Hi
I was a ditty bop in the USAFSS from 1966-70 trained at Keesler and stationed in San Vito Air Station in Italy

I wrote that paper….

I didn’t know it was available to the public until now.

How cool is that?

My “ditty-bop” assignments included: Crete from 75-77, again from 80-82; Kelly AFB, Tx 78-80; San Vito 85-88; Elmendorf 91-96; and finally NSGA Northwest 96-99.

Wow, I’m impressed.

Jim Houle (if you are the same JH from Maine) was my barracks red/yellow “rope” at Keesler in 63. I roomed with Bill Lafferty. After Goodfellow I went to Crete, Italy, and England.
How Cool Is THAT???

I was a red/yellow “rope” at Keesler in ’63. Went from there to Darmstadt, Germany ’64’65. From there to Peshawar, Pakistan. What a small world.

I was a yellow rope at Keesler and graduated in December 1974. First assignment was Misawa AB, Japan assigned to Trick 2, da Deuce, or Baker Flight. Block 12 from 1/1974 to 8/1975. Shu Lin Kou was next. Best assignement for me. Great chow hall at Lin Kou. Howz it ditty boppers!

Wow, are you the same James Houle that my father knew. Moved to New Braunfels after Crete. Son Richard (Brent) Houle.

Hello Brian Molina I remember you stationed from 1974 to 1976 at Missawa.I was also on trick 2 Baker Flight. and then went to Crete.

My time at KAFB was 1954 as student and 1961/62 as instructor.
spent time at Shiroi, Japan, Shu lin kou, Taiwan (known as Formosa at that time) Clark AFB, Myrtle Beach AFB (TAC Base) amd Chicksands, England. Got out after 8 years and went to work with Atlanta, Ga police dept, retired as Communications Engineer after 31 years. The code will never leave your head,when I went to Japan I woke up several times trying to tume an upright locker for better reception. Anyone looking for pictures try BMTflightphoto. Theres also a number of reunions held every year (google your old unit) and a few authors, try Larry Tart and wayne Babb, they have written about a dozen books and they are all about USAFSS, you might find yourself in one of them. Ben

I was at Keesler in 1858 and was sent to the 6911th RGM in Darmstadt,Germany until 1961. Their is a website you can find by googleing the 6911th.
They have a reunioun every year now.
Anyone having questions about that era I would be happy to answer.
Don

I served in the USAFSS at Darmstadt from Mar 66 thur Feb 68 and went on to Osan, Korea from Mar 68 thru June 69 as Morse Intercept Operator. Anyone around at that time is welcome to contact me and if their are any pics available, I would like to see them.

Keesler AFB – Jan ’64 – Sep ’64 292X1
Mr. Shutter, typing instructor, corn-cob pipe, real bad cough until he lit the pipe and smoked in class.

Victor (Vic) Hopkins, Bob Andrews

6981st Elmendorf AFB, 06 Oct 64 – 05 Oct 66, ditty-bop/direction finding.
SSGT Cecil (?) Cooper A/NCOIC

Doug Schlough, Roger Alman (Allman? from NY), Dave Anderson, fellow we called Squirrel, another fellow received inheritance when he turned 21 and had women calling the barracks all the time to date him.

6922nd USAFSS McClellan AFB, Sacramento (North Highlands), CA, Nov 66 – 05 Jan 68.
SSGT Wingate NCOIC

Mike Wolneiwicz, Don Bienvenue

2T program was big back then, but they kept wanting me to go to Afghanistan, so I got out after 4 years.

Must be getting older, can’t seem to remember many of the names any more.

I retired in 1980 after 25 years service with USAFSS. Okinawa 6927th, Tuslog Det 3-1, Darmstadt, 6910th Germany, TRANSEC Orlando, Fla., 6937th Peshawar, back to 6910th in ’69, closed Darmstadt and relocated to Augsburg, closed Augsburg and re-assigned to Karmaursel, Turkey. Re-assigned to George AFB, Ca. and retired.
Would be happy to hear from anyone who might remember me.

Ed Neete
San Diego, Calif.

I just realized, one of my old friends at Onna Point, in1957-1958, was Al Lyons. If you read this, Al, contact me, it’s been 53 years, we have a lot to cover. Ken

RE: Post by Bill French

Merle Shutter (and a tall, skinny TSGT whose name I’ve long since forgotten) were the Morse instructors for my class at Keesler in ’67 (21067). The old boy kept a trash can by his “position” to hock into.

Joe Martin
Scottsdale, AZ

6981st Scty Grp, Dec ’67-Nov ’69
6994th Scty Sqn, Feb ’70-Dec ’71

Was a Y203 (Y=radioprinter). Syracuse 1855, Shiroi 1956 to 1959 on Trick 4 and days then to Darmstadt on Charlie and Easy trick. Played basketball in Darmstadt. From USAFSS to NSA and spent 32 years there. Would like to hear from any old printer types.

fellows, you were quite young when I went thru Keesler in -51-52. then thru Brooks to Ashya AFB, Korea,and Yontan on Okinawa and back to Brooks, on to AFB near Seattle WA before leaving AFSS in 1955. Nice to hear there is some comaradare(sp) in the orgs.

