spruce production division unit united_states_army established produce high quality spruce timber wood products needed aircraft efforts world war division headquarters portland oregon main operations center vancouver barracks vancouver washington workers division members union specifically established support army wood production operations division produced nearly million board feet spruce months halting work soon war ended col trial accusations wasted millions tax dollars found guilty division large impact logging pacific_northwest logging companies adopted working conditions similar division took advantage new logging roads rail lines division built access timber activation beginning world war wood products great demand war production spruce important tree species combination strength ideal aircraft production addition long tough fibers splinter struck bullets united_states entered war pacific_northwest main supplier spruce aircraft production great_britain france italy northwest lumber mills able meet europe demand spruce government wanted monthly production million board feet spruce division activated million board feet produced monthly united_states entered war general sent army captain pacific_northwest determine local labor issues forest products industry quickly resolved met mill owners representatives union trying organize workers pacific_northwest studying situation months determined long standing labor management dispute resolved direct intervention army based report given job forest products industry pacific_northwest support united_states war production september brought army lieutenant colonel assigned develop plans army unit produce wood products war effort november promoted colonel given command newly formed headquarters new unit centre great spruce area pacific_northwest division induction training operations center established vancouver barracks vancouver washington employed soldiers production originally authorized troops including officers enlisted men quickly recruited thousand experienced mill workers military draft age division authorized grow personnel initially mill owners local unions army takeover lumber production mill owners disliked having army overseeing businesses unions saw soldiers labor form called support war production careful favor owners unions increased production helping sides achieve goals mill owners military manpower kept mills open running capacity addition prevented facilities equipment unions benefited military rules stabilized wages improved working conditions workers pacific_northwest improved conditions standard hour day counter influence union sponsored alternative union based patriotism labor management cooperation new union established leadership portland attorney captain later serve congressman union initially opposed labor mill owners strong advocacy months nearly mill owners agreed support union october members fact union lasted years longer established approximately military logging camps pacific_northwest usually near existing privately owned mills operated direction army december reported division meeting percent demand spruce said production increased million board feet million board feet meet demand early division opened vancouver barracks largest spruce world producing million feet spruce lumber day mill complex covered acres operated soldiers division army built oregon washington worker community washington designed company town architect square mile km2 laid dining recreation halls styled division built railroads miles track link logging areas peak construction soldiers building railroads oregon washington forests wire rope manufactured west shipped controlled spruce division colonel los_angeles_times reported february shortage wire rope col took charge spruce production campaign division lasted months produced total board feet spruce produced nearly million board feet aircraft construction oregon forests pacific_northwest began logging spruce war lumber came eastern united_states production amounted percent demand logging techniques east advanced efficient wood network roads railroads division built allowed future development forests facilitated growth lumber industry pacific_northwest remainder 20th century armistice ended world war signed november day spruce production division logging ended construction projects stopped operations curtailed government machinery equipment northwest shipped division personnel quickly discharged military service million worth logging equipment machinery property eventually sold government auction quickly war post war controversy cost operations brigadier general spent months answering charges division wasted money congress particularly critical million spent unfinished railroad located washington responded transporting spruce lumber eventually charges proved discharged army march appointed chairman export import branch headquarters new_york legacy col compiled history united_states_army published detailed record division operations helped general defend cost spruce production debate members congress seattle holds approximately cubic feet records related division complete roster military personnel november effects continued long unit division dramatically increase production forest products war effort transportation network built helped open pacific_northwest forests greater use decades followed addition division work rules standard logging operations pacific northwest 1930s
Spruce Production Division