ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW
Wallace M. Hale
Janurary 12, 1988
by Larry Lowenthal

0:00:13	Started working at the Armory Dec. 1940.
0:00:57	Before the Armory he was a machine operator at Smith and Wesson.
0:01:12	At the Armory was a machine operator making clips.
0:01:50	Had to take a test to enter.
0:02:21	After 2 years became a machine adjuster.
0:02:39	After 10 years became a step 5 as a set up man.
0:03:14	Retired when the Armory closed in 1968.
0:03:58	Worked in the warehouse at the railhead during the last year.
0:04:07	Worked Bldgs. 103, 102, 101, 104.
0:04:31	Talks about checking for tolerances and adjusting the machines.
0:05:28	When he had a bad back one of the machine operators helped him do the adjustments.
0:06:59	Did the adjusting on milling machines, turret lathes and vertical broach.
0:08:28	Worked under a man who knew his business and went to trade school once a week for 6 weeks.
0:09:38	Used blue prints to find out what the tolerances were supposed to be.
0:10:02	Had to go around and check the parts to make sure the parts were within tolerance.
0:11:17	A few times he was not able to get the machine producing within tolerance.
0:12:40	Had to know how the part fit into the weapons.
0:13:12	Talks about making parts for the 1903 rifle.
0:14:00	Grandfather worked as a stock maker at the Armory.
0:14:20	Worked on the Garand rifle and the M60 machine also aircraft armament.
0:15:38	Talks about the tape machine that came in from Digital before the Armory closed.
0:16:16	Once the machine was set he did not have to do anything.
0:16:36	The tape was like a ticker tape.
0:17:16	Worked on the tape machines for a year.
0:18:00	Talks about new wooden benches with vices selling for just $1.00.
0:18:55	Saw the gearing up for W.W. II.
0:19:31/a>	Did not like piecework.
0:20:45	The first 10 women came in from Milton Bradley.
0:21:19	He taught them to run the milling machine.
0:22:44	When Pearl Harbor was attacked they were told to shut down their machines and come out into the yard where they were told that they were at war with Japan.
0:24:06	Seven men packed up their toolboxes and told the administration they were going to join the Army.
0:25:47	Father worked at the Armory for 2 years before they let him go because he had a heart murmur.
0:26:23	Father got doctor's O.K. and went back to work for Smith and Wesson.
0:26:56	Brother also worked at the Armory beginning in 1938.
0:27:22	Brother ran a milling machine at Smith and Wesson before coming to the Armory.
0:29:25	He was in the National Guard for 1934 through 1937.
0:30:26	Talks about the leggings and the rest of the uniform.
Side B
0:31:19	Grandfather worked around 1910 on the gunstocks.
0:31:43	Grandfather became a carpenter and was president of the carpenter's union at one time.
0:32:03	Grandfather was Newton Hale and father was Percy Hale.
0:32:15	Grandfather was surprised when they went to work there.
0:32:39	He could not play drums because he held the stick like a wrench.
0:33:42	Talks about packing the rifles and handguns in metal barrels after W.W. II.
0:34:14	Barrel was dipped in liquid to check for leaks.
0:34:49	A powder was put in the barrel to dry up any moisture and the rifles were sealed inside.
0:35:49	Was in the service in the European theater for 2 years.
0:36:12	Missed out on the D-Day landing by 4 hours.
0:37:00	Had 90 days to decide if he wanted a job back at the Armory.
0:37:53	Worked on the canning project for six months.
0:38:23	He was just given the job at the railhead in order to get enough time in to retire.
0:39:31	Was offered a job as a guard at Rock Island and he said no because the pay was too low.
0:40:02	Was offered a job in the tool room purchasing tools but he said he was not a pencil pusher.
0:41:00	At the end of W.W.II he was a mail carrier for the soldiers.
0:41:26	Armory had its own fire department.
0:41:44	Had a sunrise gun at the Armory that you could hear out in East Longmeadow.