Retired First Sergeant Albert Reeves Cope and his wife, Ann, live at 247 Quail Hollow Road, Jefferson, NC, 28640.  Telephone 336.982.9379.

I was living in Ashe County  after being discharged from the U. S. Army in 1947.  I worked as a lineman for the Blue Ridge Electric Co-Op for three years.  In 1950, Patrolman Dave Huston encouraged me to join the Highway Patrol and took me to meet Sergeant T. E. Cook of North Wilkesboro.  Sergeant Cook gave me an application and ask me to complete the application while sitting in the back seat of his patrol vehicle.  later, I was contacted and advised to go to the Asheville Patrol station where I was interviewed by Captain C. A. Speed.  In a few weeks, Sergeant Cook called me and instructed me to report to Chapel Hill at the Institute of Government for the basic school on 18 June, 1951.  The Highway Patrol Basic school at that time ran from 18 June to 28 July 1951.  There were three basic schools during 1951.

I attended the second school.  During that session, forty seven cadets started, five quit and forty two finished.

After Patrol school, my first duty station was in Marion in McDowell County.  My training officer was Patrolman Archie Burrell, who was stationed in Old Fort.  The two of us worked McDowell County, where US 70 ran east and west and US 221 ran north and south through the county.  This was before Interstate 40 and US 70 was the main east west road in western North Carolina.

When I was assigned to Troop F in Marion in 1951, there were only seven troops at that time.  The patrol radio would not work in parts of McDowell County at that time.  Sometimes, the vibrator in the vehicle trunk would "stick" and I would need to open the trunk and hit the radio with an axe to jar it loose.  In certain areas of the county we had no radio reception at all.  During the time I had no communication with others, I would need to drive a mile or so in order to find enough reception to call a wrecker.  There were high spots, like the Parkway to get radio contact to get assistance.  A lot of times I had to take care of things myself because I could not contact others for assistance.

While stationed in Marion, we worked six days a week and appeared in court on our days off.  We were scheduled to work from 9:00 AM to 9 :00 PM or from 12:00 AM to 12:00 PM.  We were on call 24 hours a day, period.  I covered adjoining counties when there were no Patrolmen available to cover these counties.  We did not get extra pay for working overtime.  Any time I was called, I needed to go to work whether I was on my time or not.  There were many times I had worked my shift and was able to get some rest, however, if there was a call for a wreck or disturbance, then I would need to get out of bed and return to work.  It did not matter if I had only a few hours of sleep.

On a typical day, if I didn't get a call at the beginning of my shift, I would go to the office first thing and type the reports for the previous shift.  I typed out my own report with four copies needed.  This was all done with a manual typewriter.

We did not have copying machines.  Then I would go out and patrol the roads.  I was on lookout for speeders, drunk and reckless drivers.  Back then, there were a lot of "souped up cars", therefore there were a lot of speeders on the highway.  I learned who the "bootleggers" were and would be on the lookout for them.  They would sometimes have truck loads of moonshine with "GALAX" wrapped around it.  GALAX was often picked and sold to florist, so it was a good cover.  When I saw one of the men that I knew to be a "bootlegger", I would turn the patrol car around.  They would either stop peacefully or speed up.  There were times I had to chase them on rural roads before they would stop their vehicles.  When they stopped, they would break and run.  I had to chase them on foot.  One truck I stopped contained 25 1/2 gallon jars of white, non-taxed paid liquor.  I would arrest them for transporting , possessing and reckless driving.

I was assigned to riot duty in Henderson during the Harriet-Henderson mill strike in 1958-1959.  We were assigned there for several weeks at a time.  Patrolmen from all over the state would come in to relieve the local patrolmen assigned to this district.  Troop C, District 4.  During this time we were subject to be shot at by the mill strikers.  However, to my knowledge there were no gunshot wounds suffered.  The strikers would hide around in the villages to attack the patrolmen on duty.  They would throw roofing nails on the road and the patrol vehicles would have to drive over them while on duty.  It got to the point the Highway Patrol sent mechanics and a truck load of tires just to change all the flat tires.

While I was stationed in Marion, I also traveled to Raleigh to work traffic at the North Carolina State Fair for many years.  Other assignments included directing traffic at NASCAR events and escorting "Tweetsie Train Engine" from Hickory to it's now home in Blowing Rock.  I also worked the Rhododendron Festival in Rome Mountain. 

