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[[image]] The Curtiss [[image]] Wright-er [[image]] From the Home of the Helldivers Vol. 3, No. 9 COLUMBUS, OHIO October 29, 1943 DRIVE CONTINUES FOR CHEST GOAL [[image]] Speaks for China [[image]] [[image]] [[image]][[image]] CHINA'S NO. 1 AVIATRIX, Miss Lee Ya-ching, who represented the National War Fund as opening rally speaker for the Franklin County War Chest Drive, was Curtiss-Columbus' guest Monday night and Tuesday. She is shown LEFT ABOVE speaking over the public address system's microphone to second and first shift workers on behalf of United China Relief and the other 87 agencies to benefit from the plant's one-day drive Wednesday. ABOVE RIGHT Miss Lee handles a rivet gun, directed by Glenn Bard, Fuselage, but not with the confidence she had at the controls of a plane from her 600 hours of solo flying. At the RIGHT BELOW, Miss Lee signs one of hundreds of autograph requests for Genevieve Nardone of Timekeeping. In the CENTER ABOVE is the War Chest signboard erected in Building 3's employes' tunnel, viewed by Lou Oliver, who did the lettering, and Clarence Stith, general foreman of carpenters and painters. Plant headquarters for the War Chest Drive, BELOW LEFT, was the scene of a check-up by John Rose, Armament, one of the vice-admirals for Building 3A's factory division; Jim B. Bradshaw, Engineering, vice-admiral over the drive among office groups in both buildings; and seated are Audrey Mohn, Panel, vice-admiral for Building 3's factory group; with Margie Von Guelpen, Priorities, aide for Building 3's office workers. Guest from China Thrills At Home of Helldivers "I wish they were all headed for China." That was the fervent wish breathed softly by lovely Miss Lee Ya-ching, China's first woman flier, as she looked down on Building 3A's busy assembly lines full of Helldivers just before speaking to second shift workers Monday in behalf of United China Relief and the War Chest Drive. "They are beautiful, wonderful; I'd like to fly one. Couldn't I be--what is it you call it--a stowaway? "I like to think that every one of them is going to sink a Japanese ship, lots of Japanese ships. "It is wonderful, the way you build things here--this just a field of weeds three years ago, and now, filled with beautiful bombers to smash Japan." For six hours Tuesday, after speaking briefly in Building 3 and 3A cafeterias, the petite pilot walked the aisles, climbed into planes and smilingly encouraged the men and women of Curtiss-Columbus. She tried her hand at drilling; did pretty well at it. Then, tried her hand at riveting in the Fuselage Department; didn't do so well. Repeatedly, she told workers, "I wish I could be one of you here. I would love this. I would learn this riveting. But now at least I can say I helped build one of the planes that will drop bombs on the Japanese fleet." She sat in a Helldiver cockpit for 35 minutes while Test Pilot Bill Webster, shivering in Tuesday's ice gale and rain, explained CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Stratoclipper Ball Gets 'Name' Band A group of girls from third shift will sponsor a Strato-clipper dance, set for the Chittenden Hotel Silver Ball Room Saturday, Nov. 6, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Music will be by Eddy Young's orchestra featuring Sue Humphrey, vocalist. Proceeds from the dance will be used for a fund to form a social club to entertain members of the various branches of the service. Navy men will be special guests. Tickets may be secured from committee members or departmental clerks, and will also be on sale at the door. Dance committee members are: Mary Noblet and Elaine Gearon, Personnel Records; Louise Statkus, chairmen; Pat Gregory, and Doris Holstein, Panel Process Set For Leaves Correct procedure to be followed by employes in obtaining a leave of absence was emphasized this week by H.E. Gregg, personnel manager. Employes on either hourly or salary basis who need a leave of absense should make the request three days in advance of the date of leaving to allow ample time for approval. Leaves should be requested from the department supervisor and then taken by the employe to the personnel counselor for approval. On the last day of work before the leave is effective, the employe should surrender his pass and badge to his personnel counselor. He will receive a copy of the leave of absence as a receipt that it has been officially approved. When an employe is ready to return to work he is to contact the personnel counselor before the leave expires and clear all records. This is to be done between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on or before the last day of leave so that the employe may report for work at the start of a regular shift. On all leaves granted for health reasons, employes will be required to present a doctor's