Any one that was with the 6910th or 6911th at Darmstadt there is a website you need to join. Go to http://www.6910th.net

I remember a Jim Houle who I was on Dawg Flight with. I don’t know if it was the 6987th at ShuLinkou 1972-74 or the 6931st at Iraklion 1977-78. Howdy Jim! Retired in 1992, and have been an Air Force Junior ROTC Instructor ever since…this is my 19th year teaching!

Arrived at Onna Point in July of 1962 and left in January of 1964. Then went 2T to Crete until Sept. of 1965 and then discharged in New Jersey. Seems like an eternity ago.

I was not a rope @ Keesler AFB. I was on A shift during my school tenure fm Dec 74 – May 75. Went to Crete on 6/6/75, was assigned to Dawg Flt with “Curly” Robinson and a host of others, left there on 12/6/77. Went back to Crete in Sep 80, on Charlie Flt this time, and left in Sep 82….I would’ve gone back a 3rd time but they went and closed the place on me….go figure! Anyway, I am not from New Braunfels, TX, and I don’t have any children named Richard, although that was my Dad’s name. Iraklion was the best assignment in the AF.

Gerry are you still coming into this page. If so and you have Facebook type in 6981st. Some of use who served at that time are getting together. there are two 6981st pages this one and our page with the command logo… I served for, 68 – 70 A Flt (I think and then DF) I am looking hard or Rob (Or BOB ) Martin..about 25 of us have connected we are planning a reunion in Oct 2011

Hi
I was a ditty bop in the USAFSS from 1966-70 trained at Keesler and stationed in San Vito Air Station in Italy

Posted by Gerry | February 28, 2009, 5:33 am

One more Gerry

this is how you find US on Facebook

6981st Security Group, USAFSS, Security Service, Alaska

Morse Intercept Operator training at Thompson Hall, Keesler AFB 1963 (Flunked out…could get that 16gpm); Non-Morse Radio Intercept Operator training at Goodfellow AFB 1964 then shipped to 6913 RSM (Bremerhaven, Germany) 1964…Able Flight. Transferred to Wakkanai (Hokkaido), Japan…don’t recall squadron but Charlie Flt. Retired Colorado Springs, 1985.

keesler late 1956-may 57. assgnd to wheelus afb tripoli lybia, kelly 1959 then darmstadt until dec 1962. enjoyed saying goodnight to army guys when they had to leave bars downtown because of their curfew. beautiful country, esp garmisch.

read the houle article. very good historical account of usafss, but didn’t really describe our job. for those of us who did it 8 hours a day, it was most of the time boreing especially dayshifts when static made reception spotty at best and then there “special” times when it got really interesting. you know what i mean. however, good job mr. houle.

“B” shift at Keesler 3383/3382 then
Tuslog Det 3-1 Trabzon Turkey from
June 1960-May 1961. Next assignment
6917RGM San Vito, Italy July 1961
to Dec 1962 Last E-4 to arrive in
Italy of the initial Morse Operators.

I was at Kessler for 292 training in 1966. Assigned to Darmstadt in Feb. 1967 and reassigned to Tuslog 3-1 in Feb. 1969 until in closed operations at the end of that year. Did some part time work at the radio station on top of Mt Boztepee.

Good grief! I stumbled onto this site by accident while looking for info on the USAFSS, and was transported back 50 years. I went through Keesler 6-61 to 12-61, then off to Tuslog Det 3-1, Trabzon, Turkey to 63. Signed up for the 2T program, then changed my mind–have regretted it ever since. Finished my enlistment at George AFB in CA. Thanks for the memories. Ron Cronk

I was at Keesler from Sept 1959 to
March 1960. Morse Intercept op.
Assigned to Trab Det 3-1. At that
time the tour was only 12 months.
A month after I arrived the tour was changed to 15 months.
Enjoyed my time there and made many
good friends and still friends with
some of them. Enjoyed both of my
tours while in the Air Force Security Service. Worked for 28
years at Fort Meade in Maryland for
the National Security Agency until
I retired in 1993.

I was a 202 from 1967-70. Assigned to the 6937th in Peshawar Pakistan from September 1967 to December 1968, then to the 6981st in Elmendorf from 69-70.

stationed at IAS from April 62 thru Oct 63. Was a Morse Intercept Operator working in search. I was on Dog Trick and roommates were Mike Gardner & Al Dyel. A great assignment and never forgotton.

Small world. I was at the 6931 ESS as commander July 76 – July 78 and have a very clear image of a young airman Jim Houle who impressed everyone there. I am delighted to see that he did so well. As with all of the USAFSS and ESC units to which I was assigned, the airmen and NCOs were always several cuts above and represented the very best of the Air Force. To say that they were professional is an under-statement. I regret that so many like SMS John Resetar died so young.