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Summer 2015 Volume XIII, Issue 3

AFRMA, Inc/Radomes ’ Quarterly

AD 101: North to Adventure, pt. 1

Associated Press

WASHINGTON, AUG. 14 - The second world war, history's great-est flood of death and destruction, ended tonight with Japan's unconditional surrender.

Formalities still remained—the official signing of surrender terms and a proclamation of V-J Day.

But from the moment President Truman announced at 7 p.m. (EWT) that the enemy of the Pacific had agreed to Allied terms, the world put aside for a time woeful thoughts of the cost in dead and dollars and celebrated in wild frenzy. Formalities meant noth-ing to people freed at last of war.

To reporters crammed into his office, shoving now-useless war maps against a marble mantle, the president disclosed that:

Japan, without ever being invaded, had accepted completely and without reservation an Allied declaration of Potsdam, dictating unconditional surrender.

There is to be no power for the Japanese emperor—although Allies will let him remain their tool. No longer will the warlords reign, through him. Hirohito—or any successor—will take orders from MacArthur.

(From Tokyo just before midnight EWT came a broadcast saying Emperor Hirohito had told the Japanese people by radio that the Allies had begun "to employ a new and most cruel bomb”—the atomic bomb—and that to continue to fight "would lead to the total extinction of human civilization."

(Hirohito said "this is the reason" the Japanese decided to get out of the war.)

Allied forces were forced to "suspend offensive action" every-where.

From now on, only men under 26 will be drafted. Army draft calls will be cut from 80,000 a month to 50,000. r. Truman fore-cast that 5 million to 5.5 million soldiers may be released within 12 to 18 months.

The surrender announcement set in motion a whole chain of events. Among them:

To a Japanese government which once had boasted it would dictate peace terms to the White House, Mr. Truman dispatched orders to "direct prompt cessation of hostilities, tell MacArthur of the effective date, and hour, and send emissaries to the general to arrange formal surrender.

The War Manpower Commission terminated all manpower con-trols.

The Navy piled a $6,000,000,000 cancellation of contracts on top of a previous $1,300,000,000 cut in its shipbuilding program.

Congress was summoned back to work on Sept. 5, more than a month ahead of schedule, to get busy on unemployment com-pensation, surplus property disposal, full employment, govern-ment reorganization and the continuation or abolition of war agencies.

(Continued on page 6)

70 Years Ago: Japan Quits

As related previously in this series and in any of a number of histories of the post-World War II US military, the period imme-diately following VJ Day on 15 August 1945 was dominated by demobilization: fast, effective and sometimes festive de-mobilization. Having played a major role in victory on two fronts, America’s citizen soldiers/airmen/sailors returned to their civilian lives in droves and attempted to

resume some sort of normal existence.

While the services contracted in a substantial fashion, many servicemen would remain on active duty after the war, patrolling the seas, standing garrison duty in Europe and Japan and also keeping an eye on America’s territories, such as Alaska.

On 18 December 1945, Eleventh Air Force – created from Alas-kan Air Force at Elmendorf Field on 5 February 1942 – redesig-nated as Alaskan Air Command. The command inherited a large

number of airfields – some well developed, others basically land-ing strips – and other installations scattered around Alaska and down the Aleutians. The latter included radar sites, equipped with either the SCR-270 (mobile) or SCR-271 (fixed) formerly op-erated by Army signal aircraft warning companies at places like Cape Tanak, Sitka, Cape Winslow, Cape Chiniak, Kodiak, Cape Prominence and Nikolski. Former filter centers were located at Ladd Field, Sitka AAF, Annette Island AAF, Fort Spencer/Nome, Yakutat AAF, Fort Randall AAF (Cold Bay), Naknek AAF, Bethel AAF, Kodiak AAF, Umnak AAF/Fort Glenn, Adak AAF, Amchitka AAF, Juneau AAF, Fort Mears, Attu AAF and Shemya AAB.

In and around the rapid reduction and abandonment of the US’ military positions around the world, some of the service and gov-ernment realized a new, growing threat presented by the Soviet Union, which occupied much of eastern Europe while taking the war to Berlin. As Kenneth Schaffel stated in The Emerging Shield, in February 1946 – barely six months following the end of the war – Chief of the Army Air Forces General Carl Spaatz estab-

(Continued on page 4)

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AFRMA, Inc/Radomes, the Air Force Radar Museum Asso-ciation, is a member-supported non-profit corporation.

Our mission is to preserve the history of the defense of North America from enemy bomber or missile attack during the Cold War period. Memberships are open to U.S. and Canadian citizens, veterans and non-veterans alike.

Headquarters: AFRMA, Inc/Radomes, 9976 Stoudertown Rd., Baltimore, OH 43105.

Newsletter: Echoes, 1225 Dunloe Rd, Manchester, MO 63021

Echoes is the official newsletter of the AFRMA, Inc. Entire contents is copyrighted under U.S. law and all rights are reserved. Echoes is published four times each calendar year (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall). Submissions for possible publication (without monitory compensation) may sent to the editor at the above address. Send electronic submissions to: echoes@radomes.org. Echoes is grateful for all submissions.

Radomes founders: Gene McManus and Tom Page.

Editor: “Ranger Mark” Morgan

Masthead: Warren Carman.

High PRF 7-10 Sept 2015—601

st Tactical Control Association, in

Dayton, OH. Contact Jim Ernst (575)430-3904 jimernst@q.com.

17-20 Sept 2015—49th

FIS Reunion, Sheraton Hartford Ho-tel at Bradley Field. Check our website for the complete reunion weekend schedule: www.49thfightersquadronassociation.com. “Serving Our Country Since 1941.”

19-20 Sept 2015—689

th AC&WS/RADS &

14th MWS Det 2 Mt Hebo AFS Reunion. Saturday banquet at the Tillamook Elks Lodge at 7 PM, BBQ Sunday at the Elks Campground, about 3 miles south of Tilla-

mook. Welcome letter and registration form will go out to all we have contact with; please verify your contact information with Howard Jeffrey, jeff3rd@msn.com (503)842-2910 or Ron Watson, ron216@hotmail.com (541)992-3575.

