[IRCA] Some of my Navy radio history, interesting. God I was lucky!

[Charles A & Leonor L Taylor <calltaylor@xxxxxxx>]

EFTO

Lieutenant,

ETN2 at discharge Nov 1972. High-power transmitter experience for VOA 
acquired at NavRadSta T, Tarlac, Philippines. TMC 5 and 40 kW SSB and 
some TMCs 200-kW SSB. "Big Sam" Sierra 600-kW VLF feeding Nord VLF 
flattops, and some backup VLFs which I disremember. Granger Ionospheric 
sounder and all its ills. Most Notable: some old AN/FRT-5 VLF THAT USED 
TUNING FORKS as frequency sources!

Next door was Camp O'Donnell USAF 1961st Comm Squadron and many more HF 
SSB. They talked to "Skyking" USAF Strategic Air Command, for which 
NRS-T sometimes substituted. "Sky King, Sky King; This is Clark. Do not 
reply. Break. 50-word traffic follows." Excellent voice radio procedure 
and a true pleasure to listen to. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN "Looking Glass." 
Time fogs the memory. I wish that I had paid much more attention at the 
time.

Anyway, to continue: A tenant at Camp O'Donnell was US Embassy/US State 
Department Regional Radio Facility (transmitters only).

Some few miles away: Tinang Plant of VOA's Philippines Relay Station. I 
visited this facility only once, never dreaming that I would be a VOA 
transmitter technician years later. VOA's 1,000-kW was many miles away, 
at Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union. Toured there once. My tour guide 
TURNED OUT TO BE MY SUPERVISOR many years later at VOA's Greenville (NC) 
Relay Station. Crapped his britches and I me when we saw each other.

1. Otherwise, Navy Electronics Technician Class "A" School, Great Lakes, 
IL. 1 year
2. USS Hancock CVA-19 1 year in OE (Operations/Electronics)
3. Naval Support Command; Saigon, Vietnam
4. Naval Advisory Group; Saigon, Vietnam. This and above, 1 year
5. Beach Master Unit 1; Coronado, CA
6. Discharge, honorable. Scared because I'd lived in the Iron Womb for 
six years and now had to see my way on my own. Dammit, I DID.

7. Then follows 9 years as "Sand Crab," Navy employee. Electronics 
Technician EXCEPT THREE YEARS ABOARD A Marine Corps Air Station.
    Again managing to compress more experiences than most 20-year retirees.

8. Orders to VOA's Greenville (NC) Relay Station plus an abortive 1 year 
at Delano (CA) Transmitting Station. 16 years
9. Retire because of cancer and back to e. NC

I managed to be in Blue Water, Airdale, Brown Water and Amphibious Navy 
in 6 years. Many 20-year retirees couldn't say the same.

Once again, I have managed to fritter away one hour of my dissipated,  
misguided youth on composing an e-mail. Most will not care and will 
delete upon seeing the subject line and the long-winded, boorish author.

BT

Chuck out.

         
          ------
Charles A & Leonor L Taylor
Greenville, North Carolina


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