statement of physical fitness on return to work. August Ride Names Drawn When you see a Curtiss Helldiver roaring overhead these days, wave a friendly greeting - the rider in the rear cockpit may be your benchmate, or that fellow who sits just a couple of desks away. To date, 21 employes have won the envy of their fellows by riding in the Helldiver. Because of the imminent completion of the first 30 Helldiver rides for perfect attendance, a third drawing of names had been made, from among those workers who were on the job every working day during the month of August. They will make their flights as soon as the balance of the July list has been completed. Names of August attendance ride winners were drawn from Payroll IBM files by Mrs. Helen Wills, Final Assembly, who was the first person of the June list to make a flight, and the first woman ever to ride in a Helldiver. The August list includes Harmon Lemming, Bench Assembly; Delbert Oiler, Panel; Lucille McDonald, Modification; Margaret Barney, Police; William Young, Cowl; Roy Hebbeler, Police; John Schultheis, Machine Shop; V. Harry Fuller, Final Assembly; Raymond Trott, Fabricating; Chester Pollitt, Final Assembly; William Vobejda, Engineering Technical; John Miller, Maintenance; Helen Dildine, Shop Cribs 3A; George Luckett, Final Assembly; and Lincoln Agler, Inspection. These Production Soldiers will have their perfect attendance Helldiver rides scheduled immediately CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 (Picture on P. 3.) Full Car Loads To Ease Problem Much of the transportation problem at Curtiss-Columbus could be remedied by employes making better use of available bus service and utilizing empty space in private cars, Dewey H. Boggs, Housing and Transportation officer, claimed in a statement yesterday. Boggs pointed out that of the four bus routes operating between the plant and Columbus, only the C route from Front and Broadsts has consistently carried a capacity load, and that has been supplemented by an extra bus. Other lines carry only about 75 per cent of their capacity, according to Boggs. "An attempt is being made to secure an additional bus to help transport third shift workers home on Sunday mornings," Boggs said, "but if the bus is added it will be on temporary basis to determine if usage is sufficient for continuance." Workers Strive to Up Total Preliminary returns of $82,237.57 from all three shifts toward Curtiss-Columbus share in the Franklin County War Chest Drive were reported late last night by leaders of the drive, sponsored by the Labor-management War Production Drive Committee. Figures for each shift were $44,098.45 by first shift workers; second, $24,668.75 and third, $13,670.37. Department contributions will be listed next week. A follow-up drive is now in progress to give all workers an opportunity to share in the war and home relief to be aided by Curtiss-Columbus' $150,000 quota in the County Drive for $1,487,000. The drive Wednesday opened with a brief ceremony, broadcast throughout the plant over the loud-speaker system. "Taps" was played and a short appeal given for each shift by Howard Bennett, Machine Shop, followed by patriotic music, leading to the signing of pledge cards. Yesterday, E.J. Lyons, assistant to the general manager, and Harley Waite, Flight Hangar, co-chairmen of the Labor-Managemittee representing the Management and UAW-CIO Local 927, spoke to workers on first shift urging contributions from every worker. Similar Chest Drive talks were made on second and third shifts last night by Kahle Vincent and Phil Hampton, second and third shift superintendents. -- BONDS BUY BOMBERS -- New Schedule For Cafeteria A new meal schedule will become effective Monday for both factory and office workers, making the cafeteria closing hours earlier in some cases, according to announcement by Fred L. Miller, cafeteria manager. Cafeterias will close their 7 a.m. breakfast period at 8:20 a.m. instead of 8:25 a.m. They will open again for first shift workers at 11:30 for lunch, closing at 1:30 p.m. instead of 2 as in the past. The 3:45 p.m. eating period for second shift workers has changed its closing time from 6:30 to 6 p.m. The 8 to 9 p.m. lunch period will be unchanged. Third shift cafeteria hours will open at 12 midnight instead of 11:15 p.m., and will close at 1:30 a.m. The third shift lunch period will remain from 4 to 5 a.m. -- BONDS BUY BOMBERS -- He Gets a Navy-O! The Navy figures in the news again! This may be an old "laugh" that has happened in other departments, but Stanley Lake, Project Co-ordination, has turned in a story on a new employe who asked: "What is this Navy-O I hear so much about. I tell the boss something and he says, "Give me a Navy-O on that.' What is it, a rubber stamp for the Navy, or something?" And the story came in on an AVO blank, Avoid verbal orders?