John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Out of the three towers in Madison County, this tower was located on L.R. Andrews' farm on US Hwy. 90 East.
As a way of keeping eyes in the skies, The United States Army Ground Observer Corps organized the Aircraft Warning System (AWS), a civilian service instated during World War II (WWII) to keep watch for enemy aircraft planning sneak attacks on American military aircraft.
During World War I, aircrafts were not utilized with long-range weapons. Beginning in 1919, spanning to the beginning of WWII, the heavy bomber was created, capable of reaching great distances and carrying a dangerous dose of explosives. It became clear that a system needed to be designed to help protect the military from the threat of an enemy aircraft. It was argued that while soldier lookouts would be great, their time at the observation tower would detract from other needed military operations.
In Madison County, there were three observation towers, located at L.R. Andrews farm, on US Hwy. 90 East; on a hill at County Road 360A; and Lake Rachel. Constructed in 1942, the towers had basic electricity, including telephone service. At all times, there were two civilians, varying in age, working two hour shifts around the clock. According to Tommy Greene's book, Madison County: From the Beginning, silhouettes of planes, both Axis and Allied, were provided to assist with identification. These silhouettes were sometimes printed on playing cards and the images were studied until they were committed to memory. All aircraft identifications were called in to the regional office of the Army Information Center, in Thomasville, Ga.