Early Work in Aviation 35 



rudiments of electricity and electrical circuits to the mechanics. Some of them 

 didn't know anything about electricity, and since this was entirely an electrical 

 problem, we had to start from scratch to teach them the circuits. So she [Mrs. 

 Braun] turned out the stencils, and we had the mimeographed copies made 

 and gave them serial numbers. Then they had me go up to the Navy Yard in 

 Washington where they had printing facilities, and they turned out the first 

 pamphlets on the bombsights. 



This was the result of your research and work at Dahlgren. 



That's what I had to turn out with the help of my wife. I couldn't have gotten 

 along without her because she typed the thing up. It turned out to be a pretty 

 good size book. 



You mentioned your wife. I imagine this had to be a desolate assignment for her. 



I had a roommate aboard ARIZONA who they wanted to send here as an 

 Ammunition Officer, and he said he wouldn't come down here — nothing but 

 country, and he wasn't going to bring his wife down here. When I got here, I 

 loved it. I liked the country and fresh air. I met my wife, a local girl, while I was 

 on my PG tour here. 



How long was your last tour at Dahlgren? 



I was ordered back here as Assistant Officer in Charge of the Air Detail in 



1934. Lieutenant Boone,* who's now Admiral Boone, was in charge, and in 



1935, he was transferred, so then I fleeted up to Officer in Charge of the Air 

 Detail. I was here 3 years from June 1934 until June 1937. 



Then you have good familiarity with Dahlgren in the 1930's. 

 Yes. 



Did you know Admiral Parsons'? 



Yes, we went through Postgraduate School together. 



*Admiral Walter Frederick Boone (with the rank of Lieutenant) was Officer in Charge of the Naval 

 Air Detail at Dahlgren from June 1933 to June 1935. He received numerous decorations and 

 medals while on successive aviation assignments from April 1926 to December 1945. While on 

 special duty at the American Embassy, London, England, from 1939 to 1942, he witnessed the 

 latter stages of the Air Blitz. In 1958, Admiral Boone became U.S. Representative of the Military 

 Committee and Standing Group of the North Adantic Treaty Organization and remained in that 

 capacity until his retirement from the Navy in 1960. 



