Camp Kaiser Commo Plt/HHC/1/17th/7thID 1962-1963

Wasn't the radio station up on the hill behind us? AFKN? Anyone remember? Also, we went on the only DEFCON 2 "Cocked Pistol" alert the Army has ever been on for the Cuban Missile Crisis shortly after I got there. We locked down the Camp Kaiser compound for four days that November 1962 as I remember. We had our flak-jackets, weapons and ammo. After the second day all the "Moose" came out and sat on the hills around us with parasols calling for us to come out! Anyone remember that? Remember having to pull duty through the night changing out the GI 5 gallon fuel oil cans on those funky GI Space heaters through the winter? Something about the Status of Forces Agreement, we couldn't have "permanent facilities! Remember the Quonset huts with plywood floors, and having to run through the snow to the common company latrine? Anyone remember? Col. Mike Lind, USA Ret. (Then Pfc/Sp4 Lind - Radio Repairman) Anyone remember "Hoss" or Ken Phillips, Dick Monroe, MSG Higdon, SGM Curan, CPT Dyke (Ranger) who made us all take that 10 mile forced march and had the HHC strung out over ten miles and the medics loading up all the Cooks, Mechanics, and such with blisters, pulled muscles, etc? What a hoot! No prep! Gung-ho! Just did it! It was a real disaster! Us young guys did okay but most had a heck of a time. (We never did it again, at least during my tour anyway.)

I too was in the HHC commo platoon, just a little earlier than you (1960-1961). I arrived at Kaiser the same time our new AN/GRC-46 was delivered and, fortunately, I was the only one who knew how to turn it on having finished a school at Ft. Campbell just before getting sent out.

We had a post shut-down in April of '60 when Rhee was run out of office. They lit up the perimeter fences and tripled the guard. Unfortunately, I was visiting an off-limits village over the hill at the back side of Kaiser. Around midnight when we came back and saw all the activity we had no idea as to what was going on or how we were going to sneak back on base. I thought I was going to get shot by one of my own as I crawled under the fence and made my way across the perimeter road - obviously, I made it ok.

I remember the gerry-can heaters and how when it got really cold outside, we could make those things burn cherry red.

During the rainy season did the shower water still turn mud brown? Did you get a chance to visit the Thai's in their barracks?

Glad we all survived to tell the stories.