With the legislative enactment of a law expanding the use of patrol aircraft in traffic surveillance, the U. S. Army provided the Highway Patrol an old L-5 airplane.  Patrolman Al Feldman and I each had a commercial pilot's license as a hobby.  We were assigned to Patrol Headquarters in Raleigh to set up a flight program for the Patrol.  We flew the L-5 airplane for a few months, when the Highway Patrol purchased two new Cessna 180 airplanes.  The patrol vehicles on the ground had their call numbers painted on top of the cars and we could call that number when a violater was "clocked speeding".  We wrote the procedure manual for using airplanes within the Patrol to catch speeders via air travel.  The procedures included being able to time-chart measurements to convert into MPH to check for speeders on the highway.  This form of "clocking" speeders by air was later voted out by the General Assembly.  After that, the Highway Patrol used the airplanes for apprehending felons charged with bank robbery, transporting emergency supplies and providing transport for state/federal officials.

In 1966, Trooper Dan Williams and I were promoted to Flight Sergeants combining all flight operation under the control of Headquarters and based in Raleigh.  Because the Highway Patrol did not have a Flight Sergeant designation, they changed our rank to Line Sergeant in 1970.   In 1973, I was promoted to Technical Sergeant.  Later the Highway Patrol purchased a helicopter.  I requested not to be assigned to operate the helicopter and was put in charge of Patrol garage inventory and patrol gas pumps and inventory at the C&L Division on Blue Ridge Road.  In 1975, I was promoted to First Sergent and stayed at that rank until retiring in 1985.

Major E. W. Jones gave me an assignment in 1971 to design a new Highway Patrol uniform patch.  I sat down with a 3 X 5 index card and sketched an outline of our state with the state seal in the middle of the state.  I wrote the words "North Carolina" on the top of the patch and the words "Highway Patrol" on the bottom.  Major Jones submiited the design to Patrol Headquarters and the design was approved.  The same design is still being used today.

Al and Ann invite you to call or come by for a visit. 

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Retired Trooper Clarence Luther Swartz (spouse Edna W. Swartz-deceased May 2002) lives at 101 North Channel Drive, Wrightsville Beach, NC, 28480.  Telephone 910.256.3330.

I was living in Arlington, Virginia as a member of the US Merchant Marines.  I began my career with the North Carolina Highway Patrol when my brother-in-law, Colonel Smith, gave me a job as a Drivers License Examiner.  I worked in this position for three years before becoming a State Patrolman.  When I applied for this position of Patrolman, it consisted of the application, physical exam and an interview.  I was interviewed in Fayetteville by a Lieutenant.   Upon being accepted, I went to the fifteenth Basic School in Chapel Hill, NC held at the Institute of Government.   The school lasted from June 1 until July 31 1951.

I was sworn in as a Patrolman on August 1, 1951.  My Commandant was Captain Lentz.   I do not recall an Assistant Commandant and started our class with fifty-four attendees.

My first and only duty station was New Hanover County.  I was there from August 1, 1951 until the end of my career in October 1976.  So along with my three years as a Drivers License Examiner, I served our state with much honor for thirty years.

The Patrol consisted of four Troops, A-D.  Our communication system for our patrol vehicles took up the whole trunk of the car.  We did not have very good connectivity between car to car or even the local SHP dispatchers.  Around 1953, The Patrol had a repeater installed in Bolivia.  We thought we were in "Heaven" because we were actually able to reach Elizabethtown after the repeater was installed.  Our vehicles did not have the "Bubble Light" on top.   We had flashing lights in the car grill and a huge spotlight on the driver's side of the patrol vehicle. 

My normal work day consisted of ten-twelve hour shifts.  We worked six days a week until Commissioner Scheidt cut our work week to five days per week not to exceed any more than ten hours per day.  That occurred in 1960 and was a big relief.  Our duties consisted pretty much of what the Troopers do today with the exception that we had to assist the Sheriff's Department with domestic calls which the Troopers today do not have to do.

Our court was called Recorders Court.  We usually went to court one day per week.  The court system was really different then.  We did not have all of the continuances they have to deal with today.  Supervision during this time was very simple.  You did what was asked of you and things went just fine.

In the beginning of my career, things were pretty normal until about the mid to late fiftys.   Then the strikes began.  I remember going to Henderson NC to perform strike duty.  We were immediately given the name of "Scabs".  We were never really sure what that meant, but we figured it wasn't really a name respecting our position.  In 1954, I worked Hurricane Hazel.  In doing my duty I didn't ever think about things around my home.  Well, much to my surprise, I lost a personal vehicle at my home on Wrightsville Beach.  I worked many other storms after that year and gave each storm the total respect they deserved. 