1-4 Oct 2015—GEEIA-MDA-EI Reunion, in Oklahoma City. For more information contact Darrell Getchell (405)732-8789 g_getchell@cox.net.

Constant Bearing 7-11 Oct 2015—F-106 Delta Dart All Troops Reunion, in Colorado Springs. Contact Bob Kwiecinski (772)571-6056 bob-ski9933@aol.com.

10-12 Oct 2015—602nd TCS/Germany reunion, in Nashville, final details getting worked out. In the meantime, contact John “Mac” McNamara (919)820-1996 or join us on FaceBook for de-tails: www.facebook.com/groups/602nd/. Web page at http://602tcs.jwmac.net/.

15-18 Oct 2015—26th

Sampson AF-B/3650

th MTW Reunion, all basic training

students and permanent part. In Clifton/Totowa, NJ, at the Holiday Inn. Join us for the activities, hospitality and memorabilia as well as a closing dinner/dance on Sunday the 18th. Contact Walt Steesy (607)532-4202.

19-21 Oct 2015—12th

Annual Makah AFS/758th AC&WS/RADS Reunion, at the

Quality Inn, Mt Pleasant, SC. King suites rate $103.99, double queen suites at $99.99, includes breakfast. The meeting room is ours after 3 PM on the 19th at no charge, including the kitchenette so we can bring food and beverages as needed. Call to make reservations (843)856-8817, mention the 758th, cut-off for the reunion room rates is 18 September. Any questions, call Barry Metzger at (904)230-8757 or email metzgerb@bellsouth.net.

23-27 May 2016—Reunion of AEW&C, Batcats, AWACs and Willy Victors, in Savannah, GA. Welcome buffet planned

for Tuesday evening with a banquet Thursday night. Contact Kerry Keehn at kikeehn@icloud.com or kikeehn@yahoo.com.

24-25 Jun 2016—664th

AC&WS/RADS, Bellefontaine AFS, OH. Open to radar station veterans worldwide, for infor-mation contact Robert Walker at rwalker@ohiohipoint.com.

2018—693rd

RADS, Dauphin Island AFS, AL. Long-lead planning underway, for information or to contribute, contact David Graves (251)861-8106 cell (251)391-8106 or djontheis-land@gmail.com.

Search Mode 766

th AC&WS/RADS, Caswell AFS, ME,

1961-1965—Anyone interested in holding a reunion for those years, either in Las Vegas or in the Limestone, ME, area, contact John Bi-aleck at johnnybosox@aol.com.

Reunions and Upcoming Events

All Reunions/Events: Generally all previously assigned or currently assigned military/civilian personnel or members are invited. Check with appropriate contact person (or visit their web site) concerning spouses/dependents, latest updates and other details. Data is subject to change without notice.

All Units Not Listed—check with these on-line sources:

www.radomes.org

www.military.com/Resources/ReunionList/

http://www.trea.org/US-Air-Force.html

http://www.hqafsa.org/reunions.html

www.legion.org/reunions/airforce

www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/upcoming/militaryreunions.aspx

www.realwarphotos.com/reunions_-_air_force

Reunions and Coming Events

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Which site is this?

NAS Fallon, NV (SM-156/Z-156)

Fallon AFS, home to the 858th

AC&W Squadron/Radar Squad-ron, first began manual AC&W radar operations at a site near the south central part of the NAS, with an AN/MPS-7 (mobile AN/FPS-3) search radar and an AN/MPS-14 (mobile AN/FPS-6) height-finder radar. The SAGE radar site was sited in the south-west corner of the NAS with an AN/FPS-35 FD search radar and AN/FPS-6 & AN/MPS-14 height-finder radars.

The FAA still operates the AN/FPS-66A (now CARSR) search radar today on the former AN/FPS-35 radar tower. Also, SAGE BUIC-III programming training was held at Fallon AFS until the 858

th Air Defense Group/Radar Squadron was deactivated in

June 1975, at which time the programming school was relocated to the BUIC-III facility at the 678

th ADGp, Tyndall AFB, FL.

As for the naval air station, for decades it hosted carrier air wing weapons deployments (the editor’s squadron, VA-52, did a weps det at KNFL in July 1976 as part of CVW-11). It’s now best known as the home of the Naval Strike & Air Warfare Cen-ter (NSAWC), aka “Strike U.” The command incorporates the Naval Fighter Weapons School—”Top Gun”—and the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School—”Top Dome”—both of which moved up from NAS Miramar when that station trans-ferred to the Marines. NSAWC also hosts the Navy Rotary Wing Weapons School and Airborne Attack Weapons School.

AFRMA/NADRM UPDATE

Ed note: Lowell “Woody” Woodworth, founder, webmaster and chief mover and shaker of the USAF Radar Station Veterans web group on Yahoo (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/USAFRadarSitesVeterans/info), recently posted the following. We thought it appropriate to present his comments.

The past few months, I've been thinking about the eventual opening of NADRM and truly believe if a large percentage of us don't get behind the effort, there's a good possibility (from the way I'm reading things) it's going to be a much longer and drawn out program than any of us imagined.

That said, since I paid up my lifetime membership last year; I've been considering a $20 per month contribution through the pay pal shown in AFRMA/NADRM website. I'm thinking this is the least we can do to assist in perpetuation of the memory for the radar stations that existed around the world, back in the day. Most of us are from "back in the day" and our service at these stations is part of our life legacy, which we need to have wit-nessed someway for those we leave behind, so they'll have knowledge of our sacrifice to our country in keeping world peace.

But, me being me, I don't really like giving my bank information out for things like pay pal. Lots of thought and it came to me ear-lier today that I should simply write one check a year for $240 (or maybe round it up to $250 or $300) and mail it off to Gene for deposit in the NADRM account. By doing this I don't have to wor-ry about my bank info being out there, for some hacker, etc.

There is another reason for our getting behind the museum. Lately it came to my attention that when the museum makes ap-

plications for grants, or when they are talking corporations with requests for donations, one of the first things asked; how many members do you have and how many are behind the effort with active donations (maybe not exactly asked this way, but from what I understand, this is something they look at, etc.).

