at power plants throughout the nation.
To guard against the possibility of air attack approximately 800 air raid warning posts, manned by civilians, have been organized in Texas.
More than 12,000 persons were assigned to stations which are under jurisdiction of the Third Interceptor Command of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
The governor’s defense committee is continuing to organize observation stations. Each of the state’s 254 counties had a council to coordinate organization of the post which would report the flight of hostile aircraft.
SELECTIVE SERVICE ORDERS AWAITED
Orders increasing El Paso’s draft quota for the months to come are expected here soon, Joseph G. Bennis, chairman of the county selective service board, said Sunday.
The orders would be issued from Austin by Brig. Gen. J. Watt Page, state draft director, Mr. Bennis said.
Governor Coke R. Stevenson declared Sunday in Austin that the time had come for the United States to ay aside differences and unite, according to Associated Press, denounced the “cowardly” Japan attack on the United States.
Trish Long may be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com or 915-546-6179.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Pasoans mobilized after attack on Pearl Harbor
