Chapter 8
1953-1954

 

This Chapter will cover the period from March 1953 until January 1954.

I had been appointed Warrant Officer in early March and shortly thereafter assigned to the 501st Signal Intelligence Group, Korea.

Shortly after arriving I was assigned to the 326 CRC where I spent the balance of my time in Korea. Originally I was assigned as Assistant Operations Officer. I soon realized that my operators were severely handicapped by receivers that were in very poor condition. When I complained about that I was sent to replace the Radio Maintenance Officer. It didn’t take long to find out that another problem was lack of parts. Consequently I was assigned another additional duty as Signal Supply Officer! I then found out that the shortage of parts was hampered by non-receipt of parts. This resulted in my last additional duty for the company! Motor Officer.

I solved most of these problems by identifying my best qualified Non-Commissioned Officers; giving them the job, backing them up, encouraging them and when necessary showing them how to get going. Frequently they already knew more about it than I did but had not been given room to work, I then spent my time seeing that things got done, finding the roadblocks and attempting to eliminate them.

Looking back on it I am certain that my ability to pick good men, mostly let them run their show (with occasional guidance) and most of all letting them know that I appreciated, frequently patted them on the back and promoted them whenever possible. Although I didn’t like it I was able to identify incompetent ones and usually got rid of them one way or another.

I was a good scrounger and when necessary came by parts via mid-night requisitions. In this manner I was able to equip our vans with positions actually duplicating those authorized so that we could move out when necessary without transferring all the gear from the tents to the trucks.

I also came by a few extra vehicles. My Group Commander, Col Sherburn and his adjutant Capt. Fredianni never forgot how nice it was to have a new Chevrolet to chauffer them around in the cold winters instead of a curtained Jeep.

Col Sherburn really liked me, he liked anyone who got things done. This resulted in one other additional duty. I was appointed Group DF Officer and had 5 DF sites throughout Korea to include two North of the 38th parallel . More about that later. Of course I had my own Jeep with COURIER painted on the bumper. This got me by all the check points and enabled me to travel just about anywhere anytime I wanted too!

 

PERSONNEL SUMMARY

IfSOF (date)

30 June 1967

NAME

McPherson, Jack K

Reserve Status

Retired

Age 45

MILITARY

CIVILIAN

Years

20

Mos

8

(years) (Mos 1 5

EDUCATION

SCHOOL

DEGREE

MAJOR FIELD

DATES

Pearce Union High School, Pearce

Arizona

Arizona

Non^

N/A

1935-39

Army Ged 1st, Year College

None

N/A

1956

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AGENCY CIVILIAN EXPERIENCE

GRADE

DATE OF ACTION

ORGANIZATION

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT

Collection Management Technician

GS -11

06/1O/66

K(P115) \

TITLE OF LAST PROMOTION

None

 

 

 

 

\\ i •

INITIAL AGENCY ASSIGNMENT

Collection Management Technician

GG-11

02/07/66

K(P215)

PUBLICATIONS

DATES

DOB

31 July 1921

 

 

 

 

 

 

*r if

(Photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMENDATIONS AND AWARDS

 

 

Bronze Star Medal (Valor)

Bronze Star Modal, 1st Oak Leaf Cluster

1954

1945

Commendation Medal Certificate of Achievement

1962

Legion of Merit

Legion of Merit, 1st Oak Leaf Cluster

1963

1964

Certificate of Achievement

1965

 

 

SUMMARY OF NSA AND/OR RELATED AGENCY (civilian or military, ASA, CM, etc.) EXPERIENCE

October 1947 Enlisted in ASA in October 1947. Attended High Speed Radio Operators Course at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, November 1947, graduated June 1948.

July 1948 Assigned to Second US ASA Field Station, Two Rock Ranch Station, Petaluma, California. Worked as a Morse Operator until Jan 1949. Changed to Non-Morse Operator Jan 1949, became a N/M Supervisor November 1949. Promoted from PFC (E-2) thru SFC (E-6) and appointed to Warrant Officer, MOS 9615 (Radio Intelligence Officer) Feb. 1953.

March 1953; Assigned to 326 CRC in Korea. Primary duty Assistant Operations Officer, Radio Maintenance/ Signal Supply Officer, Additional duty, Motor Officer. Radio maintenance procedures devised were adopted throughout ASA in Korea. Awarded Amy Commendation Medal for service while assigned to Korea.

-

NSA FORM E3267 REV SEP 59 supersedes E3267 FEB 57 TEMP)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Summary of assignment Dontinued

 

(February 1954 Assigned to Third US ASA Field Sta, Sobe, Okinawa. Primary duty, Watch Officer, additional duty 0IC Radio Printer and SIT sections. Established the first SIT (Special Identification Techniques) Section at the station*

July 1955; Transferred to US ASA TC & S, Ft. Devens, Mass. Primary duty, Instructor, Non, Morse and Signal Analysis* Wrote POl's for the Radio Printer and Security Monitor courses, taught officer and enlisted classes. Performed liaison with NSA concerning content of courses. Attended the NSA Advance Non-Morse course at Vint Hill Farms Sta. , December 1957 thru June 1958, finished 2nd in class*

July 1959; Assigned to the 13th US ASA Field Station, Harrogate, England. Supervised the installation of the entire operations bldg«, less Com Center, in accordance with ASA installation Bulletins* Served as Intercept Officer and supervised over 40 Intercept Positions, mostly scrambler* Major projects accomplishments were: Establishment of COMRADPAR, CQMILCPAR, field testing of new equipment, liaison with GCHQ, and «Establishment of the on-line FLIM FLAM position to MSA Soviet Missile Acquisition Center. In 1962 re-aligned all station intercept equipment which resulted in more than doubling the stations single channel scrambler capability, fifty percent increase in the ILC coverage and improved management throughout the station* Supervised between 150 and 250 enlisted personnel* Technical training courses instituted were requested by General Blake for use at NSA. Was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for a presentation given at the Producer's Conference in Frankfurt. In July 1963 was awarded the Legion of Merit for outstanding accomplishments while assigned to the 13th US ASA FS«

July 1963; Assigned to 2nd USASA Operations Company Two Rock Ranch Station. At various times served as Asst. Operations Officer, OIC of the Radio Printer Section, OEC SYNCHROLOG, and SCRAM* SCAN Phase II, and OIC of the Wideband Section. Normally one or more of these jobs were in addition to the job as assistant Operations Officer. In July 1965 was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Legion of Merit for outstanding service in the Wideband field.

February 1966 Reported into NSA, Ft. Meade, Md.Worked in P203/P215 until June 1966 when he was re-assigned to present assignment. Performed normal duties and drafted last issue of WINS, published in June 1966. Security Officer K115.

Continued I

OTHER PERTINENT CIVILIAN EXPERIENCE

DATES

Electrician

1939-40

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER PERTINENT MILITARY EXPERIENCE

 

 

Safety Officer, Harrogate and Two Rock Ranch Stations

1960-65

 

 

 

 

^ ( ,

 

 

NSA FORM E3267R REV SEP 59

SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENT (continued)

February IP&j Assigned to Third US ASA Field Sta, Sobe, OUrewa. Priiaary duty, Watch Officer, additional duty 01 C Radio Printer and SIT sections. Estai.lished the first 51 r (Special Identification Techniques) Section at the station*

Jtxly 1955? Transferred to US ASA TC & S, Ft. Devens, Mass. Primary duty, Instructor, Non, Korse and Signal Analysis* Wrote POl's for the Radio Printer and Security Monitor courses, taught officer and enlisted classes. Performed liaison with NSA concerning content of courses. Attended the KSA Advance Ncn-Morse course at ?int Hill Farms Sta. , December 1957 thru June 1958, finished 2nd in class*

JuiJf 1959j Assigned to the 13th US ASA Field Station, Harrogate, England. Supervised the installation of the entire operations bldg«, less Coram Center, in accordance with ASA installation Bulletins* Served as Intercept Officer and supervised over IjQ Intercept Positions, mostly scrambler* Major projects accosspMsi ed were: l&tai'lishment of COMRADPAR, CQMILCPAR, field testing of new equipment, liasison with GCHQ, and «8tablishment of the on-line FLIM FLAM position to MSA Soviet Missile Acquisition Center. Ih 1962 ro-aligned all station intercept equipment which resulted in store than doubling the stations single channel scrambler capability, fifty percent increase in the ILC coverage and improved management thocughout the station* Supervised between 15>0 and 250 enlisted personnel* Technical training courses instituted were requested by General SUkke for use at W.A. Was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for a presentation given at the Producer's Conference in Frankfurt. In July 1963 was awarded the Legion of Merit for outstanding accomplishments while assigned to the 13th US ASA FS«

July 1963; Assigned to 2nd USASA Operations Company Two Rock Hanch Station. At various times served as Aast. Operations Officer, OIC of the Radio Printer Section, OEC STNCIIROLOG, and SCHAM* SCAN Phase U, and OIC of the Wideband Section. Normally one or more of these jobs were in addition to fa&e job as assistant Operations Officer. In Ji ly 1965 was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Legion of Merit for outstanding service in the Wideband field.

February 1966j ifpeHed into NSA, Ft. Meade, Md.Worked in P203/P215 until

June 1966 when I was re-assigned to present assignnent.Performed norraal nutieg

and drafted last issue of WINS, published in June 1966.Security Officer K115.

Continued I

OTHER PERTINENT CIVILIAN EXPERIENCE

DATES

Electrician ~ ----- —

1039-hO

. ..... . .. ..... ...... _

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER PERTINENT MILITARY EXPERIENCE

 

 

Safety Officer, flarrogate and Two Rock Ranch Sta tion

1*60-6$

 

 

 

 

^

 

 

NSA FORM E3267R REV SEP S3