With my commitment, as outlined above, I am asking that ALL OF YOU who aren't already contributing, to think about it and for what it's worth I'll appreciate if you'll consider the way you might feel most comfortable as well as how much you can easily afford to contribute; then take the initiative (asap, don't put it off) to put your plan in action.

Thanks everyone!

Lowell Woodworth Fairborn OH USAF 57-60 Radar Operator

Museum SitRep

Our tower is in need of major rehab to be able to open. Our original plans (done 6-7 years ago) for the whole shebang was way out of our reach at an estimated $3M. We've since decided to rehab a portion, the lower level so that we can get a small mu-seum open. We're currently getting the roof & drains, along with the storm sewers cleaned & rebuilt as necessary, and the tower painted at an actual cost of some $16,000, which will take most of our existing funds. The cost to seal, heat, get water and finish the first floor only is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $100,000. This would get us an approx. 2500 sq. ft. one-floor beginning. We haven't formalized a budget for this yet, but I think it's a fairly good estimate. We need to get some outside help with the archi-tectural plans & a contractor involved as well. We have some local help on this that I think we can tap for cheap or free.

We've got a summer "wish list" which we're currently working from. Since we put this strawman list together, we found that we needed to get the roof repairs done before we could consider getting the antenna to the roof. This roof sealing led to a couple of other things, like getting the downspouts repaired and the storm drains able to handle the water, as well as the tower paint-ing have caused the order to move around some. The roof seal-ing guy is also the painter, so while he had his equipment on site doing other painting of Ohio Hi-Point buildings, we had him do the tower as well. So The "to-do" list items all have to be addressed, hopefully yet this summer, but the order has been scrambled be-cause of the order of exterior repairs needed.

We have a long way to go, and we'll do as much as our small work force and available funds will take us. We are all volunteer, with no paid staff, but we have to hire a good deal of the work done which we're unable to do ourselves – for example, the paint-ing of the tower which should be about complete now. Photos of this are on the USRSV Facebook pages, and the NADRM Face-book pages. You'll see why we need to hire this done and it's not

practical for a small crew of 75 year-olds to undertake the job. That's kind of a nutshell, hope it helps you decide to support us. In the meantime, once again, the details: The Air Force Radar Museum Association, Inc. is an Ohio-based, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation whose sole purpose is the support and funding of the National Air Defense Radar Museum, which is be-ing built on the grounds of the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, the former 664th AC&W/Radar Squadron. in Bellefontaine, Ohio.

(Continued on page 8)

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lished a priority for the development of air defenses in “…the are-as essential to the security of the polar approaches,” ie, Alaska and the North Atlantic. It made sense; the Soviets were reverse-engineering a copy of the B-29, designated the Tu-4 Bull (the aircraft made its public debut in 1947, much to the west’s sur-prise). The Polar approaches, particularly through Alaska, consti-tuted the shortest route for enemy bombers to get to North Ameri-ca.

The joint Army-Navy Hoge Board – named for Major General William G. Hoge, combat engineer and commanding general of the Engineer Center at Fort Belvoir – convened in March 1946 specifically to study the defense of Alaska and make recommen-dations. The panel wound up recommending a total of 36 radar sites, albeit maintained in a standby mode until needed. Accord-ing to longtime Alaskan Air Command John Haile Cloe, the rec-ommendation marked a rather substantial increase over what was readily available immediately postwar. The Army had only three radar sites in operation, at Elmendorf Field, Anchorage; Ladd Field, Fairbanks; and Davis Field, Adak. The remainder of the wartime sites were abandoned, remote, generally inaccessible and rotting into the ground.

Still, in around the studies and recommendations, Alaskan Air Command started moving forward with the establishment of some form of air defense network. On 15 August 1946, the command activated the 626th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron at She-mya AAB, formed through the inactivation of the 713th Signal Air-craft Warning Company. The next step involved putting the squadron in a position to start operations; initial activities included sending teams out to the WWII-era radar sites to scavenge any-thing even remotely useful.

In early September, one officer and nine enlisted men flew to Attu to check out a former radar site. They found most of the facility ransacked and generally trashed, but managed to collect some equipment for shipment to Shemya. However, they left behind some electronic equipment including a DF mobile unit.

On 14 September, a party led by 1Lt Bartlett headed out to Agattu for the purpose of establishing a radar detachment. The next day, personnel back at Shemya loaded two Caterpillers and a trailer of equipment onboard LCT-1634; after delivering the gear to the det, the vessel returned to Shemya. On the fourth day, the men ran short of food so they started consuming stored C and K rations found in one of the huts. On day six, a C-45 dropped a small radio; the men requested more food, which was delivered by a Navy PBY the next day.

The 626th AC&WS history from the period described what hap-pened next:

23 Sept 46 –…the LCT returned to pick up the men and the crated equipment. Upon attempting the landing, the LCT was thrown on the rocks by the rough water, which rather incapacitated it. At noon of the 24th, another LCT made a successful landing, but due to the high sea that was running, the skipper decided to load only a Caterpil-lar tractor. When only four or five miles off shore, fate, rust and a heavy sea decided to remove the ramp from the LCT. The LCT was forced to heave to and contact the geodetic survey yacht Explorer. The Explorer res-cued all hands (minus luggage). A tugboat arrived and towed the stricken LCT into a cove. Then the Explorer returned to Attu, arriving there at 1100 on the 25th. The party was then picked up by a B-17 and returned to She-mya.

Apparently, re-establishing a radar network in Alaska – and in particular, along the Aleutians – was going to prove, well, “sporting.” On 16 August 1946, Alaskan Air Command activated its second AC&WS, the 625th, at Davis Field. Roughly six weeks

North to Adventure (Continued from page 1) later, AAC stood up the Aleutian and Yukon Sectors at Adak AAF and Ladd Field, respectively. The Aleutian Sector commander was specifically charged with closing out a number of excess Army Air Forces installations along the island chain, including Amchitka AAF, Cape Field on Umnak Island and Thornbrough Field, Cold Bay.

