[ARC5] Hamming of Surplus Equipment

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

On 14 Oct 2012 at 14:29, Robert  Eleazer wrote:

> Relative to the subject question, a college professor told me that in
> 1945 he was directed to destroy 100 B-25's in southern Germany by
> means of explosives and burying the remains - and specifically was
> told by a general officer that he would NOT remove the radio equipment
> for use by US forces there. 

I think all of us can relate similar stories: I have heard at least three. One regarded a situation 
in Alaska wherein the commander of an air base was ordered to rid his organization of 
everything that was not required for their immediate operations. When he asked what he was 
supposed to do with it, the response was, "Throw it in the fire."  So, he had his crew build a 
very long but narrow fire down the center of his runway, then had his troops take all the brand 
new stores (food, blankets, medical supplies,etc.) and "throw it in the fire". On the other side 
of the fire were gathered all the local people he could unofficially round up...who then caught 
the stuff and made careful use of it.

A SeaBee told me, shaking his head, of being ordered to unload the cargos of a large 
number of cargo vessels into the ocean after VJ Day.

I have seen photos of perfectly good, even new, P-51s and P-38s being stacked up like 
cordwood by bulldozer and burnt, then the remains buried.

I have also been told of an ship whose cargo was an entire load of AR-88s, being sunk in an 
accident off the coast of Washington State.

> Given this example, I think we have to assume if there had been no
> hamming of surplus gear there would be little or none around today.

Well, the military sure didn't want or need it....
 
> On the other hand, how do y'all regard that guy who posted a "want"
> message on QRZ last year requesting some unmodified "ARC-5" equipment
> so that he could mod it and teach hams about the historical use of
> surplus? 

I think he is an absolute idiot.

Ken W7EKB