Induction

Montgomery Ala. was the where the induction process started. They had a very large warehouse(s) that all the processing took place in. I would guess that it was at either at Maxwell or Gunter AFB. I remember a very large room with a stage and a many many old couches and chairs scattered around. You took you seat and waited till they called your name and told you want to do. They also had a big room with bunks in it. The sign said the sleeping capacity was 409. But all the bunk were doubles so how could have a odd number? Not the first of many unsolved mystery’s that were about to unfold. I had already taken alot of the tests and such so I did not need to do much more. They called my name and sent me to a little room and asked(?)if i would take a few more tests. Sure thing I replied as visions of the infantry swirled in my head. For the rest of the day I took tests and waited. The next morning my name was called again. They sent me down to another room where a Sargent of some kind was. This room is pretty neat, coffee pot, donuts, the guy is pretty friendly. he says I see you have scored very high on some of your tests. I have a deal for you(ever heard that before?) I am going to offer you a chance to join a group of very talented people. I cant not tell you much about it but I can say this “We only accept people from the top 10% of the Army and the work is Top Secret” Damn! You talking me to me? A secret agent, James Bond?, sweet Gee-us, I have been saved. Oh yea Only one other little thing. You have to join for another year. Make that a 4 years not 3 years. 4 years? No big deal. An to think my High school teachers said I was dumb and gullible. Ha Ha Where do I sign. Let me in…………..Fade to black…..New Years eve going to Fort Jackson South Carolina in a 100,000 dollar vehicle. A Greyhound bus.

On the road


It was COLD  damn cold and all I had on was a pair of dress slacks , a tee shirt with a dress shirt and a sports jacket.  I did not think things would move as fast as they did.  New Flash!  It snowed in Atalanta Ga on New years eve.  The bus had to return to the station where I spent  new years eve.   Morning came and I guess the sun came out and the bus was able to proceed.   It was night when I got to fort Jackson.  They  took me and a few others in a room while they waited for more people to show up.  Around day light we all fell out into the street to begin processing.  Getting into the Army is not a easy task.  It can, at least it did back then, take days to get squared away.  More tests, physicals, classes and of course large long waits between doing anything constructive.  Did I say it was Cold?  I think it was about the 3rd day when we were marched over to supply to be assigned all our gear.  Two of these, one of theses, hurry up,  Not your size?  close enough, hurry up.  What a sad sight!!  Big ass pants, floppy shirts, boots makes from reinforced cement, almost made me forget that I was way to be a High Level Intelligence  agent.  Next we had to wait a couple of days until our basic training started.  Some things you never forget.  I was in Echo co.  Prudent people would have known that January and February in North Carolina is less than desirable for out door activity.   Did I say it was COLD?  March, run, clean, polish, freeze,  until you get a mite tired.  No passes, no nothing, After 4 weeks we got a Sunday after noon pass.  Could not leave the post but you could go to the PX and EM club.  Wow  It was great to take a break.  Besides it was pay day!!!   E-1 in  1964  made 68 dollars a Month.  Yes you read that right , a Month.  I bought some candy bars and some  more stuff for my food locker inspection display.  Then we went to another PX and drank some beer.  Bad Bad tasting stuff, almost like near beer, not much kick, just enough to make you sick. About this time I messed up and got a weeks worth of KP (Kitchen Patrol).  The first day I was there while I was buffing the floor, I noticed the sarge was having a hell of time typing out the Menu and some paper work.  I asked if I might could help him.  He asked Can you type?  Oh Hell yes and I can make copies, file,  write reports,  I really could as I was a Teachers helper in college.   So we made a deal,  while everyone was in the field, I would do all the paper work but when they got back he would be on my case, nothing personal.  It was a great deal, the cooks brought me cake and pie and special stuff they cooked for their self.  But when all the officers were around they would bitch and run my ass around.  Just a game, It was funny then and is funny now.  My fellow basic training people included a group of Draftees from North Carolina.  The Army had not been integrated very long so dealing with  back people was a new experience. I had never went to school or even worked with black people before.  There was no problem,we got along pretty good.  We were all in the same jam.  I remember one time someone said You know we never have eaten dinner with a black guys before.  The Black guy said ” Same for us we have never had much to do with white people”  Point was well taken.  Most of them very very good people, just like us.

