[ARC5] RAT and RAT-1: The Arizona Connection

[Clarke, Tom AIR4.0P NATOPS]

Wouldn't be the first or the last time!  

I was sitting on the ramp in Keflavik Iceland waiting for a C-118 hop to
Germany back in the 70's.  Our mighty steed was full of fuel and
passengers, but the airplane was down for a broken wet (whiskey)
compass. None in supply, so no go.

I remembered seeing a couple of them NIB sitting in DRMO (aka salvage).
A quick trip to DRMO and a mech to install the compass got us on our way
to Wiesbaden!  

The book said we had to have one, it didn't say anything about having to
"swing" it before going!!  Oktoberfest was fine.

Reason I was at DRMO previously was to pick up two R-390s, a 51S1, and
two Coast Guard HQ-180X's NIB for our MARS station!

Tom/W4OKW


-----Original Message-----
From: Kenneth G. Gordon [mailto:kgordon2006 at frontier.com] 
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2012 3:27 PM
To: David Stinson
Cc: ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ARC5] RAT and RAT-1: The Arizona Connection

On 9 Jan 2012 at 14:01, David Stinson wrote:

> the boneyards?  Don't know why that would be, since
> none of the other still-crated stuff seems to have gone 
> that route; it got sold-off where it was or bulldozed under.
> 
> Speculations welcome.

I think your thoughts here somewhat mirror my own on a slightly 
different experience: when I was in the Montana National Guard in the 
1960s, during one summer camp at the old fort in Helena, Montana, one 
night when I was Charge of Quarters, about 2:00 AM, I watched some of 
the older and higher-ranking men of our battery walking in a group 
past my post. 

All were carrying shovels. I stuck my head out of the door and asked 
the nearest one, a regular army First Sergeant who was my direct 
boss, what was going on. He simply told me to shut up and come with 
him.

Since he was my superior, what could I do but obey?

So, out we went....to an old dump near the fort, and everyone started 
digging. 

We uncovered many, many items still in their original packing, 
ranging from crates to those metalized waterproof covering that radio 
were originally shipped in.

Among other things, we uncovered a brand new Ford GAA engine which 
was used in our own battery's self-propelled artillery (and which we 
badly needed), new .50 calibre machine gun barrels, new first aid 
kits, etc.

At that time, I was too young to look for radio gear, but I am sure 
there was some there.

I still have the first aid kit I dug up.

Ken W7EKB