Army-Navy E Award

 

 

The Plant received the Army-Navy E Award, with two subsequent stars, for excellence in production. This Award was given to only about 3% of all war production plants in WWII, and fewer yet to receive subsequent stars.

 

 

The Army-Navy Production Award - It's History and Significance

"In 1906 the Navy instituted in the Fleet an award for excellence which has been known ever since as the Navy "E." First awarded for excellence in gunnery, this was later extended to include outstanding performance in engineering and communications. An honor not easily won nor lightly bestowed, it became and has remained a matter of deep pride to the men of the Service who received it. 

When the rising tide of war in Europe placed a premium on the production of war equipment, the Navy "E" award was extended to embrace those plants and organizations which showed excellence in producing ships, weapons, and equipment for the Navy. 

Then came Pearl Harbor - and with it a demand for war production such as the world has never known... an awareness that our fighting forces and the men and women of American industry are part of all Americans a grim and enduring resolve to work and fight together until victory in that struggle is final and complete. 

From that high resolve was born the Army-Navy Production Award - which stands today as our fighting forces joint recognition of exceptional performance on the production front... of the determined, perserving, unbeatable American spirit which can be satisfied only by achieving today what yesterday seemed impossible."

-  excerpt from The Army-Navy "E" Award Ceremony program 

Approximately 600 people worked at the Poughkeepsie Plant during the war years, and the Plant Manager during the entire period 1936-1947 was Peter H. Prenting, a Poughkeepsie resident.

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