About a month into the underline overline "job", l got together with my supervisor, explained my anguish at having spent a year-and-a-quarter in training to do the VIO job, only to be removed after about three months
because l mentioned (to a visitor from NSA) my concern about a few of the
links assigned to me. Understand that we Ops had been told of the visit of these people and had encouraged us to share experiences with them and ask any questions that we might have. The super was sympathetic. He averred
that he would surely be "pissed" if he found himself in the same situation.
l shared some of my work history with him and told him that l was confident
that l could find, somewhere on Ft. Mead, a job that l'd be happy to show up for on all work days. That was the first time Harry (my supervisor) and l had
spoken. He was new at his then-assigned position but had been a supervisor
for a few years. We got along very well thru-out our talk.
Ultimately, Harry and l made a deal: He would excuse me from reporting to
the overline-underline job for one week so l could canvass the post in search
of a job with a little more fun in it. (my characterization, not his) l was so
stoked when l left NSA; l'd been thinking about my years in the school band
and had convinced myself that l could play trombone for the 6th Cav. l first
went to Post Special Services and talked to a young Sargent First Class,
who listened to my recount of the years, first playing clarinet in the sixth
grade and then moving to trombone, "the Prince of Brass" (Jack Elmorton),
in seventh grade and finally,in the last year playing French Horn in the
Orchestra. The young SFC got the idea that l might well be a musician that
the 6th Army could use in rheir band. He scheduled me for an audition for a
day in the next week
l showed up at my supervisor's office as agreed, one week after our initial
meet. l told him of the meeting with the SFC and how he had scheduled me
for an audition and was very optimistic about me being chosen. That,
coupled with my bubbling optimism boweled Harry over. Because the
audition was scheduled late in the next week, my next visit with Harry was scheduled for the week after that. When we parted that time we shook
hands and wished each-other well,much like people who don't expect to
meet again.l knew better. Yes, l played 2nd chair trombone in the school
marching band and orchestra, but l could only do it with the help of my friend
Garn. He was the 1st chair trombonist, a real musician who played many
instruments (piano,drums, country guitar and base. These days jn addition
to making country-Western CDs for his fans and freinds he composes classical
pieces and orchestrates them, using a Midde music computer. ln the sixties
and seventies he and his cw band appeared in all of the cw venues in the
western and southern US. For some years, he flew himself and the three
other members of the band, from gig-to-gig in his own private plane.
Probably,if l had paid closer attention to what Garn exposed me in high school
l might have been able to pass the audition (or, at least TAKE IT, without
being seen as a total idiot.)
Just so you know, l will let you know how l was able to play 2nd chair trombone: When we got our printed music,Garn would play the 2nd chair
part as l listened and noted the position of the slide. even though l'm
musically ignorant, l have an excellent ear, so l just needed to listen to Garn
play the piece and get my slide start positions, then run thru the thing 8 or 10 times and l'd be ready for an audience.
times and l'd
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Employed 7 part 11
Let me introduce you to my house-mates at 6207 43rd beginning in the middle
of February, '58: Herman Shultz, Gerald Goldstein, Ron Michaelson,
Roy Jansen and Ray Plocki (in the order that they signed up). Herman and Gerald were both civilian employees at NSA;Herman a main-frame programmer, Gerald's job was, itself classified, so not known. Ron, Roy, Ray and l are all military. Ron, whom l knew from Al's, was a linguist (Armenian)
at NSA, Roy was not an NSA employee. He was assigned to the Sixth Cavalry
Regiment. (more on that later) l never knew what his job was there, but judging by his coming and going, l'd say his job was 9 to 5 X 5. Ray's Army job was also at Fort Meade, though he spent most of his work time running
one of DC's "Art" movie theatres.
About the 6th Cav: l've mentioned that a detachment of Marines is always
present at ASA worksites to protect the personnel and the secrets that we hold tight to our vests. l'm told that sometimes the detachment is so small
that the C.O. is no more than a sargent. ASA is a small part of NSA and, at
it's head-quarters NSA is huge. A few Marines will not suffice to secure such
a mountain of intelligence and it's keepers. So the Cavalry (Not calvary,)
with a thousand troops and a coupie of hundred tanks and other armored
vehicles is presumed capable to repel more than a little offence. l wouldn't
bet against them.
Did l mention that in the second month of our tenancy on 43 st, we learned
that we were living next door to ......wait for it.....ta dah! Miss D. C.!! !! and that was in the days when blonds.... and she was a blond! So councilman
Bell and the Mrs. had produced a potential Miss America contestant! Cool.
But we had yet to encounter any of the Bell family. We needed an excuse to hit their door. Someone suggested we beg a cup of sugar. Unanimously
accepted. They went for it! The councilman was not at home, but his wife
and Miss D.C., as well as her younger sister were present. Nobody laughed.
Mrs Bell poured sugar from a kitchen tin, into our offered cup as all six of us
congratulated Miss D.C. on her win and wished her luck at Miss America.
Back at the office, it's "underline, overline, cut along lines, stick strips
onto activity sheets". l'm losing interest in even acting like l'm doing the job.
l started taking a few hours here and there without asking and for the most
part without anyone's notice. l broke out my oil- painting supplies, built an
easel and a utility table and stretched a few canvases on frames and set up my studio in the sun room, which was at the back of the house. lt was 12 feet deep and as wide as rhe house.
calvarey
so
of February, '58: Herman Shultz, Gerald Goldstein, Ron Michaelson,
Roy Jansen and Ray Plocki (in the order that they signed up). Herman and Gerald were both civilian employees at NSA;Herman a main-frame programmer, Gerald's job was, itself classified, so not known. Ron, Roy, Ray and l are all military. Ron, whom l knew from Al's, was a linguist (Armenian)
at NSA, Roy was not an NSA employee. He was assigned to the Sixth Cavalry
Regiment. (more on that later) l never knew what his job was there, but judging by his coming and going, l'd say his job was 9 to 5 X 5. Ray's Army job was also at Fort Meade, though he spent most of his work time running
one of DC's "Art" movie theatres.
About the 6th Cav: l've mentioned that a detachment of Marines is always
present at ASA worksites to protect the personnel and the secrets that we hold tight to our vests. l'm told that sometimes the detachment is so small
that the C.O. is no more than a sargent. ASA is a small part of NSA and, at
it's head-quarters NSA is huge. A few Marines will not suffice to secure such
a mountain of intelligence and it's keepers. So the Cavalry (Not calvary,)
with a thousand troops and a coupie of hundred tanks and other armored
vehicles is presumed capable to repel more than a little offence. l wouldn't
bet against them.
Did l mention that in the second month of our tenancy on 43 st, we learned
that we were living next door to ......wait for it.....ta dah! Miss D. C.!! !! and that was in the days when blonds.... and she was a blond! So councilman
Bell and the Mrs. had produced a potential Miss America contestant! Cool.
But we had yet to encounter any of the Bell family. We needed an excuse to hit their door. Someone suggested we beg a cup of sugar. Unanimously
accepted. They went for it! The councilman was not at home, but his wife
and Miss D.C., as well as her younger sister were present. Nobody laughed.
Mrs Bell poured sugar from a kitchen tin, into our offered cup as all six of us
congratulated Miss D.C. on her win and wished her luck at Miss America.
Back at the office, it's "underline, overline, cut along lines, stick strips
onto activity sheets". l'm losing interest in even acting like l'm doing the job.
l started taking a few hours here and there without asking and for the most
part without anyone's notice. l broke out my oil- painting supplies, built an
easel and a utility table and stretched a few canvases on frames and set up my studio in the sun room, which was at the back of the house. lt was 12 feet deep and as wide as rhe house.
calvarey
so
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Employed 7 part 10
The place in the basement of the house in Falls Church was probably the worst place l've ever stayed. l was lucky (and highly motivated) to find such a nice place, so quickly in Riverdale. l had first contacted the realtor on Friday evening, when l answered one of her ads in the classified. l told her that l needed a large place where five or six male NSA employees would be comfortable, with plenty of space for entertaining; in the house as well as around it. She said she had a place that she thought would be perfect for us:
ln a very good neighborhood on a tree-lined street, lt's a five-bedroom, two-
story,(4 bdrms upstairs,1 downstairs, plus a domestic's suite (including a half-
bath) adjacent to the kitchen). The two-car garage was detached and had an
apartment above which was used then for storage and was not available to
us. The car in the garage was available; a 1954 Hudson 4-door sedan, in very
nice condition. The owners, both professors at University of Maryland, College
Park, who were then on sabbatical, touring Europe, had included use of the car to sweeten the deal. Being without a car myself, at the time, l jumped on it.
