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Bomber Plant Tales To Roll

Bomber Plant Tales To Roll image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
July
Year
1972
Copyright
Copyright Protected
Rights Held By
Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

Bomb threats, lunchbox checks and card sharks - these and all other aspects of plant security will be rehashed and laughed at by those men charged with the protection of the Willow Run Ford Bomber Plant at a reunión of the plant protection force. Harvey J. Miller, 68, a member of the security guard at the plant from the time of Pearl Harbor until bomber production ceased in 1945, said the reunión will be held Friday, Aug. 18, from 6 p.m. until all reminiscences are retold, clarified, and filed for future retelling. The affair 'will be helá at tne Grotto Club, 2070 W. Stadium. As is apt to happen, especially when a plant closes down, old buddies drift apart and lose contact with e a c h other. Miller urges anyone who knows the whereabouts of security personnel to contact him. He would also like to have anyone planning to attend to make reservations by writing to him at 521 Second St, Ann Arbor, 48103, or calling 662-2764. This will be a stag affair. "The Willow Run Bomber Plant was a good place to work," remembers Miller. "And we sure could produce bombers." At one time, they had a plañe scooting off the line at the rate of one every hour. The Willow Run plant produced the famed B-24 - the "Liberator." Many pilots swear by this plane, Miller said. He also pointed out that Democratie Presidential Nominee George McGovern piloted a Liberator and was decorated for bringing a severely damaged one home. Lunchbox checks and crooked gamblers were their main concern, Miller remembers, 'aside from bomb threats," that is. He recalls that they had numerous scares, but that they never found any bombs. "It was quite an experience, we had to check everything - look in garbage cans and everywhere." People would try to steal most anything out of the plant, he says. One time he caught a man with an air drill in his lunch pail. "Do you own a gas station?" Miller asked him. ("Where else would a guy use a drill like that?" he explained.) The man said no, and Miller just told him to get out. The drill was returned. "We could just teil by intuition" who had something, he said. "Of course, the sharpies with the marked cards and the loaded dice were another problem," Miller recalled. He remembers that they had nft gripe about "friendly, lunch hour" card games or craps. ■ But the security force had to keep a watch for professional gamblers and cheats. "We were a 1 w a y s getting calis from wives, complaining that their husbands lost their pay before they ever got home." Miller, who worked for Ann Arbor's water department until his retirement, urges anyone who worked for the plant protection to attend this reunión. He says that if this one is a success, others will be scheduled yearly on the third Friday of every August.