Tales from the Morgue

1963: Visit Makes EP Temporary White House

June 5, 1963

LATE BULLETIN

Washington. – Latest word in the State Department Tuesday night is that President Kennedy will not announce settlement of the Chamizal Zone controversy in El Paso, This is not completely settled, however.

By SARAH McCLENDON

Times Washington Correspondent

Washington. – El Paso become the Capital of the nation Wednesday night.

The President brings his office along with him as he arrives, so for two days the City will be the site of the temporary White House. The El Paso dateline may be the communications slug for announcing national events while he is in the City. It is quite likely that he will be sending some messages and perhaps making some routine announcements maybe even an appointment or two. If the President sees fit to make El Paso the site of more important business such as perhaps announcing the settlement of the Chamizal Zone controversy then El Paso goes into history books of the future.

The President comes to the city to study defensive weapons of the nearby White Sands Missile Range.

His visit, it so happens, is taking place while the nation is torn by racial strife. This question because of its urgency without doubt will require part of the Presidents attention while in El Paso.

It may be that President Kennedy will use El Paso as an example to the rest of the nation in his remarks. He has heard El Paso spoken of by Vice President Lyndon Johnson of Texas as a city where there is no discrimination against people because of race or religion.

Kennedy will bring the three civilian secretaries and top military men of Army Navy and Air Force, together with the secretary of state.

Key House and Senate members, including Sen. Richard Russell, D-Ga. chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, will attend. Sen. Ralph Yarborough, D-Tex. has been invited by the President to accompany him.

Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas has not said whether he will go or not but it is reported that he will do so after delivering the commencement address Wednesday in Annapolis.

The President is to combine some state and local politics and some national civil rights consultations with the military consideration on this trip.

Congressmen interested in different states will board his plane at separate legs of the journey, it was understood.

Reps. Byron Rogers and Wayne Aspinall, Colorado Democrats, will ride with the President into Colorado.

Into New Mexico will ride Reps. Joseph Montoya and Tom Morris, Democrats. The president already has told Montoya that when he runs for the Senate in 1964 he will support him and campaign in his state for him.

Sen. Clinton Anderson, D-N.M., who was invited by the President to accompany him, will be unable to attend.

Anderson got out of the hospital Tuesday but still is suffering from pleurisy and must have bed rest for this week to be fit for two days of hearings next week by the Senate Space Committee, which he heads.

Secretary of the Army Cyrus R. Vance and Secretary of the Navy Fred Korth will be at the demonstration in White Sands and later in El Paso.

Undersecretary of the Army Stephen Ailes will be there as will Assistant Secretary Paul R. Ignatius who works on installations and logistics, Assistant Secretary Finn J. Larsen for research and development, Assistant secretary J. Pratt for financial management. Assistant Secretary Howell Pierpont, for civil functions. He is also general counsel. Gen. Earle G. Wheeler, chief of staff, Army, will head the military personnel. Lt. Gen. D.E. Beach, chief of research and development for the Army, is one of the experts who will attend. Others are: Lt. Gen. John P. Daley, who works on combat command development, Lt. Gen. C.B. Duff, comptroller, Lt. Gen. Ben Harrell, assistant chief of staff for development; lt. Gen. James L. Richardson Jr. deputy chief of staff, personnel; Maj. Gen. William J. Ely, deputy commanding general. Army material command; Frank H. Gritton, director of research and development, Army material command.

Maj. Gen. R.C. Cooper, assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics Maj. Gen. Fred C. Wayand, chief of legislative and liaison; Brig. Gen. George V. Underwood, chief of Army Information.

On his White Sands schedule are a talk to military and civilian personnel and several missile firing demonstrations.

NAVY FIRES TALOS

Since the Navy will be accorded by the Army the privilege of demonstrating its Talos at this time, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Kenneth E. Belieu (logistics), will attend. He has the unique experience of having worked with the Senate for many years on the other side of the Capitol, where he investigated and wrote reports on the military.

Rear Adm. E.E. Fawkes, assistant chief for research and development, Bureau of Weapons, will attend.

The Air Force will be represented by Lt. Gen. James Ferguson, deputy chief of staff for research and development, and Dr. L.F. Carter, chief scientist for the Air Force.

