Local factories contributed to war effort

Published 12:38 am Tuesday, October 14, 2008

By Staff
We all know and remember how lots of factories during World War II turned the factory to do war work instead of what they normally were doing.
James Heddon's Sons was one of them.
On March 30, 1944, Heddon's factory was awarded the Army-Navy "E" award.
There was a big ceremony at Dowagiac High School's auditorium with Superintendent James Lewis as master of ceremonies.
The "E" award was presented by Lt. Col. Harold C. Miller and was accepted by Lyell J. Wooster, Heddon's vice president.
All Heddon employees were given Army-Navy "E" pins to wear.
Acceptance of the pins was by Earl Demming, who represented all of the employees.
More than 500 workers, family members and friends attended.
Every employee received the attractive "E" pin and a personalized pin card, which said, For skill, industry and devotion on the production front of the greatest war in history, this Army-Navy Production Award emblem is hereby presented to (the employee).
A Corp. Wingfield pinned the first emblems on Harold Barney, Ruby Loomis and Gertrude Fowler, two of the women employees of Heddon's with the longest service of any women employees at the factory.
Heddon's Sons was able to secure its war contract because of its capability for tapering and heat treating steel tubing, which let them make aerial masts and antennas for the signal corps and radio communication equipment for military vehicles.
They also made a fold-up box kite that pilots used for communication when they were shot down.
The factory was also awarded an "E" flag to be flown over the plant.
After the ceremony, all of the Heddon employees and their families remained for a party in the high school gymnasium.
I read where during World War II more than 4,000 "E" pennants were presented to war plants in recognition of production excellence.
In my younger days, I was a Heddon employee from 1940-1951.
I don't ever remember seeing one of the "E" pins.
Maybe someone is still around who can show me one.
If I'm not mistaken, Rudy made metal ammunition boxes, Premier made some kind of a wooden box and gun sites were made by Adolf Niedner's rifle factory, plus Kaiser Frazer made bomber wheels out of magnesium.
I remember when the magnesium dust at the dump caught fire and you could almost read your newspaper at night by the bright light from the magnesium fire.
Their factories may have received the "E" award also.
E-mail him at cardinalcharlie@hotmail.com.