On 27 March 1947, the com-mander of the 625th left Adak for a trip to She-mya, where he’d assume command of the 625th’s detach-ment. Work at that site pro-gressed slowly; the SCR-588 GCI radar was inoperative and only the RC-188 and RC-350 interroga-tors were fully functioning. On the plus side, some 76 boxes of equipment ar-rived at Attu, containing AN/TPS-1 and TPS-10 radar sets (some assembly required). On the down side, Alaskan Air Command subsequently decided not to install the TPSs, preferring some-thing heavier “…like the CPS-4 and -5.” Again, from the 626th AC&WS history for the period,

As Shemya is going to be closed down except for a detachment of about a hundred men and this brought about a lot of changes in our plans..the TPS equipment at Attu has been shipped to Adak where the 625th will operate it and that squadron will be the headquarters for fighter control on the Chain and the 626th will have the Mainland fighter control units.

The 626th officially made the move from Shemya to Ladd Field on 29 April 1947, turning over radar operations on the remote island to a detachment of the 625th. Assigned to Yukon Sector, the 626th’s mission included operation of a headquarters at Ladd; establishment of a basic radar school at the base using four AN/CPS-5s, a TPS-10 and TPS-1; establishment and operation of a radar det at adjacent Fort Richardson; establishment and opera-tion of a fighter control center at Ladd Field using a CPS-4 and CPS-5, to be operational no later than 1 September; and installa-tion of an SCR-584 for use in conjunction with a bombing range at Ladd Field.

The fighter control center would work with the 57th FIG, the only fighter group stationed in Alaska at the time. Assigned to Ninth Air Force in North Africa and Italy during World War II, the 57th had reactivated on 15 August 1946 at Shemya with the 64th, 65th and 66th Fighter Squadrons flying P-38s (they’d almost im-mediately transitioned to P-51Hs) The group moved to Elmen-dorf Field in May 1947.

The big news was this: AAC directed the 626th AC&WS to have a TPS-10 and CPS-5 in operation by 15 July 1947 and then start plans for expansion to prospective new sites at Tanana, Summit, Big Delta and Fort Yukon. One TPS-1 would be used “…to find the permanent echoes in these areas and then plans can be made as to where radar sites at these points are possi-ble.”

First things first: getting adequate facilities at Ladd Field, which proved problematic. According to the squadron history, “the squadron is now located at the old Slater Camp on the outskirts of the city of Fairbanks. It is an ideal location for setting up

Famous photo of 11th Fighter Squadron P-38s beat-ing up Shemya AAF, 1 August 1945. Like Thule, the island remains legendary for its remoteness and weather (US Air Force photo)

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housekeeping and our proposed school, but the large radar sets will have to be set up on Birch Hill” (as an aside, Birch Hill is now a family housing site).

On 1 May 1947, the squadron established Det 1 at Fort Rich-ardson, although the first personnel didn’t arrive until 5 June. On 16 June, the 626th received assigned housing facilities, roughly three miles from the fort in area occupied by B/75th Coast Artillery during the war. The squadron reported the assigned housing and access as “inadequate.” However, preparations continued. In mid-September, the Fort Richardson post engineer moved two

Quonset huts to the operations site for use by the detachment. Subsequently, the squadron got the CPS-4 tower up and placed the CPS-5 in operation; it tracked its first targets on 25 Oc-tober, the same day the AN/CPX-2 IFF set went into operations. On 24 December 1947, at 0900L, Det 1 commenced 24-hour operations for an exer-cise, per the direction

of the commanding general of Alaskan Air Command. The de-tachment also managed to get radio communication going with the 625th AC&WS at Davis Field, Adak, another 626th det at Marks Field, Nome, and the squadron headquarters next door at Ladd Field.

Not a bad way to end the year; the squadron’s personnel had accomplished quite a bit following its move inland, although the history noted, “…the fact that this unit is pitifully undermanned and incapable of effectively performing its mission cannot be kept secret from the assigned personnel, nor ca that fact serve to raise their morale in any way.”

Backing up a bit, on 1 July 1947 AAC inactivated the Aleutian Sector, leaving the Yukon Sector as the sole air defense com-mand in Alaska. The aerial defenses consisted of the 626th’s op-erations at Ladd Field, Fort Richardson and Marks Field; the 625th AC&WS’s ops at Davis Field and Shemya; and the 57th FIG, still flying Mustangs out of Elmendorf (although an upgrade to F-80s would come in 1948).

While the radar/C2 network slowly grew in the Territory of Alas-ka, Air Defense Command continued its own efforts down in the states. In April 1947 the Air Defense Long Term Plan, developed by Maj Gen George Stratemeyer’s Chief of Staff, Col John B. Carey, went to the Air Staff. No surprise, it stated the Soviet Un-ion was and would remain the chief threat to the United States; Carey’s staff also stated that by 1955, the Soviets would probably have enough long-range bombers to threaten the US. While the plan focused on building an air defense network in the states, it also stated a requirement for enough additional forces to emplace a defensive arc from Alaska across far north Canada and Green-land to Iceland (interestingly enough, the plan also called for a sea-based extension of the continental air defense radar system). However, the emphasis remained the same: build up air defense networks as quickly as possible in the northeast, northwest and northern New Mexico.

Also in 1947, a separate panel headed by Lt Col H.J. Crumley did a series of site surveys around the Territory of Alaska. The panel recommended a total of 13 new radar sites. Late in the year, the Air Force’s Supremacy plan – designed to get more and better radars into the field quickly – called for 37 sites. With the DoD budget still in postwar decline, this was reduced to a recom-mendation for 10 radar sites and two air defense control centers.

Alaskan Air Command moved forward with its site surveys, look-ing at possible locations in the vicinities of Fort Yukon, Galena and Beaver. Their construction would in effect put a radar fence across the north-central part of the state along the Yukon River.

On 25 March 1948, “The Order” came in from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Carl Spaatz, directing Air Defense Command to sus-pend shutting-down radar and C2 sites in the US and instead re-man/re-equip older facilities while looking for new ones. Alaskan Air Command received a directive to place its existing sites, per-sonnel and equipment on a “continuously operating basis” by 4 April. General Spaatz issued the order in response to intelligence indications and reports by the Central Intelligence Agency and field commanders of heightened activity of unknown purpose by the Soviets.