From the Department of Defense will come the man who has cornered much of the interest of the military and civilians in the Pentagon these last two years. He is the man who is helping Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara find out where are the trouble spots and re-organize the military, the weapons system, purchasing, supply and man other things. He is Adam Yarmolinsky, a New Frontiersman who is much questioned by military men and conservative elements in the country.

He will be accompanied by Brig. Gen. Paul G. Cooper, assistant director for Ranger space ground effort in research and development.

Maj. J. Edward Melanson of the Department of Army Information Office will get most of the gripes and know where the solutions lie.

It is understood that other congressmen will board the plane at El Paso for the President’s trip to the West Coast.

The President has invited Sir Hugh Frazier, secretary of State for Air, Great Britain, and Air Force Secretary Eugene Zuckert to go along.

WILL BRING WHITE

Sen. Russell, who will ride with the President through the White Sands leg of the journey, doubtless will hear a discussion by the President of the civil rights legislation he plans to send to Congress next week.

Russell is leader of the Southern senators who are expected to filibuster the bill. Russell’s influence can be immeasurable in toning down the onslaught against the bill or in effecting moderation among senators, also in drafting legislation that might be more acceptable to state righters, Southerners and constitutionalist.

President Kennedy also is bringing with him a prominent citizen of Colorado, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Byron White.

Justice White is known to football fans as “Whizzer” White. He is on the trip undoubtedly because the President goes first to Colorado Springs to deliver an address to the Air Force Academy before coming to New Mexico.

But Justice White is one man in whom the President has great confidence both as regards political judgment and legal matters. Undoubtedly during the trip, the President may be discussing with justice White the effect of recent Supreme Court decisions on racial desegregation. He may also be asking White’s advice about how to frame a bill on civil rights which the President is expected to send to Congress next week.

1960: Station Starts Operation Of Ranger Peak Tramway

In September 1997 the El Paso Community Foundation and the Glyn and Karl O. Wyler Sr. Foundation transferred ownership of the tramway and land to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in an effort to reopen the tramway to the public.

The foundation had closed the tramway about 11 years earlier because of high maintenance and liability costs.

The foundation inherited the KTSM broadcasting company and the tramway from the estate's founder, Karl Wyler Sr., after his death. The station built the tramway in 1960 as a way for the company's engineers to get to the broadcast tower at the top of Ranger Peak.

As part of the foundation's transfer agreement, the state named the 190-acre area - including the tramway observation deck - the Wyler Observatory.

Wyler was a community leader and pioneer in the broadcasting business. He started out in radio and later ventured into television. He eventually gained controlling interest of KTSM's owner, Tri-State Broadcasting Inc., in 1951.

February 24, 1960

El Paso Tuesday became the third locality in the country to boast a public aerial tramway when KTSM-TV’s Ranger Peak tramway was opened for business.

The other two aerial tramways open to the public are located in Estes Park, Colo., and at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire.

KTSM-TV’s Ranger Peak tramway will be open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Officials of the television station have reported that as the weather warms night trips will be scheduled so that El Pasoans and visitors will have the opportunity of going to the top of Ranger Peak to view the magnificent panorama of lights which are El Paso and Juarez at night.

The daytime view from the location has been hailed as a thrilling experience by persons who have already made the trip. In addition to commanding a complete view of El Paso, Juarez, and the Upper and Lower Valleys, one can see east to the Hueco and Guadalupe Mountains, southward far into Mexico, westward to the Florida Mountains near Deming, and north and northeast to the rugged Organs and often snow-capped Sacramentos.

The aerial tramway was originally constructed by KTSM-TV to haul material to its new transmitter location and to provide a means of transportation for station personnel to and from the isolated location. Interest proved so high that KTSM-TV officials decided to open the tramway as a service to El Paso residents and as a tourist attraction.

El Paso County Board of Development listed it as a major tourist attraction in a half-page tourist promotion ad in the current issue of Coronet Magazine.

