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Why did Kansas City become the center of communications?

Well, of course, at the beginning of the war, we were still in the golden age of radio. And there was no FM broadcasting, and no television. The technology was entirely analog then, and not digital as we now know it. But there was one company prior to Word War II called the Siebenthaler Company, and TWA had put them in business manufacturing high-powered transmitters for them. The company that I went to work with was Aircraft Accessories. They had acquired the Siebenthaler Company. Thatís how Aircraft Accessories got into the electronics business. Although then it was communications, electronics was not a, as a term, wasnít commonly used.

Well, in many instances the government agencies, the Air Force, the Navy, the Signal Corps, whatever, they were looking for sources that could make the equipment that they wanted, that had already been developed. So thatís where they fitted in. But Aircraft Accessories did have a sales force and the Vice President of Engineering was Dr. Charles Kimball was most instrumental in getting many of the contracts that we had. It went across the board, all the way from the Navy to the Signal Corps, to the Air Force. Of course it wasnít the Air Force then, it was the Army Air Corps. We built communications equipment, primarily. Airborne and land based, both transmitters and receivers from relatively low power and medium frequency to the kilowatt range of transmitters. And then, in addition to that, towards the middle of the war, we became involved in radar countermeasure equipment, thatís radar jamming equipment. And that was a fascinating piece of the business. That work was generally with the Air Force because it was all air born, except for one project that we had that was calledÖthe Navy called it COYOTE.It was a buoy that was put into the ocean, and would automatically turn on and produce radar jamming equipment, signals. That was an interesting project

It was right at the edge of technology at that time. As a matter of fact, we worked closely with Harvard, as well as with the Naval Research Laboratory on that one project for instance. And I even have a tube that was used in that jammer. I saved it for nostalgic reasons.

Well, they were there after the war, so, and at that time, at the end of the war I was the chief engineer of the company. Well, it was Aircraft Accessories but they changed the name to Aerion Manufacturing company and they were quite viable. They had about oh, well over two thousand employees in 7 plants scattered all over.

Q. How many plants were in Kansas City?

A. Well, I think there were at least four or five here. Plant in Slater, MO made quartz crystals there. And later speakers. Had a crystal plant in Mexico City. and they started a vacuum tube plant on the west coast, but that never came to fruition.

Q. What did Kansas City plants make?

A. Quartz crystals., The quartz crystal manufacturing had two centers in the U.S., and I can safely say that Kansas City was one of them. The other was in western Pennsylvania, around the city of Erie. Our company had crystal laboratories both in Slater, Missouri and in Kansas City, Kansas

War was top secret Oh, top secret. All top secret. Well, there were several classifications. But top secret was the ultimate at that time. And the radar jamming equipment was all in that category. Now the communications equipment I think was one level below that in security.

Q. Did you talk about it?

A. Absolutely not. For instance, Wilcox Electric they were in, in the electronics business,and I knew they made high powered transmitters, but what else they made I donít know. And I think Vendo was in the business then too, but I really donít know what they were making. So, you kept everything under your collar.

Q. Did the war affect you?

A. Oh, of course it did. Well, because, many of the things that you might want to do, you couldnít do. Because of the restrictions. Like traveling, you did absolutely no traveling other than that was essential for the war purpose. And you couldnít buy a car. You couldnít buy anything because it wasnít available. It was all going into the war effort, you see?

Rationing was in full force too. You couldnít buy cigarettes. Well, you could but they were cheap imitations cigarettes. Cigarettes, I guess, all went to the GIs overseas or wherever, I donít know. You couldnít buy a bottle of good bourbon either. Could get Jamaican Rum, but that was about all