In April, AAC redesignated HQ Yukon Sector as HQ Yukon Air Division. On the 10th of the month, the Air Defense Control Cen-ter (ADCC) at Ladd Field became fully operational.

And here’s where it got interesting…On 1 June, the 626th AC&WS – which provided roughly half of Alaskan Air Command’s surveillance and GCI capabilities – moved without personnel or equipment (WOPE) to McChord AFB for assignment to the soon-to-be-activated (on 21 June) 531st Aircraft Control & Warning Group. The 625th filled in, forming Det A at Ladd AFB and Det B at Davis AFB (that squadron’s history also identified “Team 6,” which operated a radar site at Clear equipped with an AN/CPS-5, TPS-10, RC-350 IFF interrogator and a vertical plotting board).

On 10 June 1948, AAC inactivated the Yukon Air Division. Three weeks later, on 1 July, the 625th AC&WS formally trans-ferred from Davis to Elmendorf and continued operations as the lead air defense organization in Alaska.

As for the 626th, it did re-man at McChord AFB, came under assignment to the 531st Aircraft Control & Warning Group and was in turn attached to McChord’s 505th AC&WG, which was set-ting up the air defense network for the northwestern corner of the United States. However, instead of remaining with the 531st and returning to Alaska, the 626th AC&WS inactivated on 1 May 1949. The squadron’s final history reported,

One Air Force unit that was so short-lived that it never fully completed its training mission. It had just began to get its operating policies into a smooth form and to get established as an operating unit on McChord AF Base, with its personnel detached to other AC&W units for training when orders came from Fourth Air Force deac-tivating the unit as a whole. All personnel were trans-ferred to the 505th Aircraft Control and Warning Group for reassignment by Fourth AF.

Planning for upgrades to the Alaskan air defense network con-tinued. After assuming command of ADC in November 1948, Maj Gen Gordon Saville had pushed for inclusion of $116 million in the fiscal 1949 and 1950 budgets for the construction of 75 radar stations and 10 control centers in the United States, with an addi-tional 10 stations and 1 control center in the Territory of Alaska.

On 1 April 1949, the 625th closed out Det B’s operations at Da-vis AFB. The Air Force moved forward with plans to inactivate the base and, on 1 July 1950, it passed to the US Navy as NAS Adak.

On 4 May 1949, the 632nd AC&WS at McChord – activated on 21 Jun 1948 along with the 531st AC&WG – received notification of its planned transfer to Elmendorf; before the end of the month, the squadron got word it would instead go to Ladd AFB. The 632nd’s advanced party arrived at Ladd on 7 June and, on 24 June, assumed responsibility for operations of the AN/TPS-1B and CPS-5-equipped radar site at the base from the 625th.

(Continued on page 6)

Another garden spot: the radar site at Marks Field, Nome, January 1949 (US Air Force photo)

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The Office of Censorship said it was getting ready to fold up. News, radio, and mail censorship are due to end on V-J Day.

Director Elmer Davis declared the life of the Office of War Infor-mation "soon will be over."

A War Production Board official predicted that agency would go out of business once industry is on a solid footing.

Those were developments which on any other night would have commanded smash headlines. Those developments and surren-der capped a week packed with some of history's most stunning news:

The first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Russia's declaration of war, another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan's offer to surrender if she could have her emperor and his sovereign prerogatives, an Allied declaration that he would become merely their instrument.

Surrender followed—at an instant when carrier planes of the mighty Pacific fleet were a few seconds from their targets in the Tokyo area. Pilots eager for a last lick at a weakening foe were reported to have gotten this word from Adm. William F. Halsey, who wants to ride Hirohito's white horse through Tokyo streets:

"It looks like the war is over. Cease fighting, but if you see any enemy planes in the air shoot them down in friendly fashion."

So tonight there was reason for rejoicing. A war-wracked world made the most of it. Three times President Truman had to come out on the White House porch to greet the tremendous crowds - 75,000 people by official—who jammed the streets and parks around the executive mansion.

They jammed so tightly against the iron fence around the White House grounds it looked as if they were coming right on through, despite military police stationed at four foot intervals.

The chief executive spent half an hour dining with his staff. For him there was no personal celebrating, even with close friends.

For days, the national capital had taken surrender reports with complete calm and a generous portion of salt. A t 7 p.m., not a minute before or a minute earlier, it gave way to utter abandon.

Japan Quits (Continued from page 1)

But across the Potomac in the Pentagon building, nerve center of the Army's winning war, there wasn't any jubilation. T here was no one left except a couple of bored public relations officers answer-ing phones.

As the great news became known, hundreds of Washingtonians raced to the White House to join hundreds already massed around the grounds.

Mr. Truman, accompanied by his wife, walked out on the porch and stepped up to a hastily erected microphone. He waved and smiled. Then he spoke:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the great day. This is the day we have been looking for since Dec. 7, 1941.

"This is the day when fascism and police government ceases in the world.

"This is the day for the democracies.

"This is the day when we can start up our real task of implementa-tion of free government in the world.

"We are faced with the greatest task we ever have been faced with. The emergency is as great as it was on Dec. 7, 1941.

"It is going to take the help of all of us to do it. I know we are go-ing to do it."

For millions of Americans, for hundreds of millions of Allied peo-ple, his surrender announcement signified victory, peace and the eventual return of loved ones from war. To millions who sleep beneath stark white crosses, it meant their sacrifices had not been vain.

Postscript: Less than a year later, on 5 March 1946, former English Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave his famous speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, where he described “the iron curtain” that was falling across Europe. Two years after that, in March 1948 and with tensions rising, the Air Force or-dered the Air Force’s thin air defense network into 24-hour opera-tions.

