613th Air Control and Warning Squadron

Air Force BBS

---

---

William MOORE wrote on March 23, 2024

Send Email To WILLIAM MOORE

---

City and State: BELMONT NC

Unit: 613TH

Service or Relationship: 1958-59

Comments: Hope this reaches my friend Ted Kalb.

Keywords:

---

---

Edwin Wager wrote on February 9, 2019

Send Email To EDWIN WAGER

---

City and State: CHARLESTON WV

Unit:

Service or Relationship: Air Force

Comments: Was there from August 1958 to August 1959

Keywords:

---

---

Robert (Rube or Bob) Ruble wrote on June 20, 2018

Send Email To ROBERT (RUBE OR BOB) RUBLE

---

City and State: RINCON GA

Unit: 613TH AC&W SQDN DET 29 OKU SHIRRI SHIMA

Service or Relationship: USAF

Comments: My entries 67140 and 54038 date of service was 1957 thru1958

Keywords:

---

---

Ted Kalb wrote on November 24, 2016

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: NEWARK OH

Unit:

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: Looking for airman who were stationed at the radar site in 1959. Ken Mack, Bill Moore, Ballard, Barber,

Keywords:

---

---

Lloy Thurman wrote on March 25, 2014

Send Email To LLOY THURMAN

---

City and State: MESA AZ

Unit: 1ST RSM DETACHMENT 3

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: I was in the 1st RSM and sent to Detachment 3, which was hosted by 613th AC&W Site 29 on Okushiri Shima. My orders said three days TDY, which became 90 days, later extended to six months, and then rotations were frozen. I arrived 24 December 1954 and left 11 February 1957. I spent three Christmas Days up here, probably a record. I have many photos of the site and am writing up my off-duty experiences on Okushiri Shima.

Keywords: Three Christmases, 1st RSM Det. 3, 613th AC&W Site 29, Okushiri Shima

---

---

Lloy Thurman wrote on March 25, 2014

Send Email To LLOY THURMAN

---

City and State: MESA AZ

Unit: 1ST RSM DETACHMENT 3

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: Ray Hulsey, a S/Sgt. in 1st RSM Detachment 3 hosted by the 613th AC&W Site 29 sent me this about a new CO on Site 29, in 1954.
A new major had taken over and invited us non-coms to accompany him on making a round of inspections so he could show us how things were to be done in his command. He was being strictly West Point, beds made so tight that quarters could be bounced off them, footlockers maintained as we had done in basic training with socks rolled up and clothes folded, etc. We were all looking somewhat downhearted, since our previous commander had run a very loose ship. All of the sudden the phone rang six times. I said, That's a fire alert! Answering the phone we learned that the fire was in the generating station. Not waiting for instructions, we all immediately ran for big fire extinguishers and then to the scene of the fire. Our new commander was so impressed that we all reacted so well and fast without orders that he underwent a dramatic conversion on the spot. He decided that a tight bed cover was not as important as a functioning generation station (but he never said that; he just never pulled ay more white glove inspections.

Keywords: Fire, 613th AC&W on Site 29, 1st RSM Det. 3, new site commander

---

---

Lloy Thurman wrote on March 25, 2014

Send Email To LLOY THURMAN

---

City and State: MESA AZ

Unit: 1ST RSM DETACHMENT 3

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: The following account of the September 1954 hurricane was sent to me by Ray Hulsey, a S/Sgt. in 1st RSM Detachment 3 that was hosted by 613th AC&W on Site 29, Okushiri Shima.
We had a film every night. One time in September 1954 we were enjoying a movie, in spite of an increasingly nasty wind storm raging outside. I was aware of a typhoon on the other side of Hokkaido, but it was not an immediate threat to us according to the USAF weather reports I checked. However, my attention drifted from the movie to the scene outside our widows as the wind seemed to blow harder by the minute. Suddenly the wind and rain stopped as if someone had thrown a switch. That's when I realized we were in a hurricane and the eye was directly over us. (I grew up on the Texas coast, and was not unfamiliar with hurricanes, having experienced several.) I shouted, First radio: back to the barracks now. So we all ran back up hill to the barracks. I remember a gust of wind blowing me down on the ground. We holed up in our barracks and soon lost our electricity. With nothing else to do I got in my bunk and immediately fell asleep. About 5 a. m. or so I awoke and realized that I could lie in my bunk and see the sky. We had not lost the hole roof, but significant portions of it.