In the early sixties the race riots began.  I remember working the "Wilmington Ten".  Our fellow patrolman, Bruce Jackson was shot in the neck.   We were really not sure we were going to get out of this hostile situation alive.  Our sergeant, Buck McCullen, ordered us not to shoot.  All of the windows were broken out of our cars and all four tires were flat.  I know we received a lot of prayers that day.  I had a lot of "stuff" happen to me.  Guns pulled, car chases and  capturing bank robbers were normal activiities.

I guess on honor details, I was privileged to work President Harry Truman's detail when he came to dedicate the new Wake Forest University.  I also worked many "Azalea Festivals".

I retired on October 26, 1976.  I had a part time shrimping business which I continued after retirement.  My precious wife, Edna, and I did have the opportunity to travel a little before I lost her in 2002.  We went to California, Montana, Canada, Florida and various other states throughout the country.  It was a wonderful time.

The story I would like to share is about my best friend, Patrolman Hugh Griffin.  We were on late call one morning.  Hugh was stationed in Pender County and me in New Hanover.  We both were called to wrecks pretty close to each other.  After completing our investigations, we discussed going shrimping on Monday after we got off work.  Little did we both know that meeting would never take place.  My friend, Hugh, was killed less than ten hours later by three men in a routine traffic stop on NC 53.  With that experience, I learned to treat every moment as if it may be my last.  Every moment in life is precious.

I am a member of the Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church.  I am also a member of the New Hanover County Law Enforcement Association.  Edna and I have one son, Gary Swartz.  We have two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.  I am very blessed.

The most fascinating part of my career was living through it.  Just kidding.  I really can't pinpoint one fascinating part of my Patrol career because in my view it was all fascinating.  My impact was fairly strong because everyone commented that I had given them a ticket.  All of the youngsters were afraid of me because I was known to enforce the law.  That is where I receive the nickname "Oleander Ranger".  The difference in the Patrol today and back then, I see a great change.  I feel we were a lot closer that the members today.  We had to depend on each other more.  We did not have the technology that they have today.  A lot has changed between now and then.

In my opinion, the most historical moment on the Patrol was when then ,Colonel J. R. Smith, went to Commissioner Scheidt and ask if he would allow him to go to the General Assembly to obtain Social Security benefits for all patrol members in North Carolina.  It was a success as the General Assembly appropriated five million dollars to get us up to date with the Social Security system.

I did work with two of the original members of the Patrol.  They were Colonel J. R. Smith, who was my brother-in-law, and Major D. R. Lambert.

I attend the annual NCSHP Retiree's Day function held at the Training Center.  As far as a Basic School reunion, we have never had one.  Please come to visit or give me a call.

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Retired Major Earl T. Green

Earl T.Green and his wife, Majorie, live at 6516 Rainbow Court, Raleigh, NC 27612.  Telephone 919.848.1232.  E-mail  greenetmg@gmail.com

I was living at home in the spring of 1950, on Route 5, Oxford attending business school in Henderson, NC.  I was assisting my father on the family farm during this time.  Patrolman W. C. Carter visited often and influenced my application to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.  After applying, I was sent to Fort Bragg along with 450 other applicants for physical and mental examinations.  I was among 65 of the entry group chosen to attend Patrol school at the Institute of Government in Chapel Hill.  The basic school at this time ran 14 weeks in the spring of 1950.  As I recall, 38 including myself graduated.  W. B. Lentz was Commandant, assisted by Sergeant McKinney and three other Sergeants.

My first duty station was in Hertford with Patrolman Inscoe as my Training Officer.  At this station, I lived in the local Patrol station and answered the phone and radio when accidents were involved-regular communication went off at midnight.  License examiner Hilda Johnson tailored my ill fitting uniforms to make them fit.  After about one year, I entered the US Air Force for the Korean War.  In 1952, I was sent to Selfridge Air Force base in Michigan and married my wife Marjorie,  We returned to North Carolina in 1953.  Marjorie was interviewed by Colonel Lentz and i was reinstated on the Patrol and sent to Fuquay-Varina where I served until being promoted to Corporal and moved to Garner.  There I served under Edward Jones in charge of training.  Then i was promoted to Sergeant and then to Lieutenant under Captain Jenkins.

A new Troop F with 13 counties headquartered in Hickory was formed under Governor Hunt and I was promoted to Captain and served as the Troop Commander.  Marjorie, my daughter and two sons moved with me to Hickory.  In 1978, I was promoted to Major and place in charge of Communication and Logistics (C & L) under Colonel John Jenkins.  I served in Patrol Headquarters in Raleigh until my retirement in 1985.

When I came on in 1950 there were four Troops.  There were no car to car communications.