2. Enter the War

As the 1940's opened, the nation was preparing for what appeared to be an inevitable entry into the war raging in Europe. Col. Black and his planners had already begun considering the expected redirection of activities -- unfortunately, the reality would far exceed their expectations.

The division had already been delegated a few "wartime" duties, beginning in 1939 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation requested the Patrol's assistance in investigations of un-American activities. In a letter signed personally by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, the division was asked to be on the lookout for such activities, especially communist activities, which Hoover stated would eventually become an even greater threat than the Germans, Japanese, or Italians. A "flood" of these requests began pouring in and, by 1943, 635 cases, consuming 31,000 manhours, had been completed for the FBI. Most involved routine intelligence gathering of persons reported as "suspicious."

Despite the attention to the impending war, traffic safety was still the primary mission of the Highway Patrol. Arrests for speed infractions began in May 1940 with the issuance of Bulletin 20 by Colonel Black. It stated, "Effective at once, the speed regulation for motor vehicles set forth by Section 12603 of the General Code of Ohio will be enforced when flagrant violations of excessive speed exist in the absence of reckless driving . . ." Director of Highways Robert S. Beightler announced the new policy citing a recent rise in crashes and difficulties in obtaining convictions under the old policy of arresting for reckless driving rather than speeding. The director further stated that the Patrol would not automatically enforce the 45 miles-per-hour speed limit, acting instead to warn motorists first and arrest on subsequent violations.

The year 1941 saw a major in crease in duties and responsibilities, just before the division was to begin losing men to the services. In February, the Commanding General of the Fifth Corps Area of the U. S. Army called upon the division to coordinate the movement of military and civilian traffic in the state. Colonel Black was appointed "traffic liaison officer" later that year and, under his direction, Ohio was the first state in the nation to complete plans for the rapid immobilization of troops and equipment. In 1941 alone, 154 convoys were moved under the direction of the Patrol.

Other changes came in the form of new legislation. Amended Senate Bill 248, approved May 9, 1941, was responsible for a number of changes, among them a reformulation of powers and duties. In short, it delegated the Highway Patrol jurisdiction over all rural roads (including the power to make felony arrests), not just the state highway system. This included a provision that it was the duty of the Patrol to investigate all accidents outside municipal borders. At the same time, it barred direct enforcement within municipalities -- even on the state highway system. The same bill raised the cap on the number of patrolmen to 300, lowered the age limits from 24-40 to 21-35, and raised the superintendent's salary from $4,000 to $4,500 per year. Another bill, approved the same day as the latter, mandated that the State Highway Patrol and other peace officers "shall" report coal and coke trucks overloaded by more than two percent above the stated amount of their permits to the federal government.

Drivers licensing became the sole responsibility of the Patrol under amended Senate Bill 93, approved June 4, 1941. The bill created a "Drivers License Examination Section" within the Patrol, and allowed the hiring of 75 examiners and as many clerks as necessary. It was actually 1942 before any examiners were hired, and 1943 before the division was prepared to assume the responsibility of all testing.

A real milestone for the division, one which illustrated an acceptance of the Patrol as a permanent part of state government, was House Bill 523, the Pension Fund Bill. Approved June 4, 1941, the pension would cover all members of the uniform and radio divisions, as well as the superintendent and assistant superintendent.

A final major piece of legislation, the first "uniform traffic code," was approved June 5, 1941. Among the modifications set forth in the new law was the speed limit provision. It was raised to 50 MPH on state highways outside of municipal limits, while limits within cities and villages were left to local authorities -- with the prior consent of the Director of Highways.

Foreseeing the impact of the war in Europe, Gov. John W. Bricker, in his biennial address to the legislature in 1941, noted that either the Highway Patrol had to be given full powers or an "Ohio State Guard" would be necessary. Bricker actually favored the first option, stating it would be less expensive. "One patrolman," he said, "would be worth several guardsmen and could be mobilized faster." He also cited the possibility that a guard force would be trained at great expense only to be demobilized shortly afterwards, whereas a patrolman's training would benefit taxpayers for years.

Labor leaders immediately raised objections, stating the proposed expansion of powers was an attempt by supporters to take advantage of the temporary situation (the calling up of the National Guard.) At a meeting of various union leaders held to formulate and present a united position on issues, spokesmen formally declared, "We do not believe this form of 'Gestapo' is necessary or American." Shortly after, the heads of two sheriff's organizations echoed union sentiments, with one even calling for the elimination of the Highway Patrol. The end result was the increase to 300 men previously mentioned.