The 531st AC&WG and 632nd AC&WS arrived at Elmendorf AFB on 13 July 1949. According to the 625th’s history, effective 16 July, the squadron at Fort Richardson operated the following de-tachments:

Det C-1 Naknek AFB

Det C-2 (unassigned)

Det C-3 Gambel Point, St Lawrence Island

Det C-4 (unassigned)

Det C-5 Elmendorf AFB/531st AC&WG ADDC

Det C-6 Elmendorf AFB/HQ ACC ADCC

Another docu-ment identified C-3 on St Lawrence as a lightweight search radar (a TPS-1B) placed on Sevukok Hill, “…in order to provide surface sur-veillance of the southeast Chukot-sky area and to aug-

North to Adventure (Continued from page 5) ment the present Aircraft Control and Warning System.” The pri-mary areas of interest were the approaches to the port of Provi-denya; the Bering Straits area; aircraft operating in the Providence Bay area; and aircraft and surface traffic in the vicinity of Chap-lina, Mechigmen and Lavrentia.

Another source identified operating radars at Clear, Galena and Nome, presumably assigned to the 632nd AC&WS.

In 1950, this smallish radar and command and control system would start growing substantially, with an infusion of more person-nel, radars, aircraft and other equipment. Like in the United States, a dustup on the Korean Peninsula in late June 1950 would substantially speed up the process.

Sources: Command histories (declassified), 25th Air Division (Defense), 531st Aircraft Control & Warning Group, 142nd AC&WS, 143

rd AC&WS, 625

th AC&WS, 626

th AC&WS; Kenneth Schaffel,

The Emerging Shield: the Air Force and the Evolution of Continen-tal Air Defense, 1945-1960 (Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1991); Jack Miller, The Peacekeepers (Las Vegas: Houdi-ni Publishing, 2012); John Haile Cloe, Top Cover For America (Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, 1984); 25th Air Division command histories (declassified), 1947-1948; Ron Dalby, ed., Top Cover & Global Engagement: A History of Eleventh Air Force (Anchorage: Alaska Quality Publishing, n.d.).

Det C-5 area, 1952. Photo via Radomes.

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Site Updates

Northeast Cape AFS (F-9)

MSgt Ron Plante, ILANG(Ret), turned up an article in The New York Times concerning efforts to clean up former military sites in Alaska. The lead paragraph in the story (Kirk Johnson, “Cleaning Up a Legacy of Pollution on an Alaskan Island,” 3 August 2015), tells the tale:

ST. LAWRENCE IS-LAND, Alaska — America’s Far North cherishes its image of wild purity in a landscape so vast it can sometimes seem barely touched by people. But the roughly 600 mili-tary installations across Alaska — some dating from World War II, others built during the Cold War — tell a different story, in polluted sites that were never fully cleaned up, and in the related health problems that have lingered and festered.

The article specifically identified Northeast Cape AFS (F-9)which, per ADRMA/Radomes Historian Tom Page, was manned by the 712th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron from approxi-mately April 1953 to late 1969. According to the article, the 4800-acre radar site “…bristled with electrical components containing polychlorinated biphenyls, better known as PCBS, that were linked to cancer and banned in many streams…PCB levels in residents are multiple times higher than in most other places in the nation.”

The authors stated the US Army Corps of Engineers has spent more than $110 million in cleaning up Northeast Cape over the past few years. Otherwise, the majority of the covers efforts by scientists and Alaskan natives to locate and identify the pollu-tants, determine their effects and mitigate the damage.

The full-length article with imbedded videos is available at www.nytimes.com/2015/08/04/us/native-alaskans-study-and-clean-up-a-legacy-of-pollution.html?_r=2. As for the photo of North Cape’s White Alice troposcatter communications antennas, AFRMA/Radomes Historian Tom Page noted they were physically located at the base of the mountain near the cantonment area.

Almaden AFS (M-96/Z-96)

Efforts to preserve the AN/FPS-24 tower at the former Almaden AFS – the last remaining major structure on top of Mount Umunhum – continue. Fortunately, it continues to receive posi-tive press, including an early July article by Lorraine Gabbert in The Almaden Times, “Umunhum Conservancy strives to save landmark radar tower.”

The article, which includes a photo of Mt Umunhum Conservan-cy Board members Basim Jaber, Kitty Monahan and Sam Drake, gets off to an interesting start:

The white radar tower stands guard atop Mount Umunhum. Its long-range antenna sail searches the skies for incoming hostile aircraft, protecting citizens from harm. During the Cold War, from 1958 to 1990, all eyes and ears turned towards the white sentinel on the hill, and it has remained a focal point of the Silicon Valley skyline ever since.

The Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District (MidPen) still plans on demolishing the tower in October 2017; to date, the con-servancy’s only raised about 20 percent of the required $1.5 mil-lion. According to Mike Drake,

We would’ve loved to save more buildings, but MidPen is about open space. As a matter of policy, MidPen doesn’t spend money on historic preservation and buildings. If they buy a ranch with a historic ranch house, they find a partner to preserve the ranch house. They’re applying the same thing here. Ninety-five percent of the summit has been returned to open space as a beautiful, natural experi-ence. So saving one building seems like a fair compro-mise. The tower is one of the few remaining tangible arti-facts of the period of the Cold War.

The Conservancy still needs donations; if you wish to pitch in, go to www.umunhum.net. If you have any questions, contact umunhum.conservancy@gmail.com.

End of the FPS radars…

According to Doug Klauck – manager of the National Operations Group with the Federal Aviation Administration – in an April email to Radomes Historian Tom Page, the FAA recently completed conversion of the last surviving, operational FPS radars to CARSR, the solid-state Common Air Route Surveillance Radar.

At the time of his email, seven ARSR-1s, -2s and -3s still re-quired conversion. He noted the surviving ARSR-3s were at Ke-nai, Alaska; Kirksville, Missouri (the former P-64/Z-64, 790th RADS); and Lincolnton, Georgia. The latter two were scheduled for CARSR conversion in late April, with Kenai scheduled for July.

The remaining FPS sites in Guam and Hawaii converted to ARSR-4s prior to the initiation of the CARSR project. The two FAA FPS sits in Puerto Rico, at Punta Borinquen and Pico del Este, converted in 2013. Tom Page noted the Puntas Salinas, Puerto Rico, site converted to an AN/FPS-117 relocated from Point Lay, Alaska, instead of CARSR while Kokee AFS, Kauai, Hawaii, received the FPS-117 formerly at Galena Airport, Alaska. Both sites were maintained and operated by Air National Guard units, the 141st Air Control Squadrons and 150th Aircraft Control & Warning Flight, respectively.