Graduation Day

Well after 8 weeks of great Army training we were almost ready to unleashed on the world.  Basic training changes you.  Not in the way that many expect.  You learn that some people you can trust, others you can not.  The one guy that loaned you some shoe polish when he was running low was someone that was hard to say good bye to.  But the Son of a Bitch that pimped you out over having a package of crackers, good byes can not come quick enough.   Hard times bring out the best and worse in people.  You never forget the little things people did to help you make it.  Maybe it is a flaw of my character but I dont forget the others either.    Basic training graduation was not a big deal like it is now.  We had a formation and every got their orders.  Some stayed on the same post for AIT (Advanced Individual training)  I was the only Agency guy so I might have went home for a couple days before going to fort Devans but I can not remember.  I liked that part of the ASA in that I always traveled alone.  But I did not even have my clearance yet.  that I found out could be a real deal breaker.

Fort Devans (School and stuff)

Fort Devans  was a hell of a ride.  The more I think about it I realize it was really a unique place.   A little background first.  Almost all ASA guys had already either been to college or had worked.  So we were not  atypical of new soldiers.   I was already 21 as were most of the people in  my section.  So many people could see BS when it was presented.  Also, I had the pleasure of working and being with some truly brilliant people.  They changed the way that I looked at the world.  Some people are intellectual  gifted.  They say that this factor helped lead to the ASA being disbanded.   On to fort Devans.  When you checked in you were assigned to C company.  The largest “company” in the Army so they said.  Charlie was a Causal Company. Just a transition place where you awaited, your clearance, next school,  or what ever.  I would guess there were 300 or 400 people, maybe more, maybe less just depended. The Almighty Clearance with out a Clearance you were nothing. EVERYTHING depended on getting your Top Secret Clearance.  All BS aside they took the granting of a TS Crypto clearance very serious.  They sent FBI guys to visit some of your old teachers and employers to check you out.   I had never gotten in real trouble but still you worried.  Most people thought I have got into in some of big time trouble and the Feds were looking for me.  So while you were waiting you stayed in C company.  They had a big formation every morning and then they dispatched every one to do make busy work all over the post.  They had so many people there was not much to do so just staying busy was a challenge. During this time I lucked out and got selected to go Army Driving school and got mu Jeep. 3/4 and deuce and 1/2 License.  These would be a great benefit later on.  So every day you made formation, did you little job and just hung out. You also checked the big bulletin board for your school results.  When you saw your name in the school listing you were pretty sure your clearance was very close to being approved.  Every one was sweating bullets because if your clearance was not approved you had to go into the regular army.  Something no one wanted to do.  Going to Driving school was really fun.  They had a big area with mud bogs and steep hill and such and we would go out an practice driving.  Sometime we would get stuck but they were ok with it.    I think it was about a week to 10 days long.  One day in the afternoon formation they asked if any one had a Army Driving license.   I raised my hand and they sent me to go see a officer at the school.  It was for a permanent duty(until your clearance came though) to work on the burn detail.  Security was Tight, tight, tight and we burned everything the school threw away.  It was a 7 days a week job but it was pretty easy and you did not have to do anything else.  About 7 every night i went to the Motor pool and checked out a deuce and 1/2(Army guys love to say  Deuce and 1/2 rather than a 2 and 1/2 ton truck.) went to the school.  There a officer would help or just watch me load the truck with all the trash from the ops. center and the school.  The officers  always had a side arm and a M-14 for me with them.  We then went to the incinerator and burned all the stuff,  i always tried ti read the stuff I was burning but I never got much of a chance and what I did see was not very interesting.   After all the stuff was burnd we went down below and I had to open the grates and sweep all the unburned stuff out.  It was pretty hot but I could do it pretty quick so the officers liked that.  I guess it was some sort of duty they had to do.  Most of them were very nice and after they got to know me, they would bring me a sandwich or coffee.  I did that until……YES!!!!!! My Clearance Came though!!!!  School time.  Time to get it on.  I moved to the hill where all the wood barracks were.  Mine was 1651.  My bunk was upstairs near the end.  Big change from basic and the Casual company.  single bunks with the lockers set so there was just a hint of privacy.  Plus  you could have a small night stand and a radio. Life was good.  My first school was only 6 weeks long.  980.0  I am not going to go into much detail about the school because as silly as it sounds, I gave a oath not to disclose the subject matter.  I still honor that today.  One day at the PX they had a couple of Bicycles for sale.  Seems like to me they were about 34 dollars. I bought one and later on two of my friends bought theirs.  We used to ride all over New England on them.  All 3 of us were from the south .Me from Florida, My friend  from Texas and another friend. from Alabama.  We would stop at little cafes and beer joints to eat and rest.  When we ordered they would always say “You guys aint from around here are you?”   No,  We are soldiers from Devans.   Many times they would not take any money or someone would buy us a beer or a hamburger.  I still remember with gratitude their kindness to a group of southern soldiers.   Soon the six week school was over and I went casual again to await my next school.  But this time I stay in 1651 and worked in the company area.  The first Sarge used to be the bookie for the numbers game..  you picked 3 or 4 numbers and then tried to match them with the last number on the New York Stock exchange closing numbers.   The pay off guy was the Coca-Cola route man. I guess really the First sarge worked for him.  Speaking of Money, you could sell or buy Kp.  Guard duty also but you were in BIG trouble if you got caught failing to pull guard duty.  KP still trouble but not so mych.  I used to buy KP. I lived so far away that I never had a chance to go home on 3 day breaks and such.  So I would just stay and work.  Hard work, long hours but remember my basic KP duty taught me how it worked.  I used to get 40 to 45 for a full day or 30 for 1/2 day.  Good money when you only made  around 70 a month. I was a  E-2 by now so make a little more.  76 I think.  If you got to work with the right bunch of guys and a good cook it was not too bad.  Every one wanted to be the DRO(dinning room Orderly)  but I liked Outside man pretty good.  Cups and bowels were not too bad.  Pots and Pans were to avoided at all cost.  Drunk or Mad cook(s) and it would be a long long day.  You checked in for KP at 4am and got off around 7 or 8pm.  The ASA fed us pretty good. I never had many complaints about the food.  It was different from what the regular army had(so they said).  We used to play cars a lot.  Nickle-dime poker with different limits.  very friendly games and no one lost a great amount.  One guy loved to play.  His name was Mangus from out west some where I think he used to play in dessert a lot.  He had some pictures of him on his motorcycle.   He was the worlds worse poker player.  He would up losing more than he had.  So he started a Laundry.  You had to keep sharp starched creases in your uniform at all times.   a real pain in the ass and billfold.  Looking back someone probably had a deal with the Ayer Laundry and someone was getting a kick back.  Anyways Mangus was a mad of his word so he would take uniforms and go wash them at the Laundromat.  They  heated the barracks with steam  so there was boiling hot water to be had.  After he washed them He would get trash cans and mix Argo starch and the boiling water.  Then he would dip the uniforms and hang them out to dry.  Then he would Iron them out.  His work was 2 or 3 times as good as the pros.  His business took off.  People would help him iron and Wash for beer money.  He paid in Mangus Money.  It was legal currency in our area.  He was a damn good guy.  I sure hope he made out ok.  Soon School started again and I was off to study to be a Radio Traffic Analyst. 982  Holy Hell What a mistake!!  The most boring and unrealistic thing I have every encountered  .