1974: Patrolmen Fought Long, Hard For One Day’s Rest

May 28, 1974

Hugh E. Williams
El Paso Times -

This is the second in a series marking the Golden Anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Border Patrol, an organization of great prominence in the El Paso area. Hugh E. Williams, of San Pedro, Calif., deputy regional chief of the Southwest Region of the U.S. Border Patrol, outlines the history of the modern-day operation of the organization. Open House activities will be Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Border Patrol Sector Headquarters, 8901 Montana to commemorate the anniversary.

Another of the Patrol’s old-timers is retired Senior Patrol Inspector Edwin M. Reeves, now residing in El Paso. Eddie Reeves came to the Patrol from the Civil Service Register for Railway Mail Clerks. He started at El Paso on Sept. 24, 1925. Eddie’s first day of duty was not entirely uneventful as evidenced by the following from his diary:

“9-24-25. Reported to Border Patrol Headquarters 1 p.m. Filled out forms. Received equipment, Badge #214, 45-D.A. Revolver #130916. 1 Web Belt and Holster. When dark came I had time to do to get in my 8 hours. Bud Perry, Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector took me out to the wooden and steel railroad bridge from Mexico. Was instructing me to apprehend and bring in anyone that crossed either bridge from Mexico. Just at that moment hell broke loose at Park Street. Both rifle and pistol fire. Tracers were being used by both officers and the smugglers. Perry said, “Come on, let’s go, the boys are in trouble at Park Street. We ran to Headquarters, got in a Ford touring car and headed for Park Street.

When we arrived the main battle was over and there was only an occasional shot from Mexico. While the officers working there kept me covered, I was detailed (Probationers, it was ever thus.) to pick up the loads of liquor and carry them over the levee to the car. I had to wade out in the river for some of the loads. When I arrived home after work I was up for a reprimand from the wife as my white shirt and my blue serge Sunday pants were nearly ruined with river mud and fuzz from the sacks. Next day I bought brown ducking trousers and jacket.” (The rough-duty uniform of the day.)

Paraphrased from Eddie Reeves’ diary is his description of traffic check duties in December 1926. He and Patrol Inspector Ivan Williams were assigned to block a fork in the road one mile above Carrizozo, N.M.

“…We worked 24 hour shifts, one officer checked in the daytime, the other at nite. The off duty man slept in the front seat of the car parked by the roadside and was subject to call at any moment so he slept or rested in his uniform ready to meet public. Beside the regular travel or tourist travel, the Carrizozo people were curious, so after work Papa would ride out the road with the family to see how we checked. They might come through two or three times. They were amazed to see two officers cover a road 24 hours a day with no sleep. We cooked our bacon, eggs and potatoes by the side of the road. We were fortunate to get about five pounds of jerky, dried meat. It was delicious, the more you chewed it the bigger it got. We covered the point for many, many days.”

Reeves describes one apprehension he and his partner made of five men and 10 big sacks of assorted liquor. The men had long criminal records – burglary, theft, robbery and dope. He states, “My partner and I later got a letter of commendation and was given Sunday Off Duty! In them days it was seven days a week.”

At the time Dogie Wright and Eddie Reeves reported for duty at El Paso, the Chief Patrol Inspector was Clifford Allen Perkins. Perkins took his oath at office on Jan. 4, 1911, before the Territory of Arizona. He was the last officer appointed to enforce the Chinese Exclusion Acts.

In 1924 he was appointed by District Director George J. Harris as the first Chief Patrol Inspector at El Paso. His assignment was to develop and implement a plan of action for the Border Patrol. Ideas were gathered from such organizations as the Canadian Mounted Police, the Michigan State Police and the Pennsylvania Constabulary.

Headquarters in El Paso were set up in an abandoned barracks and garage used by the Military Police during World War I. The first floor of the building was converted into an assembly room with offices, for Chief Perkins and Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector Willis B. Perry. The second floor contained permanent living quarters for several single officers and dormitory for off-duty officers. Vehicle equipment consisted of three Model T Fords and Rio truck converted for use as a patrol wagon.

Chief Perkins, who retired in December 1953 as Officer in charge at the Port of Entry, San Ysidro, Calif, now lives in Chula Vista, Calif. He describes Assistant Chief Patrol Inspector Perry as quiet mannered yet self-confident person who neither looked for trouble nor ran away when it showed up.