Tom added, “The AN/FPS-117 radars are 3D phased-array ra-dars, with a special type of antenna, already use all solid-state electronics, and are owned entirely by the Air Force or Air National Guard. The FAA has no involvement in that flavor of radar.”

“The ARSR-4 is also 3D, though employing stacked-beam tech-nology instead of phased-array technology. The ARSR-4 likewise has a special type of antenna, and already uses all solid-state electronics. Thus, the ARSR-4 is not applicable to the CARSR upgrade.”

Finally, in an August update, Mr Klauck provided additional information. The last FAA ARSR-3 at Kenai was replaced as scheduled, leaving only two ARSR-2s, at Rock Springs, Wyoming, and Gallup, New Mexico. As he put it, with the removal of the ARSR-3 from history, it had joined “…the FPS and ARSR-1 as a piece of history.”

Photo: Jim Wilson/New York Times

The Gallup ARSR-2. Photo: Tom Page/Radomes

8

Radomes Obituaries

Jim R. “Tee Nam” At-water – Passed in Fern-dale, Washington, on 12 June 2015, age 72. Born in Emily, MN, on 7 August 1942, he joined the Air Force in 1961 and subsequently served two tours in

Thailand with the 621st Tactical Control Squadron, two

tours in Vietnam and with the 902nd

RADS, Miles City AFS, Montana; 637

th RADS, Othello AFS, Washington; 787

th

RADS, Chandler AFS, Minnesota; and 757th RADS, Blaine

AFS, Washington. He retired from the Air Force in 1981 at Luke AFB following an assignment with the 607

th Tactical

Control Squadron and retired a second time from Texaco in 1998. Notably, in retirement, he volunteered at Camp Horizon in Birch Bay, Washington, the former Blaine AFS, maintaining the station’s old two-lane bowling alley. Jim is survived by his wife of 43 years, Sheila, daughter Cheryl and three grandchildren. Said one friend, “He was the most knowledgeable person in the FPS-24 tower. Any major malfunction, he was there to fix the problem day or night. Another patriot gone to his reward.”

Col William C. Brookbank – Passed in Syracuse, New York, on 12 August, age 94. Colonel Brookbank saw com-bat in North Africa and the Mediterranean theater during World War II, flying P-40s and P-47s with the 317

th Fighter

Squadron/325th Fighter Group, the famous “Checkertail

Clan.” After his recall to active duty in March 1948, he ini-tially flew transports including service during the Korean War, followed by an exchange tour with the Royal Canadi-an Air Force and an assignment in Korea. He subsequent-ly commanded the 810th RADS (SAGE), Winston-Salem AFS, North Carolina; 701st RADS(SAGE), Fort Fisher AFS, North Carolina; served as Deputy Director of Air De-fense, NATO Air Forces-South, in Rome, Italy; Director of Air Operations, Monkey Mountain, RVN; and commanded the 817th Air Defense Group, Kingsley Field/Keno AFS, Oregon. Col Brookbank's bride of 62 years, Helen, passed in 2010; he is survived by two daughters, five grandchil-dren and six great-grandchildren. He was interred with full

military honors at Greenlawn Cemetery, Warners, New York.

Maj William “Bill” John Hubbard – Passed on 21 June 2015 in Lakewood, Washington, age 74. Born in Bremer-ton, Washington, he joined the Air Force at McChord with an initial assignment at Bitburg AB, Germany, where he met his wife Joan. He did his final tour at McChord with the 25

th Air Division prior to retiring, followed by a second ca-

reer in the insurance business in Tillicum, Washington. He is survived by Joan, sons Christopher, Stephen, Bryant and Riley and daughter Catherine.

Glen Kimble – Passed on 21 August 2015, in Wright City, Missouri, age 81. A radar maintenance technician, his as-signments included a tour in one of the Texas Towers. He is survived by his wife Eloise, five children, six grandchil-dren and four great-grandchildren. He was interred with full military honors in the Corning Cemetery, Corning, Ar-kansas.

Robert M. “Old Bob” Walker – Passed in Barberton, Ohio, 2 July 2015, age 73. Born in St Albans, West Virgin-ia, on 25 May 1942, he served in both the US Air Force and US Navy, including a tour in Vietnam. He was interred with military honors at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman. Bob is survived by his bride of 50 years, Martha, sons Robert and Michael, three grandchil-dren and one great-grandchild.

Dallas F. Williams – Passed in at the Illinois Veterans Home, LaSalle, on 16 August 2015, age 83. He initially served at Hamilton AFB, followed by assignment to Air Force intelligence school at Lowry AFB, Colorado, and a subsequent tour in Korea. Following another assignment at Hamilton, Dallas transferred to the 777th AC&WS, Kla-math AFS. Post-enlistment, he was a sergeant with the Arcata Police Department, professor at Humboldt State University and real estate broker. He is survived by his wife Donna, sons Mitchel and Michael, stepson Monte, stepdaughter Dayna, and three grandchildren. He was interred with full military honors at the Fairview Park Ceme-tery, DeKalb, Illinois.

The museum will be housed in the former AN/FPS-26 tower, which is long-term leased from the OHPCC. We have a large liability insurance policy in hand, and our 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt status is now a reality. We are beginning our Capital Campaign to contact potential major donors for the construction and operation of the museum. We have a long way to go yet, but we're getting there.

Thanks very much for your support! Your donation in any amount will help us to reach our goals. For a donation by check, please make it payable to "AFRMA" and mail to:

Gene McManus c/o AFRMA, Inc. 9976 Stoudertown Rd. Baltimore, OH

NADRM Update (Continued from page 3)

9

"The missions at each one of those installations is a little bit differ-ent," Bartlow said. "Eareckson Air Station serves as an airfield, but also has a Cobra Dane radar system, which is essentially a space-tracking asset that supports Air Force Space Command and the Missile Defense Agency."