Close Call in Chitose

I had a very small apartment and one night after we had been drinking all day we went to my place. It was winter and the place was really cold. Maybe -5 inside when we got there. I had a stove that used granulated coal but it took awhile to get it going. I also had a kerosene heater that worked pretty good so we fired it up. I was pretty drunk, as was everyone else. There were 4 of us. I told the other guys ” Dont leave the heater on if you go to sleep “. I had a single 75 watt light bulb for light. I went to sleep and when I woke up I could barely see the light. WTH? The heater had exploded and was pumping out black, oily smoke. We were all sleeping on the floor and that is the only thing that saved us. I crawled over and opened the door to the outside to let some of the smoke out. I was able to awake on of my friends and we drug the other 2 outside. I really thought they might be dead. We all were black and looked like coal miners. It really messed up the but the others chipped in and helped clean it up. Had to replace all the tatami mats, and I hired some people to finish cleaning it up. We had to go back to the post and it was a week day. We worked shift work so we had the day off. We went to the buss stop to catch the buss and it was full of sargent and officers coming from chitose 1. They asked” What happened to you guys?” I told them that We had a part time time job working in a coal mine. I thought it was pretty funny until a day or so later I had to explain it to the First Sargent. The dumb asses turned us in for working for the japanense with out a permit . LOL