1965: Public Works Director George Dieter Back In Uncle’s Town

August 22, 1965

By Hugh Morgan

It was only natural for George Dieter to move to El Paso in 1962 to become the City’s public works director, probably the highest appointive position in the City government.

He had his roots in El Paso. But he did not know how strong they were until recently when he found that his great uncle, John Philipp Dieter, was a member of El Paso City Council in the 1880s.

His great uncle was a partner in an import and jobber firm. He arrived in El Paso from his native Germany in 1873.

In 1901, the great uncle brought Dieter’s father from Germany to El Paso. Dieter’s father remained in the Sun City until 1906 when he went to San Francisco to enter the construction business. He later moved to Austin and formed a construction firm.

His son George was born Feb. 15, 1918 in Austin. He attended Austin high School and the University of Texas where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1940.

It was a long road that Dieter trod before arriving in El Paso.

After graduation, he worked for a steel company in Houston as a design engineer. He joined the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers in September 1941 at Galveston and helped to build airports and Army camps.

In August 1942, Dieter became an engineering cadet in the Army Air Corps. In December while he was still a cadet, he was married to Nancy Jane Phelps of Austin.

Dieter was commissioned an officer on Feb 22, 1943. Trained in engineering maintenance, he worked at various air fields in the U.S. before being sent to the South Pacific. He served at Iwo Jima and Saipan.

MAKES VISIT

And then Dieter made his first visit to El Paso but he did not stay long. He was discharged from the Army at Ft. Bliss on April 1, 1946. And he returned to work for the Galveston, Tex., office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

As a project engineer, he worked on such items as dams in Coleman, San Angelo and Whitney, Tex., and military construction at Big Spring and Lubbock, Tex.

In 1953, he had fulfilled his goals as being a project engineer for the corps, so he decided to do something else. He became director of Planning and Traffic Department for the City of Lubbock.

In September 1956, he became public works director in Waco, a job he held until he came to El Paso, where he takes the same intensive interest in the City as his great uncle.

Dieter is in love with El Paso, its progress and its potential.

He has a unique combination of traits that suits him for the job. He knows his engineering trade, which is so vital to his position as the man in charge of all the technical departments in El Paso, including overseeing all the bond issue projects approved last year.

And it may appear that he becomes nervous but this is not the case. He has an overabundance of patience and he does not mind spending hours listening to a person’s complaints or hearing a detailed explanation of some project.

Dieter has one precious quality. He has a wonderful sense of humor, which he depends on often. At times, seems everybody in town wants to talk with him. On many occasions he has had more than 20 telephone slips waiting for him after a two-hour absence from his office.

ANSWERS CALLS

But Dieter takes pains to try to get these calls answered and to see that everything in his area of responsibility is going smoothly.

All of this does not detract from his interest in other segments of community life. A quietly but deeply religious man, he is the church librarian at the First Baptist Church. He is also active in other church affairs.

He belongs to numerous professional societies and associations.

Dieter also is an outdoorsman. He has a cabin in the Gila wilderness of Southern New Mexico where he spends his leisure time hunting and fishing.

Dieter’s real first name is Philipp. But since having the same name as his father, he has been known by his middle name of George.

The Dieters have a 15-year-old son, who has the name of Philipp G. Dieter III and also have a daughter, Pamela Jane a senior at Baylor University, who was married this summer.

1963: Ambulance Firm Balks At Ruling

September 10, 1963

El Paso Ambulance Co. will refuse City calls for service immediately following notification of the mayor Tuesday morning, owner Ralph Hawkins said Monday night.

His announcement came on the heels of action Monday when the City accepted metropolitan Ambulance Co. as qualified for a City franchise and announced that City police calls for ambulance service would be alternated between the two firms beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

The alternating of accident calls was to have been effective last Saturday but the plan was dropped when Metropolitan failed to pass police inspection on one of its required three vehicles.

Mayor Judson Williams, when notified of Hawkins’ statement Monday night, said, “If either company refuses to accept accident calls, that company will be subject to losing its franchise because that company would be in violation of the franchise.

“Until City Council has made a decision or arrangement for one company to handle the police calls, each company will be expected to handle police calls on an alternating basis as set up in the franchise by Council,” Mayor Williams said.