Much like an air base wing would support its squadrons, the PRSC does the same with its three squadrons and one detach-ment, Bartlow said.

However, the difference is that the PRSC is a tenant unit, which means that they do not have their own base and infrastructure. For that, the PRSC relies on the 673rd Air Base Wing and 3rd Wing for transportation to and from their sites. It is this support from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson units that enables the PRSC to ensure unauthorized aircraft do not come into U.S. air-space.

The long-range radar sites are primarily run by contracted em-ployees, with the maintenance being contracted as well. These contracts are accomplished through a partnership. The 766th Specialized Contracting Squadron handles the larger contracts and the 673rd Contracting Squadron provides construction and commodity contracts.

Because of its unique facilities and mission, the PRSC offers op-portunities base Airmen may not normally have, Bartlow said.

Airman 1st Class Joshua Quap, a 673rd CS contracting specialist, became one of those few when he flew up to Indian Mountain to perform a final inspection for a boiler that was recently installed through his contracting squadron.

"It's definitely a different place, it really is. It was awe-inspiring, to say the least," Quap said. "It really shows Alaska for what it is."

The mission partnership also involves members of the 673rd Civil Engineer Group.

"We exchange personnel from time to time to expand their experi-ence,” Bartlow said. “We've received support with a couple of their engineering assistants who have been helping us out for several months to augment our folks and go out to these sites.

"It's great for us because we had more work than we could cover with the people we had," he said. "It's also great for them because it's an opportunity to get out and see something different, and to have an opportunity to provide direct oversight on some very unique projects. It's a win-win.

The 673rd Force Support Squadron manages all PRSC manpow-er; all of their funding goes through the 673rd Comptroller Squad-ron; and the 673rd Logistics Readiness Group provides vehicle maintenance to PRSC locations. Many different squadrons ena-ble the PRSC mission’s success.

"We've got working relationships with all of them and are very pleased with the support they offer," said Capt. Ben Shearer, a PRSC executive officer. "Our mission would absolutely not be possible without their support. They enable us every single day to do our jobs."

Deployable command, control system critical to Nepal earthquake relief

By Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs, Staff Sgt. Alexander Martinez

May 19, 2015

UTAPAO ROYAL THAI NAVAL AIRFIELD, Thailand (AFNS) -- With humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as an ongoing mission for Joint Task Force 505 and other organizations in sup-port of Operation Sahayogi Haat in Nepal, the ability to effectively

Newswire (Continued from page 10) communicate with each other and components in the region is critical.

Their communications rely on systems such as the Deployable Joint Command and Control system, which is currently providing that critical capability. DJC2 integrates software, hardware and processes to support a shared-information environment consist-ing of joint, coalition, multinational and nongovernmental agen-cies.

At Utapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield, the site of the JTF 505 inter-mediate staging base (ISB), a DJC2 configured with its core-capability configuration is up and running, providing communica-tion capabilities for the ISB mission.

The officer in charge of the Utapao ISB communications team, Marine Corps Capt. Jason Misner, said the system is very useful in humanitarian aid and disaster relief contingency operations because of the ability to tailor it to the size of the operation and the needs of its users.

“What makes DJC2 unique is that it allows us to easily add users, scale networks to whatever we want it to look like, make it a joint network, support users that need secure access and allow the systems to support nongovernmental organizations,” Misner ex-plained.

JTF 505 also has DJC2 systems and operators in Nepal, config-ured to their location with the necessary features for the location’s mission.

“The systems in Nepal are headed by a good team and they’re providing good communication support,” Misner said.

The system is designed to be deployed and ready for use in a rapid time. For the Utapao DJC2, the team had the entire system up and running in less than 48 hours.

Tech. Sgt. Philip Lambeth, a JTF 505 communications technician, helps monitor the DJC2 system at Utapao and said the system enables the transport of supplies and personnel in and out of Ne-pal.

“We’ve been providing command and control function for the JTF 505, so we’re seeing planes being flown in and supplies going in an orderly fashion,” Lambeth said.

Exercise Balikatan 2015

Balikatan 2015 – 1st Lt. Andrew Stokes (left), a 961st Airborne Air Con-trol Squadron (AACS) air weapons officer, speaks with Philippine Air Force Maj. Frederick Facia, the 581st Aircraft Control and Training Squadron commander while onboard a 961st AACS E-3 Sentry AWACS during exercise Balikatan 2015 over the Philippines April 23, 2015. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Maeson L. Elleman)

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Radomes The Air Force Radar Museum Association, Inc.

9976 Stoudertown Road Baltimore, OH 43105

Which site is this?

(Search inside for answer.)

Radomes Newswire Ed Note: Seeing as we’re featuring Alaskan operations this quarter, the timing of the following recent article from Alaska is highly appropriate.

Securing Alaska’s air-space: Radar sites work around the clock

By Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Affairs

August 03, 2015

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AFNS) -- All around Alaska and out into the Pacific, little white domes dot the mountain-side, coastlines and islands -- the only tangible evidence of America's invisible armor.

The domes are operated 24/7 year-round by a small crew of mostly contracted civilian Airmen.

They drive up precarious, ice-covered slopes, braving 40 mph winds in minus 40-degree temperatures with little to no medical support nearby as part of their daily work.

These are the Pacific Air Forc-es Regional Support Center long-range radar sites. Their mission is to track aircraft through Alaska's airspace and along its borders.

The PRSC manages 21 instal-lations across the Pacific, which, due to their locations, cannot be accessed by normal means, said Lt. Col Robert Bartlow, the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron commander.

The only way to get in or out is by plane or by barge.

In addition to constantly scouting the skies, some of the installa-tions also serve as emergency airfields to which Air Force aircraft can divert should they need to make an unscheduled landing. Others, such as Wake Island, also serve as halfway points -- gas stations for planes to refill at while on their way to other Pacific locations.

(Continued on page 9)

Caption: The Indian Mountain long-range radar site is one of many sites with a mission is to track aircraft in Alaska's airspace and along Alaska's borders for unauthorized aircraft. The sites aid in the ongoing defense of U.S. air-space. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson)