[GreenKeys] Western Union

[John Martin]

I am also a Retiree from Western Union and I worked in Portland Oregon. =
My job was to maintain the Telex Switch and provide teletype repairs =
services for the Money Order Department in the main office on Broadway.=20
I remember when then President Reagon visited Portland...and how the =
secret service men were all over the place...in the switching center and =
up on the roof for which they could cover the street below...The thing =
was the general public did not know they were there....and were unseen =
from the street. They were watching and were armed to the teeth. That =
really impressed me and how secure the president was.  Looking down on =
the street seeing limo's with no tops...the floor boards were covered =
with machine guns. Oh boy....!!
Getting back to Western Union....it was generally felt that the company =
that purchased WU, did so with the idea of selling out all its assets =
and breaking up the company all together. So the New company manager =
queered the bank deal so that the company would go into default. Thus =
setting the way for the new company to split up the assets and destroy =
the company. The talk about WU not being up to date in some area may =
have been true...but what is not true is the idea that WU wasn't trying =
to upgrade is false. Also WU had plenty of good people that worked for =
them and would have upgraded to meet modern needs.  WU was on the very =
door step of cellar radio....the had purchase EF Johnson....a =
radio/electronic company with the idea starting up Cellphones...this is =
before all the cell phone company you see now.  To me it is a dirty =
shame that WU was "Murdered" by some greedy little pimp who could care =
less about the company ...!!
I miss working at WU and the people I worked with. The W&R guys, the =
Auto Tech's...the Field service guys..!! The yearly telegraph =
circuit....complete with key and sounder...!! it was linked to every =
wire center in the USA.=20
The old Telex Switch...CSR-4...used to talk thru it using ...2 out 5 =
coding to dial thru the switch..from the trunk lines..!! Oh well, it was =
fun and I enjoyed it while it lasted.
I am completely retired now...and the WU retirement is not much..but it =
helps for sure.=20
Autodin system, I used this system while I was in the Navy...Mod 1 and =
Mod 5's...and was the first time I ran into tempest reqirements.=20
Oh well, that is my two cents..
Would like to pass along a "Howdy" to all former WU people...who knows =
..we may have talked on the phone sometime or other.=20
God Bless all...

John KC7BS...

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