“I cannot understand the mayor and City Council bending the laws to suit a company that cannot get endorsement of El Paso County Medical Society and that had to be reexamined three times before it could pass the requirements set for them by the City, requirements that are very low,” Hawkins said.

ONLY PRIVATE CALLS

He said El Paso Ambulance Co. will concentrate on private calls and will continue to answer calls from the County Sheriff’s Department and Texas Highway Patrol, commercial firs and private personnel. Hawkins also said that any person involved in an accident on City streets may request the police to call his service or call in directly.

“In the past our private and transfer calls have had to wait while we took care of city’s emergency calls. Also, we will now be able to charge our private customers lower rates because in the past they have had to pay more to compensate for the City calls,” Hawkins said.

Police Chief C.J. Horak said the department would comply with the City ordinance. He had no comment when he learned of Hawkins’ announcement Monday night.

A City official said Hawkins’ decision to refuse police accident calls and other police calls apparently was a result of a feud which has existed between the two ambulance companies. That official also said there were strong personal feelings involved between some personnel of the two ambulance firms.

One police officer said the situation could become serious and that City Council should clear it up fast and provide proper service in emergency and accident calls.

On Monday, Metropolitan transferred insurance coverage to a fourth vehicle to meet the minimum franchise requirement.

City Council had set the alternating of police business on a 30-day trial basis to determine whether the contract should be granted to one or both of the services.

Hawkins took issue with Monday’s action, saying the City contract should go to the best equipped and best trained service which, he said, is El Paso Ambulance Co.

1907: Regular Hotel Dining Rooms Are Now Flying All Over The Country

March 22, 1907

“It’s like running a hotel with fifty dining rooms, flying all over the country.”

This is the way a veteran in the dining car service of a big railroad sought to describe his occupation. Even then he failed to give an adequate idea of the intricacies involved in keeping a collection of rolling restaurants up to the top notch of efficiency. Seventy thousand passengers are fed every month on the rolling cars of the Pennsylvania railroad alone. The monthly receipts amount to $65,000, and the amount of money spent on supplies to about $35,000, in the dining car crews there are 430 men.

About the management of a dining car there are complexities never dreamed of by the man whose tables stand over the same real estate all the times. Everything is under one’s thumb in one case – in the other everything is either leaving or coming toward one at forty, or sixty miles an hour. Property worth thousands of dollars has to be trusted to dozens of conductors and hundreds of waiters.

The crew of a dining car comprises a conductor, four cooks and five waiters. The conductor is the commander-in-chief whenever the car is on the road. For all the supplies, both of food and drink, he is held to strict accountability. If he loses track of so much as a bunch of celery or half a pound of cheese it is known twenty minutes after his car returns to the Waldo avenue yard in Jersey City.

A list of supplies issued one day recently by the storekeeper of one system to conductors include 209 varies of foods, drinks, cigars and cigarettes and miscellaneous supplies. Here are a few of the items on the list:

Four hundred and twenty pounds of chicken, 490 ribs of beef, 360 lemons, sixty-two plum puddings, 472 loaves of bread, 302 pounds of bluefish, ninety pounds of tenderloin steak, 234 pounds of butter, 360 pounds of sugar, 360 pounds of rock salt, fifteen bottles of Tabasco sauce, 168 cakes of soap, twenty-four boxes of matches, fifty quarts of wines and whiskies, fifty-eight pints of ale, twenty-seven packages of cigarettos, 150 cigars, twelve quarts of cranberries, 1,200 eggs, sixty pounds of flounders, 580 rolls, fifty bottles of cooking brandy, 150 quarts of cream, ninety-six pounds of coffee, thirty bottles of cooking sherry, 288 English muffins, 221 pints of beer, 270 quarts of milk, three packs of cards.

The success of the service depends upon a thorough system. If there is a flaw in the arrangements it will make trouble. The dining car superintendent has a corps of accountants who kept minute records. Vouchers for every cent that is spent are turned in to the superintendent’s office. In a card index are kept the names of all employes, past and present, and by referring to a book the seeker for information can learn whether an applicant for a job has ever been in the Pennsylvania dining car service before, and if so how he behaved himself and why he left. The list of supplies issued on any day of the year, their cost and to whom they were issued – all of this and more, can be found out in ten minutes.

