World War II Honoree

George B. Mooney

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Manchester, New Hampshire

Honored By

Diana Mooney Pemstein

Relationship

Daughter

HE WAS FIRST STATIONED AT FORT SHAFTER CABLE YARDS NEAR KALIHI, OAHU, HAWAII. HE THEN ENLISTED WITH SIGNAL CORPS AIR WARNING COMPANY OUT AT KAWAILOA ON OAHU'S NORTH COAST NEAR HALEIWA. THEY INSTALLED AND MANNED SCR-270B MOBILE RADAR UNITS NEARBY AND ON THE MOUNTAIN CHAIN THAT OVERLOOKED THE NORTHEAST COAST OF OAHU. HE AND A PRIVATE HAD A SHIFT FROM MIDNIGHT TO 8 A.M. AT THE KAWAILOA UNIT. THEY WERE BRIEFED THAT THE B-17 AIRCRAFT FROM CALIFORNIA MIGHT BE HEADED FOR OAHU. THEY ALSO KNEW OF THE NAVY'S ROUTINE OF FLYING CARRIER AIR GROUPS INTO OAHU AS THE FLATTOPS RETURNED TO PORT. AT 6:45 A.M. THE KAWAILOA AND OPANA UNITS PICKED UP AN UNUSUAL RADAR TARGET ABOUT 60 MILES TO THE NORTH. IT WAS A SMALL RADAR IMAGE, BUT HE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE 'FILTER CENTER,' A TERM USED BY THE SIGNAL CORPS PERSONNEL FOR THE INFORMATION CENTER AT FORT SHAFTER. THERE WAS A PHONE PROBLEM, BUT HE FINALLY GOT HIS MESSAGE THROUGH TO THE INFORMATION CENTER SWITCHBOARD. THIS MODEST RADAR TARGET CAUSED NO ALARM AND THE CONTACT WAS TRACKED UNTIL 7:05 A.M. ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 7, 1941.