With the expected manpower increase came post expansions and reorganization. The headquarters district was designated as district "G" and given three posts (previously referred to as substations), new ones at Lancaster and Hebron, and Mt. Vernon, which was transferred from district "B." New posts were also added at Fremont, Norwalk, Van Wert, Chagrin Falls, Wooster, Dayton, Coal Grove, and Gallipolis, while the Bellevue and Newark posts were dropped. The reorganization at General Headquarters included the addition of the Plainclothes division, the Records bureau, and dispatchers (one sergeant, one corporal, and two patrolmen given command duties at Columbus.) The ranks of major-inspector and first lieutenant were also added, the latter having previously been adopted and dropped.

Prior to the heavy wartime manpower losses, each post consisted of a corporal and average of five or six patrolmen. District headquarters were staffed by a lieutenant, three or four sergeants, a corporal, and an average of nine patrolmen. Included in the district figures was a "stolen car specialist," specially trained in identification work and fingerprinting. Radio division units numbered 12 at Columbus and four at each district headquarters (except Cambridge which had two.) By this time, cars out numbered motorcycles 142 to 100, with 16 of the 100 cycles actually assigned as training vehicles.

The first Patrol employee to be called into active service was Gene Baumgarten, a civilian employed at General Headquarters since 1933. This occurred in late 1940. The first patrolman to be drafted was V. U. O'Dell in June 1941. From there, a steady stream of officers left for boot camp, and it became obvious that the division was going to lose a substantial number of men. In late 1941, Colonel Black and Captain Mingle began to entertain thoughts of augmenting the force with an all volunteer auxiliary force.

The American Legion seemed the logical choice to draw such a force. Most legionnaires were war veterans, of good character, and anxious to serve their country -- and at the same time would not be called into national service. Colonel Black placed Captain Mingle in charge of organizing the new force. Working closely with Joe Deutschle, state adjutant of the Ohio American Legion, and future auxiliary head William Konold, Mingle assembled the auxiliary force in short order.

The first official enrollment meeting was held in Franklin County on February 8, 1942. By the first of April, 2,650 members were in training. Auxiliary officers were subjected to 40 hours of instruction in desk duty, patrol, disasters, and convoy movements. Ultimately they were assigned to one of 362 mobilizaton points. As soon as it was activated, the force immediately began establishing its worth. A good example occurred in the early morning hours of May 31, 1942, when a huge wave from Lake Erie crashed into North Madison, throwing boats as far as 300 feet beyond the usual high water mark. Officers at the Geneva post summoned the Lake County Auxiliary, and within an hour, 27 of the 31 members were on the scene to aid in the rescue and recovery effort.

In April 1942, the division hit a peak of 297 patrolmen. From there, the number steadily decreased. In four months, 50 employees, including 42 uniformed officers had entered the service. Of these, 22 were officers, including four "Flying Cadets." The steady drain would continue throughout the war, and by 1945 (despite an additional Academy class in 1943) uniformed officers numbered only 139.

Not all patrolmen who were lost during this period went into the military. Toward the end of 1942, the Patrol began conducting "Plant Protection Schools" to train factory and plant defense forces. Ironically several officers later resigned to head such security forces.

Highway travel was strictly regulated during the war to preserve scarce materials such as rubber and petroleum. A 35 mph "victory speed" and travel restrictions were imposed as a means to ration these items, but they required close enforcement. An example of such an action was a roadblock set up by the Office of Price Administration and the Patrol. Of over 400 drivers stopped, over 250 claimed to be ill and enroute to the doctor. In truth, they were violating travel restrictions, and were, like nearly 14,000 other violators, reported to the federal government.

Among the other wartime duties undertaken by the Patrol were: bridge protection, blackout trials, military air port protection, fingerprinting of plant employees, and various surveys. The Patrol's efforts on behalf of the military were rewarded in 1943 when the Office of Civilian Defense awarded the division a Citation of Merit -- the first ever issued to an organization not exclusively involved in civilian defense work.

Along a different war front, about 12 members of the Plainclothes division were sent to Mahoning County in 1943 to assist in Attorney General Herbert's attack on the massive gambling and corruption problem there. After about a month, the detail was left in the hands of F. C. Moon and J. R. Lezak, who spent a year and a half documenting a variety of criminal organizations. The investigation uncovered such corruption that the report on the case notes, "The magnitude of the present conditions . . . would require more than just a quiet investigation, which would not even scratch the surface. Gambling places and bookmakers are about as abundant . . . as are drug stores." In the end, the investigation led to 34 indictments.

As the war progressed, its effect could be measured in terms of equipment as well as men. In late February 1942, U. S. officials released 52 new cars that were purchased by the division but never delivered due to a freeze imposed by the federal government. It would be three years before the Patrol would receive another new car.