1963: President Kennedy Views Flawless White Sands Missile Shots

June 6, 1963

By JIM McVICAR

06 June 1963. VIEW FIRING - President Kennedy watches one of the seven missile firings at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., Wednesday, from the official stand. Other official visitors include Costa Rican Ambassador Raymond Telles, left; Vice President Lyndon Johnson, right, and White Sands commanding general Maj. Gen. J.F. Thorlin, second from right. (AP Photo)

White Sands Missile Range, N.M. – President John F. Kennedy paid the first presidential visit in history here Wednesday, and viewed a flawless, brilliant display of America’s missile might.

The President, whose party was slightly behind schedule, arrived on a specially built helicopter apron east of the headquarters building and was greeted by 4,000 missile range military and civilian personnel.

After a brief speech, the Chief Executive boarded a shiny Presidential limousine and, with members of his official party, was driven to two launching sights on the range, where he witnessed – with obvious pleasure – seven missile and rocket firings.

President Kennedy flew to White Sands in a five-helicopter convoy from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. He was accompanied by Vice President Lyndon Johnson, many of the nation’s ranking senators and congressmen, top military brass, and a well-knows former El Pasoan, Ambassador to Costa Rica, Raymond Telles.

SHOWS ENTHUSIAM

0O}?0O??t Kennedy spoke with enthusiasm to the large crowd, which was gathered in bleachers set up in front of the landing strip. “What you do here, what progress you make, is an important contribution to the security of our country and those who depend on us,” he said. “I know you must feel a sense of pride for the part you are playing, and we are grateful to all of you.”

The President said that never before in history have so many people been dependent on one people – the United States. He told the employes he was heartened to be able to see the people who are actually working in the missile and space field, and said he envied those who every day were able to see measurable progress and advancement in weapons and space programs.

Mr. Kennedy was introduced to the White Sands crowd by the missile range commanding officer, Maj. Gen. J.F. Thorlin, following “Hail to the Chief” played by the missile range band.

His black convertible, driven behind a military police vehicle with red lights flashing to clear the way, was followed by other official cars, carrying Vice President Johnson and their dignitaries, to the launching areas.

‘WHITE HUNTERS’

The President was preceded to the first of two launch areas visited by his cigar-smoking press secretary, Pierre Salinger, who helped pass out pith helmets to members of the press, and said “Don’t you want to be white hunters?”

Salinger arrived to the missile range in an advance convoy of helicopters, which carried members of the White House Press Corps. There were nearly 200 reporters and photographers, including those from Washington.

Only the official party and the press were invited to the missile firings, which the President watched with obvious pleasure and interest. He followed the trajectory of each weapon with field glasses, and made numerous comments to those seated near him on the presidential platform.

Because of his late arrival at the range – 3:34 p.m. – the final events in the two-hour plus White Sands program for the President was cancelled. It was to have been a classified briefing on the Nike X system, an improved and modified version of the Nike Zeus.

BRIEFING CALLED OFF

It was called off because of the scheduled arrival of Mr. Kennedy in El Paso at 5:30 p.m., and approaching darkness.

However, President Kennedy had an opportunity to see all of the scheduled missile firings. They included the Honest John, Sergeant, Haw, Nike Hercules, Talos, Little John and Nike Zeus.

The weeks of advance planning for the Presidential visit were evident in the firings and advanced presentations. Officers concerned with each missile carefully explained its function and soldiers illustrated the preparatory talks by field demonstrations using dummy missiles.

Prior to the first firing, Secretary of the Army Cyrus Vance welcomed the President again to the range and said, “we take pride in the quality and performance of the men who make and fire the missiles.” His pride was well placed.

The Nike Hercules climbed to 150,000 feet above the range and made perfect contact with another missile fired down range. The Honest John, equipped with a white phosphorous warhead, made a brilliant display as it zeroed in on its target against a mountain seven miles northwest of the launch area – and even started a brush fire after impact. A helicopter landed, a Little John rocket crew jumped out, set up the launcher and rocket, and fired it at a target seven miles distant in less than five minutes.

LETTER-PERFECT

Other firings were just as letter-perfect.

