December 7, 1941, about noon a phone answer brought shocking news "the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor". A numbed wife went outside to inform a war-wise husband. Palmdale basked in a benign sun-calmness seemed to pervade the universe. It must be false, a mistake. The phone again--this message came through "Report every plane that passes over"' Thus Palmdale Observation post alert was established two days ahead of the proposed TEST RUN.

    We had been asked to donate the use of our place for the following reasons--excellent visibility, quiet, phone service, located on a good highway, close to Palmdale and a husbands know- how. Hence, we had obtained all forms, these had been studied and we were prepared for the news physically, mentally, but not emotionally.

    From that time, for many, many months, Palmdale citizens came in pairs for each two hour watch, around the clock. One person kept alert watch while the other reported and recorded every plane that passed over. This information was fed into a central station in the metropolitan area where it was coordinated. (In this way all planes aloft were followed. An unusual plane could be spotted very Quickly and steps taken, if required.) Husbands sent wives to stand watch while they worked: then contributed personal rest time to their promised watch. Only in -extreme cases were there cancellations. Someone was always willing at a call to substitute. For the duration of W.W. II Antelope Valley citizens sincerely, industeriously accepted restrictions and regulations utterly foreign to former patterns-- thus esprit de cour developed a warm enlarged family. Several successful young men in Palmdale were but lads who rode bicycles to take turns at the LISTENING POST. Bicycles required no gasoline, hence no ration ticket.

    Rationing was quickly established, books were issued for each person in the family and were guarded as carefully as credit cards or drivers licenses. Chief items covered were gasoline, meat, tires, coffee and sugar (a special allowance was for canning), shoes and perhaps more items were listed that escape at this late date. Cigarettes were in very short supply and shipment dates became very well-known. Deliveries were sharply curtailed-- hence long lines would form outside Safeway (then on Sierra Highway), on special delivery dates, with every auto mile regulated these que days became the social contact of the week.

    The Government urged gardens to relieve pressure on transportation and scarce labor. The Palmdale Irrigation District Board cooperated by more generous water allowances. Our garden reduced dependence on out of the Valley supplies. Many Palmdale friends had gardens for the first time.

    We were fortunate that we had a cow for scarce butter, cream and milk--chickens furnished meat and eggs, with canned fruits, and home-made bread. We were grateful for these blessings and fared better than many.

    Another extremely scarce item was soap--so all fats were conserved by three of us, pooled, and we made our own soap. A box of borax, can of lye and several pounds of salvaged drippings would make enough soap for months. We felt like plutocrats.

    Other bits of info linger in memory. We lived on and operated an alfalfa ranch, and by this time hay was drying--it was a hot, humid day, fear of a shower was expressed. Bill Ritter was on watch; he made this comment "it will not rain, the smoke is not clinging to the ground." He further explained when smoke drops from the chimney or incinerator and follows the ground rain may be expected. While driving with a passenger on a clear, bright summer morning, smoke from a set fire followed the ground above smoke phenomena was mentioned, "how utterly fantastic, there is not a cloud in the sky" exclaimed the guest.... that night we experienced a cloud burst. She became a devout convert.

    Another bit of Antelope Valley folk-lore came from Paul Schoeller, Sr. when this writer expressed hope for an October rain: "No, if we have rain before Thanksgiving, we will have a dry winter, the Old-timers had that observation well established when we came here years ago." For thirty years this has proven true as the confirmation of observation.

   Metal shortages--we were urged to cut both ends from all metal cans, wash and flatten for scrap. All metal tubes were carefully salvaged as tin was in desperate need. This metal shortage pro- duced a tragic loss for the Veterans of Foreign Palmdale Post 3552. During this period Mr. F.C. Wise (First Commander of the Palmdale V.F.W. Post) discovered the U.S. Military would consign obsolete cannon to Veteran Organizations for memorial monuments. This he brought to the attention of the V.F.W. Post, that body was enthu- siastic--after much fund raising by the Post and their Auxiliary sufficient funds were available to pay the freight. Eventually, two cannon were unloaded at the old S.P. Railroad station on Sierra Hwy. The problem of transport from R.R. Station to the VFW lot on Sierra Hwy. was expertly handled by the U.S. Marine Base located at Mojave. They brought suitable equipment and skilled men to quickly dispose of this herculean task. One day, to the horror of all VFW members, a cannon was missing. It had been stolen, blown up and sold for metal scrap. The remaining gun (cannon) was quickly moved into Palmdale, and has been loaned to the City of Palmdale, where it is set up in Palmdale Park as an outstanding WAR artifact.

   AMERICAN RED CROSS--early in 1942 the Red Cross Fund drive was set into motion. The call for funds and blood-dormers was at an all-time high; so Red Cross volunteers were asked to "ask for blood-dormers--just put a "B" by the name of any person willing." Later, it was learned the mobile blood bank would have returned without a new supply, had it not been for these wonderful Palmdale volunteers. They remembered, no one asked them to go. During the Red Cross fund drive, a rodeo was held in Palmdale. A member of VFW donated tickets, and Johnson Dairy donated a beautiful calf. The day of the event, this calf with Red Cross banners on each side, was on exhibit. Young girls with cigar boxes sold tickets. The Red Cross committee had several of these boxes filled with coins, which were turned over to the Funds Chairman, at the Palmdale Drugstore. Have you ever seen four or five hundred dollars in coins, It is impressive. For the first time Palmdale Red Cross Fund drive ex" ceeded five thousand dollars. This was to continue for the next three years. There were WAR SUPPORT activities by many people, of many kinds and degrees throughout the Valley--all as unselfish, un- tiring and dedicated as here recorded. This is a brief personal memory of vigorous response by all Palmdale Citizens to the challenge precipitated by "Pearl Harbor", Dec. 7, 1941.

July 26, 1971
R.E. Wise