Re: Critical Mass - Blind Man's Bluff = SPLIT THREAD
I was in for a surprise, this “K series” thing was an electronic computer/ radar system for bombers. My experience building “crystal set” radio receivers, and a record player made from an Erector Set, that actually worked, wasn’t going to do me much good. The school was very intense, lots of electronics classes, and hands on familiarization with the various components. Of course back then the computers were big gear, and servo units, with lots of vacuum tubes, amplifiers, and other gizmos, that are now replaced with a tiny chip. The system worked damn good though, but was high maintenance. It was also “highly classified”, and we were given strict warnings that we were not to discuss what we learned with anybody. I would soon get a lesson in security. After finishing the training I was given orders to report to Lincoln Air Force Base, but these orders allowed for ten days travel time, giving me a chance to go back to Muncie, and see family and friends. There were four of us in the class from Indiana, and one of them had a 41 Ford coupe with a hopped up engine, so we all piled in and left Denver, heading for Indiana. After a few days visiting, we got back together, and although the guy who had the car wasn’t going to Lincoln, he had to pass through there to get to his duty station at Mountain Home, Idaho. He dropped me of at the gate to LAFB, they wouldn’t let him through the gate, because his orders were for Idaho. The APs at the gate checked over my orders, then phoned somebody, and soon a vehicle drove up, and took me to the 98th A&E Maintenance orderly room. I was checked in by the duty Sergeant, and he took me to my quarters. It was pretty late at night, and this guy told me to report to First Sergeant Molnar at 8:00 AM. I was “home”, I guess you could say. I was far too excited to get much sleep, wondering what the next day would bring.
Larry
I was in for a surprise, this “K series” thing was an electronic computer/ radar system for bombers. My experience building “crystal set” radio receivers, and a record player made from an Erector Set, that actually worked, wasn’t going to do me much good. The school was very intense, lots of electronics classes, and hands on familiarization with the various components. Of course back then the computers were big gear, and servo units, with lots of vacuum tubes, amplifiers, and other gizmos, that are now replaced with a tiny chip. The system worked damn good though, but was high maintenance. It was also “highly classified”, and we were given strict warnings that we were not to discuss what we learned with anybody. I would soon get a lesson in security. After finishing the training I was given orders to report to Lincoln Air Force Base, but these orders allowed for ten days travel time, giving me a chance to go back to Muncie, and see family and friends. There were four of us in the class from Indiana, and one of them had a 41 Ford coupe with a hopped up engine, so we all piled in and left Denver, heading for Indiana. After a few days visiting, we got back together, and although the guy who had the car wasn’t going to Lincoln, he had to pass through there to get to his duty station at Mountain Home, Idaho. He dropped me of at the gate to LAFB, they wouldn’t let him through the gate, because his orders were for Idaho. The APs at the gate checked over my orders, then phoned somebody, and soon a vehicle drove up, and took me to the 98th A&E Maintenance orderly room. I was checked in by the duty Sergeant, and he took me to my quarters. It was pretty late at night, and this guy told me to report to First Sergeant Molnar at 8:00 AM. I was “home”, I guess you could say. I was far too excited to get much sleep, wondering what the next day would bring.
Larry
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