My Job


Here is couple of pictures of the Operations building. At one time I am sure they would have been classified. It may look small now, but it really seemed big back then. Times change. The Army Security Agency worked with the National Security Agency but was supported by the US Army. In some ways we were immune to some of the BS that the regular Army had to endure. But not all of it. Many of our Sargents had re upped into the Agency. To say they were not very smart would not be nice. Let us say they were different. Sometimes they had to do the actions that came with their jobs. Some of their actions were just mean and stupid. There was a big problem in ASA. We worked for the most part National Security Agency. When we were in the Operation building they told us what to do. What reports to send and when to send them. I am not going to talk much about what we did. Working in Operations was not a game. It was damn serious work and was very demanding. No windows, No real break room, no reading material other than official papers and books. I was a Radio Traffic Analyst. Usually there was only one of us on a shift. If your relief was sick or was running late you had to work till some one could relieve you. I took my job very serious. I was not a good solider but I was a damn good TA guy. I worked with a room full of 058(Morse Code) guys. They had to copy what was assigned to them. It was hard work but they were very very serious about what they did. This is a close as I am going to come to talk about Operations. But sometimes you could see history being made. Our unit has the ability to get a message to the white House in less than 15 mins. Not a small feat 50 years ago. When you spend day after day, hour after hour in a fairly small room with 20 or so other people, you really get to know them very well. Not only did we work together, we all lived together. After a year or so you really got to know each other. It was a strange type of bonding for me. You knew who you could trust and who you could not. My fellow workers were the only reason I made it. They helped me when I was sad, wrecked, drunk, Etc. I am not a drama queen, we all had problems and helped each other. Maybe I helped a few others, I dont know, but I hope so. Here is where the real issues start. After 10 to 12 hours in a high pressure environment you finally get off work. I guess it was a mile or two from Ops to the Barracks. We rode buses back forth to work. Well surprise, surprise Someone thinks today is a good day for a room inspection. Most lifers did not work shift work so 8 to 5 was a good time to jack with the troops. Remember you can not say anything about what you have be doing all night. I guess some of them thought we just sat around drinking coffee. It was mostly BS because the house boys took care of that stuff. But you still got bitched at about pocket being unbuttoned, scuffed boots, hair too long any thing trivial. Some of the trick Sargents would stand up for us. But there only a few that did. I worked with a lieutenant He was a damn good guy. He was tough guy but he was fair. He also worked at Ops so he knew what we did. One day when I was getting off work the Lt was just coming to work. He was looking all over his desk looking for something. He saw me and asked ” You getting off work?” Yes sir was my answer. “let me borrow your belt I left mine in the BOQ” Sure thing. I was going to put my field jacket on so you could not see if I had a belt on or not. I gave him my belt and everything was cool. Well Almost. As the day shift crew came in, one E7 Sarge spotted me. This guy really did not like me. I stayed away from him the best I could. He was a real dumb ass and mean as a snake. He noticed I dont have on a belt as I have not put on my jacket because of a last minute issue. He goes crazy. He decides to make a major issue of it. “Shift guys being out of uniform” He is really showing his ass. Red face, arm waving like I have craped on the floor. The LT gets up and everything gets very quiet, they think he is going to join in on busting my ass. He takes off my belt and hands it to me. You have your name printed on the back so every knows if it is your belt or not. He says ” Sorry I will go get mine, I guess it is a big deal” The ass hole Sarge got me later but I dodged it that day. LOL Most of the time I got in trouble was at the end of the Mid night shift. Daylight came and you had a few days off, time to party. Time to get a quick bite to eat, change clothes , go to the EM club get a few drinks and get ready to go down town. If you got off at 7am it did not take much to get a good buzz on by noon. Booze+ Enlisted Soldiers+Money+time off=Trouble. Some guys just could not drink very well. It was pretty funny to watch someone fall out of their chairs or drop their food in the Mess hall. Smart move was get your pass and get the hell off the post quick. Sometimes easier said than done. So there you have it. It was a kind of them versus us. To tell the truth I liked that way.