Missouri

This is one of only a few positions we have from Jefferson City and it appears CW has long been removed from the main desk. We are looking at Dick Carroll WØEX from an article he wrote for 73 Ham radio Magazine March 1980. The state comprises of 9 Districts from “A thru I Troop” and Jefferson City is “F” Troop. In 1931 troopers communicated to the troop by telephone. Each trooper established a system of service stations, restaurants and other business as key contact points.

Troop HQ would leave messages regarding where the troopers assistance was needed.

Over the next few years, communications would improve with the installation of standard public broadcast receivers in cars and a telephone system to transmit messages from General HQ to the troops.

The state owned radio station WOS, located in the Capitol was placed at the Patrol’s disposal. Radios in the cars were tuned to that station to receive information or instructions. The call letters WOS stood for Watch Our State. A radio teletype transmitter at General HQ’s to enable the Patrol to communicate with other police agencies in the state beginning in 1936.

The Patrol hired Mr. Harry W. Duncan WØEFR in 1937, the first radio operator of the organized communications division. “They started training in the dome of the capitol ....Originally, the radio station WOS was up there.”

Duncan said “We tried to be very professional and when someone pronounced a word wrong, we told him. The training was setting up fake radio equipment, making broadcasts and critiquing them later.”

We had to know county names, county seats and the highway names, “said Duncan, in a April 2005 interview. “When we started, we had three radiomen at each troop. We had six stations at that time.

If anyone took a day off the other two had to work 12 hour shifts! I’d say that went on for three years. As money was appropriated, they hired more operators.”