At the end of the firing program, Sgt. 1.C. Harmon P. Swits and Sgt. 1.C. James W. Ray of the 3rd Battalion, 33rd Artillery, Ft. Sill, Okla., presented a scale model of the Sergeant missile to President Kennedy. The unit is first to get the Sergeant.

At the same time, Sgt. 1.C. Jimmy Grimes, chief of the firing platoon of C Battery, 2nd Missile Battalion, 44th Artillery, Ft. Sill, gave the President a plaque depicting the Pershing missile system. That unit was the first to test the Pershing.

President Kennedy also saw a non-firing display and demonstration of the Pershing, the ballistic missile which has replaced the Redstone. The Pershing will be fired at White Sands later this year.

The weather was near-perfect for the Presidential visit, save for an occasional “dust devil” on the range.

Ambassador Telles, who sat in the President’s stand, said he received a call form the White House two days ago inviting him to travel to the Southwest with the presidential party. He said he had no knowledge of an imminent settlement of the Chamizal Zone.

“That’s out of my bailiwick now,” he commented.

Gov. Jack Campbell and t. Gov. Mack Easley of New Mexico attended a press luncheon at noon at White Sands officers club, then traveled up to Holloman Air Force Base to meet the presidential party.

Sen. Edwin Mechem also attended the luncheon, then went to Holloman.

Rep. Ed Foreman, El Paso’s Congressional representative, Sen. Strom Thurmond, D-S.C., Sen. Richard Russell, D-Ga. And numerous other congressmen and senators were present for the missile range demonstrations. There were at least 20 Army general and one Navy admiral on hand for the demonstrations.

1933: National Recovery Act Parade To Be Three Miles Long

August 25, 1933

Everything Is Ready For El Paso’s Pageant Of Recovery

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Program Follows

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After March, Huge Crowd Will Congregate At Cleveland Square

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Color, music, bright lights, gaiety – in fact everything that goes to make up a huge parade – are to play their parts in El Paso’s gigantic NRA demonstration which starts at 7:30 o’clock tonight.

The starting point for the parade is Texas and Florence streets.

All is in readiness, and there will not be a hitch, according to Chris P. Fox, major in charge.

In length the pageant will exceed three miles, with Uncle Sam, Miss Nira, the NRA committee, the Union band, and an escort of motorcycle police, in the lead. There also will be Earl Rogers’ 20-piece Hawaiian band.

City streets along the line of march will be more brilliantly illuminated than for many months past.

Urges Promptness

All units participating are warned to be at their designated stations not later than 7 o’clock. Due to the length of the parade, it is absolutely imperative, according to Fox, that the march begin right on the dot, 7:30 p.m., and those who arrive late are likely to be left waiting.

The line of march is west on Texas to Stanton; south on Stanton to San Antonio; west on San Antonio to Mesa; south to Overland; west to El Paso; north through Pioneer Plaza; east on Mills to Mesa; north on Mesa to Franklin; west on Franklin to El Paso; north on El Paso past Cleveland Square, where the parade will disband.

For weeks elaborate preparations have been in the making for this pageant, signifying the end of the depression and the dawn of a new deal in El Paso. It is to be a real Recovery parade, calculated to inspire faith in the wisdom and vision of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and those in charge are sure this aim will be attained.

To Have Program

Immediately following the parade the NRA program will be started at Cleveland square. This program will be in charge of W.R. Blair, general chairman, with P.E. Warren, Clarence d. Johnson and Walter Schade as assistants.

As the crowd is gathering, the band will render a number of selections. The invocation will be asked by Rev. Wistor R. Smith, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, following which William Balch will lead in singing patriotic songs.

“Miss Nira” will next be introduced by W.R. Blair, when the band will strike up “Happy Days Are Here Again.”

County judge Joseph McGill will deliver a brief talk on the 820,000,000 relief bond issue to be voted on Saturday, and his talk will be followed by a quartet number and band selections.

A.H. Culwell, principal speaker of the evening, next will discuss the NRA program, explaining in detail various phases of the recovery act and its application to the nation at large.

Fr. David J. Kirgan of St. Patrick’s cathedral, will deliver the benediction.

All speakers on the program will be introduced by Mr. Blair, general chairman.