[R-390] R390A not working at all

[Mark Huss]

Just missed you, Roger. Hit Devens from Lost-in-the-Woods if Feb 75. 
Bricker was my first Instructor. That man could Teach! Having had a 
lyrogectimy (sp.) he could not talk above a whisper. What he could do 
was take ten guys in a room, whose education level ranged from a two 
room high school in Arkansas to a guy who had joined in 68 because he 
ran out of College Deferments. (One more semester, and he had four 
Bachelors!) Another who could not change a fuse, to someone like me who 
had several years working Electronics already. And Bricker could teach 
them all simultaneously. No mean trick.
Remember Herb, too.
And Major Mosher. His talent was Math. You would have eight guys sitting 
in front of him for ten days straight with totally blank looks on their 
faces. Every day on the march to Barracks, we would commiserate our 
imminent failure. Every one of us were completely lost. And on the last 
day before the test, one by one, each student would suddenly exclaim 
“Ah!” And you would suddenly completely understand everything the Major 
had told you for the last two weeks. It was like a religious experience.
You may remember Russell, my older brother. He spent time in Phu Bia in 
67-68 or 69, Can’t remember. He is still Teaching down in Huachuca, 
where they moved the School after Devens closed.
When I was going through school, they decided to merge all the courses, 
So I got Receivers, Recorders, the Clock, etc. They dropped the R-390, 
just teaching the R-390A. I remember the TNH-11, mainly because I was 
the only one to get one of the Test bugs right. All the relays had 120V 
on them where they should have had 0V, and 0V where they should have had 
120. The bug was a bad fuse, but everybody got confused by the odd 
readings. I figured out that someone had wired the power to the Bench 
backwards!
After Graduation, I went to Ft. Hood ( a few miles from Home) to work 
Tactical. The MLQ-24, mostly. Then Korea just after the Second Korean War.
Thats when I found out that it takes an Army to Really screw up. My 
orders said Field Station Korea, Pyong Yang. Spent hours pouring over 
maps of South Korea looking for Pyong Yang. And none of the guys who had 
been stationed there were any help. They just broke out laughing 
hysterically when I showed them my Orders! Figgered it must really be 
the Pits. Finally figured it out.
Getting Tankers to change it was a different matter entirely. “Orders is 
Orders. You go where youse told. And no lip!” I got desperate when they 
issued me tickets. Took me all day sitting down at Transportation while 
they figured out there just weren’t American Carriers to Pyong Yang. 
Finally got a MAC Charter to Japan. Transfer to British Airways to 
Beijing, and finally CAAC into Pyong Yang! “Do not wear uniform 
(NoShit!). Orders Not to be Changed in Transient unless directed by 
Commanding General Army Security Agency” The day before I left, I got a 
rather desperate call from Transportation and Personnel! Something about 
wanting those tickets back. And all the copies of orders I had been 
handing out all over post telling everyone where to send my stuff. And, 
of course, where my pay was to be sent.
In the end, I got commercial all the way. Which meant no one there at 
Kimpo to meet me. Remember, I was supposed to be in Pyong Yang, not 
Kimpo. So I caught a cab to the bus station, found a Bus going to Pyong 
Tek, caught a cab to Humphries. And called someone at the field station 
to come pick me up at the gate. Wasn’t comforting when the first words 
out of the Sgt.s mouth is ‘Who the Hell are You?!” Then it was back on 
the Bus for the Repo-Depot back in Seoul.
There, after all the shots and the films, they decided that with a 
clearance like that, I would make a cracker-jack Clerk. So I walked out, 
grabbed my Duffle, and caught the Bus back to An-jong-ni. Told Personnel 
they were mean to me up there, and I wasn’t going back. They could fight 
it out.
After two years, I headed back to Devens, and worked the Shops there. 
Shop 6 across from the old NCO club and Mirror Lake. Ratt Rigs, R-725’s 
in the TRR-20’s, and some other Tactical stuff, like those @*$#@ reel to 
reel recorders in the TRQ-23’s. Whose bright idea was it anyway to put a 
positive ground (including the Tape Heads) tape recorder in a negative 
grounded case? Some time in the old Commissary with the 98’s, and 
finally over to Shop 1 to support the Hogs and all their R-390A’s.
Did a Stint at the Donkey Racetrack, and back as an Instructor. Got out 
when the Army did the massive Force Reduction in the Intel branches 
right before Desert Storm. After all, it was not like we would be going 
to war any time soon.
Got to admit, it was a gas. And didn’t get shot at (too much).

Flowertime01 at wmconnect.com wrote:
> Bill Hawkins wrote:
>   
>> Roger,
>>
>> Would you consider telling us something about how you came by
>> this knowledge? It didn't come from a book . . .
>>
>> Happy New Year, God willing
>>
>> Bill Hawkins
>>     
>
> ----------------------------
> Once upon a time long ago (1968) I received a draft notice. It was a time for 
> draft dodging and so I to elected to dodge the draft. Being polish I elected 
> to enlist. I was given a whole bunch of test. After the test some dude ask me 
> if I though I could keep a secret. Being polish of course I can do that also. 
> So I enlisted in the United States Army Security Agency. That organization I 
> learned had possession of most of the R390 and R390/A receivers on the planet 
> at that time.
>   


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Some people are like a Slinky .. not really good for anything,
but you still can’t help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
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