Since my name alone was on the lease, l appointed myself manager. l don't remember what the actual monthly payment was but that amount l divided by
five, then added $25 to get the amount that each of my five tenants would
pay me monthly. l would then pay the rent and the utilities. lt's easy to see
that ,though it wasn't very much, l did net a few bucks a month for managing
the place. Of the six of us, l alone owned no car. So the Hudson was for my use only, except for a few emergencies. lt's a good thing the place was on such a big lot;all our cars could be parked off-street without blocking anyone's
egress.
lf by "good neighborhood" you mean a neighborhood with a plurality of elected officials in residence, Forty-third Street in Riverdale might work for you; Across the street and a couple of houses to the East of us lives the former Sheriff of Prince George's County. West of us, next door lives Council-
man Robert Bell in his third term for the city of Riverdale.Two doors beyond
Bell's house is the Palatial residence of retired U.S. Senator Harlon Howell.
You'd think a street with so many leading citizens' homes lining it would at least be given a real name, not just a number.
Just an hour or so into the first day of my new assignment, l knew it wasn't
going to work out for me. My training to do the work of a Voice Intercept
Operator at this point, is no longer of any relevance whatever to my daily
assigned tasks. Those boxes that l and my fellow VIO's and those who had pre-dated us by decades, had filled with type-written traffic, packaged, wrap-
ped and shipped to NSA, now sat in the third basement buried beneath more-
recently received boxes. My job is to drive a hand-truck to one of the five
basements, locate the cell(s) containing the numbered boxes sought. Load
them onto the hand-truck and deliver to Analysis. Then choose the box with
the lowest ID number. Open it. Read it. If you see anything of note, under-
line it with red pencil and over line it with red pencil.....until you're blue in
the face.
ln a very good neighborhood on a tree-lined street, lt's a five-bedroom, two-
story,(4 bdrms upstairs,1 downstairs, plus a domestic's suite (including a half-
bath) adjacent to the kitchen). The two-car garage was detached and had an
apartment above which was used then for storage and was not available to
us. The car in the garage was available; a 1954 Hudson 4-door sedan, in very
nice condition. The owners, both professors at University of Maryland, College
Park, who were then on sabbatical, touring Europe, had included use of the car to sweeten the deal. Being without a car myself, at the time, l jumped on it.
Since my name alone was on the lease, l appointed myself manager. l don't remember what the actual monthly payment was but that amount l divided by
five, then added $25 to get the amount that each of my five tenants would
pay me monthly. l would then pay the rent and the utilities. lt's easy to see
that ,though it wasn't very much, l did net a few bucks a month for managing
the place. Of the six of us, l alone owned no car. So the Hudson was for my use only, except for a few emergencies. lt's a good thing the place was on such a big lot;all our cars could be parked off-street without blocking anyone's
egress.
lf by "good neighborhood" you mean a neighborhood with a plurality of elected officials in residence, Forty-third Street in Riverdale might work for you; Across the street and a couple of houses to the East of us lives the former Sheriff of Prince George's County. West of us, next door lives Council-
man Robert Bell in his third term for the city of Riverdale.Two doors beyond
Bell's house is the Palatial residence of retired U.S. Senator Harlon Howell.
You'd think a street with so many leading citizens' homes lining it would at least be given a real name, not just a number.
Just an hour or so into the first day of my new assignment, l knew it wasn't
going to work out for me. My training to do the work of a Voice Intercept
Operator at this point, is no longer of any relevance whatever to my daily
assigned tasks. Those boxes that l and my fellow VIO's and those who had pre-dated us by decades, had filled with type-written traffic, packaged, wrap-
ped and shipped to NSA, now sat in the third basement buried beneath more-
recently received boxes. My job is to drive a hand-truck to one of the five
basements, locate the cell(s) containing the numbered boxes sought. Load
them onto the hand-truck and deliver to Analysis. Then choose the box with
the lowest ID number. Open it. Read it. If you see anything of note, under-
line it with red pencil and over line it with red pencil.....until you're blue in
the face.
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