Radio advancement was also slowed, though not so severely as with automobiles. Two-way radios were slowly appearing in cruisers, and by 1944, over half of all patrol cars had one. The sets had a range of up to 50 miles and enabled a sharp increase in felony arrests despite a shortage of manpower.

The first post transmitter was in stalled at Troy on January 19, 1944. Equipped with a 100-foot antenna and 50-watt transmitter located three miles from the post, it was operated by remote control. The Troy station was apparently to be the first of 19 in operation by the end of the year, but due to cutbacks, only seven more would be activated by December 1945: Warren, Geneva, Marion, Dayton, Athens, Perrysburg, and Bellevue.

Like Colonel Black, Colonel Mingle assumed the superintendency at a time when Patrol resources were very thin. But whereas Colonel Black was able to tailor the duties of his limited force, Colonel Mingle inherited a long list of responsibilities for his. To top it off, although the end of the war was in sight, Mingle's force would continue to shrink for another year. Fortunately for Colonel Mingle (and the citizens of Ohio) Highway Patrol Auxiliary of officers proved a very capable and dedicated body. It continued to build on its reputation for responding rapidly when needed and routinely working long hours.

Though the end of the war was still about one year away, preparations were already being made for the return of officers and the transition to peacetime. The Flying Wheel magazine, sent to officers stationed in all theaters of the war, began setting the groundwork for this transition with two articles geared directly at servicemen. The first, published in August 1944, outlined the procedure for re-joining the Patrol. Stated simply, men needed only apply in writing within 90 days of their discharge and supply a copy of their discharge papers. The second article, published in November 1944, emphasized that everyone was looking forward to the return of the servicemen and that the training received by these officers while in the military would undoubtedly aid the division. At the same time, it pointed to a problem that had already arisen. One man who was a patrolman when he left for the service several years earlier returned demanding to be made a sergeant. When this was refused he resigned. The article pointedly noted that those who had stayed with the Patrol during the war could have taken better jobs (in fact, some had) but had chosen instead to remain and maintain the high standards of the Patrol. Returning officers could rejoin at the rank they held when they left, period.

Sadly, four Patrol officers serving over seas would not have the option of returning. Two were killed on Iwo Jima, one was lost when his submarine was sunk, and another was shot down over Germany.

The remaining officers did not go unnoticed. Activities of the Patrol continued to be the subject of high praise in newspapers throughout the state. But it wasn't crime-fighting or war duties that would catch the spotlight in early 1945 -- it was winter and spring weather.

In January 1945, Ohio experienced what was described as "the first old-fashioned winter in 20 years," which, even with the light wartime traffic conditions, gave officers quite a big job. Since mid-December when heavy snowfall blanketed most of the state, nearly every road in Ohio was slippery, and snow continued intermittently for over six weeks. This was made worse by a shortage of Highway Department personnel, many of whom had been called in to service.

The worst case was when about 400 people, in seven buses and 75 autos, were trapped on the Dixie Highway near Bowling Green. It was five degrees below zero and some drifts were so large they were hazardous even to snow plows. Nevertheless, patrolmen led a bulldozer and six school buses onto the scene to rescue stranded and freezing motorists. Three patrolmen who were already on the scene worked hours in the numbing cold to get the stranded people, included 85 in need of medical attention, to shelter. The buses took 11 hours to make the 18-mile round trip and only one life was lost.

Following the snowy winter came a very wet spring, which resulted in the most extensive flooding since the great flood of 1937. In fact, while not as high as the '37 flood, the '45 flood did a great deal more damage. Patrol units helped evacuate over 11,000 people, including 95 percent of the people in New Richmond, and assisted another 4,700 in moving upstairs. The auxiliary was out in force, logging over 7,300 hours in 10 days, and an extensive communications network was constructed to relay water readings and shift personnel at a moment's notice. Local newspapers lauded Patrol efforts, noting that "extensive preparations helped [the Patrol] overcome what would have been, even in normal circumstances, a very trying affair."

As the long war finally drew to a close, Colonel Mingle and his staff outlined a course to quickly bring manpower to its authorized levels. There was a great deal of uncertainty as to what shape the reconversion to peacetime would assume, and further, if the low pay and long working hours a patrolman endured would discourage growth. Nevertheless, an ambitious program of rebuilding and expansion was planned to correspond to the recently passed House Bill 330 authorizing 400 sworn officers (an increase of 100). This, and major technological advances already on the horizon, would change the face of the Ohio State Highway Patrol forever.

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