In the summer of 1942, aircraft spotters manned towers across the United States looking for enemy aircraft as World War II raged.

Though it may seem silly today, knowing exactly one air raid took place in the continental United States during the Second World War, at the time there was very real concern about the possibility of an Axis attack on the mainland US.

One of these towers was located at the corner of Fifth Street and Colliery Avenue in Tower City, Schuylkill County. And in July 1942, the volunteer spotters were in trouble with local defense authorities.

From the July 3, 1942 edition of the West Schuylkill Herald:

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Poor Support Given Local Airplane Post

Chairman Leroy Kaufman and his assistants, James F. Nunemacher, R. K. Ludwig, Robert Maher and Ruhl Yoder, of the Air Observation Post at Tower City, have reported that a large number of those who have been named to serve have failed to report for duty, and as a result the tower has gone unmanned in a number of instances.

Not only do these people fail to report, but they do not, in many cases, give notice to the members of the committee that they cannot, or will not serve, so that others may be secured in their place. This post has been criticized for its failure to spot and report planes, and the failure in every instance is traceable to the absence of the designated spotters.

The Interceptor post at Tower City has been set up because of its strategic position in relation to vital war industries at Harrisburg, Steelton army and navy warehouses in the vicinity of Harrisburg, and the large Middletown Air Depot, not to mention the military training center at Indiantown Gap, directly south of this community.

Those who make light of this work, or feel that it is not a necessary precaution put themselves in the position of criticizing the military plans of the government and those who are directing the defenses of our country. They show the same indifferent attitude that failed to properly protect the Philippines from invasion, and that made possible the terrible disaster at Pearl Harbor.

The least that any person assigned to observation duty can do if unable to serve by sickness or other reasonable cause, is to notify the committee in charge so that substitutes can be secured to take their place. Only two hours every other week is required, and it is a very poor type of American citizen who will not arrange his affairs so as to be able to give this small amount of time to what might be a most valuable service in the defense of our country.

The committee tries to arrange the time with due regard for the occupation and convenience of those called upon, and if the time does not suit they are glad to make changes to accommodate, if possible, or to secure substitutes. Many of those serving have volunteered, but it has been necessary to make assignment of others in order to fill the schedules. If you wish to serve at the post, give your name to any member of the committee. Women are assigned to day time duty only.

On July 4th, as we recall the great sacrifices that were made by the pioneer settlers of our country, and by those who have fought throughout the years to develop and preserve it as a free country, it would be well to resolve that we, as patriotic citizens, will dedicate our time and our efforts to whatever civilian service we may be called upon to perform, and to do it cheerfully at sacrifice of pleasures and personal inclination.

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