Keywords: 1st RSM Det. 3, Hurricane, Okushiri Shima, 613th AC&W Site 29

---

---

Lloy Thurman wrote on March 25, 2014

Send Email To LLOY THURMAN

---

City and State: MESA AZ

Unit: 1ST RSM DETACHMENT 3

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: My first Operations Chief at 1st RSM Detachment 3 was, S/Sgt. Ray Hulsey, who sent me the following account of his experience on 613th AC&W Site 29 that hosted 1st RSM Detachment 3: I arrived at Okushiri in September 1953 after a freezing train trip across Hokkaido (a military plane had taken me up from Misawa). All the Japanese on the train sported huge comforters, for they knew the heat wouldn't be turned on until after October 1st. After a Japanese meal of something I never succeeded in identifying, I boarded an AKL cargo transport ship and crossed to Okushiri in a God-awful storm which had me throwing up my Japanese meal all night long. Arriving at Okushiri, I was almost too weak to walk but nevertheless had to jump to some small LSD type craft. Then we made the journey up the mountain where more than anything I wanted to go to bed, since I hadn't slept all night. But the enthusiastic young buck sergeant in charge was anxious to show me their whole setup.
At that time there was a very lenient camp commander and most of the men sported full beards. It had the appearance of a lumber camp in the north woods. Our humble (and I do mean humble) abode was an army tent. Later it was upgraded with a wooden floor and 2x4 frame to keep it from collapsing in a high wind. It was heated for the temperature was already quite cold. I believe there was snow on the ground, I'm sure there was sow on the tent. Anyway as I was saying, it was heated with a potbellied stove fueled by diesel oil fed in from a tank just outside the tent.
Our working quarters were in the top of a tower erected for an altitude radar that was no longer in use, since a new radar unit had recently been installed. Since there were only four of us, we were subsequently moved to a quonset hut, then into a wooden building. As our numbers grew we finally had a whole building to ourselves.

Keywords: AKL-29, 1st RSM Det. 3, Site 29, Okushiri Shima

---

---

John Danehy wrote on February 16, 2014

Send Email To JOHN DANEHY

---

City and State: SO. ELGIN IL

Unit: 613AC&W OUT OF MISAWA JAPAN

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: Any OKI friends out there. I was there 55-57 and was in telephone maintenance with Livery and Brewer. At the time was a A/2C. Stayed in for 30 and retired in 85 as a Chief. Remember that MSgt Huff was 1sgt, and Capt Collip was Commander. Lived in Quenset Hut #1 with BJ, Tanrango, Russell from motor pool, Eddie Hughes, Scarbough from civil engineers, Livery, Brewer, and others I can't remember. I remember when we stole a whole pallet of Lowenbrau beer that was surposed to be for officers club which we hid in the snow. I used to run the projector for the evening movies that we had in the mess hall. Also remember the old AKL29 that took us to the island. Give a shout out if any old det 29 vets are still around. CMSgt John Danehy, USAF ret.

Keywords:

---

---

Bob Burns wrote on December 27, 2013

Send Email To BOB BURNS

---

City and State: TIGARD OR

Unit: 613TH AC&W SQ, 511TH AC&W GP

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: I arrived in Japan in Oct 1954. I was assigned to the 49th TAC Hospital, Misawa. The next spring I went TDY to the Navy Hospital in Nagoya for further medical training and subsequent assignment to Det 29, 613th AC&W Sq. The following spring I was transferred to Det 42 as part of the advance group to open the site and support the construction crew that was building the radar dome. I left in Jan 56 for Lockbourne AFB, Ohio.

Keywords: 49th TAC Hospital, Det 29, Det 42.

---

---

John Danehy wrote on September 17, 2012

Send Email To JOHN DANEHY

---

City and State: SO ELGIN IL

Unit: 613AC&W DET 29

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: I arrived misawa late in 1955, assigned to Det 29 The Rock as an A3C. I
worked in the telephone maintenance shack, mostly installing phones,
climbing poles etc. I installed the siren on top of the 90 ft pole in the
middle of the compound near the mess hall. Also ran the movie
projector showing the night flicks. Remember Pop Green Grd Power and
the two twin brothers that worked with him, Don Coulter who came
later to the telephone section, and taught me how to cable splice.
Loved our little bar and many card games. Lt Deggindoffer was our OIC.
Russell Black motor pool, Harry scarbough C and E, Tarango and padilla
Orderly room, Capt Colip was Commander. Have old pictures of Harvey
Hill, Reid and Piper, etc. I stayed in for 30 yrs retiring in 1985 as Chief
Master Sgt. Would gladly share correspondence with old friends from
Oki. Left Det 29 in Oct 1957 back to the ZI.

Keywords: Marvin Lively , Rodney Brewer, Douglas Self, all served with me in
telephone maintenance, 1955 to 1957.

---

---

Don Long wrote on May 21, 2012

Send Email To DON LONG

---

City and State: EUCLID OH

Unit: DET 29

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: On May 16, 2012, my son, Jeff Long, surprised me by
showing the Okushiri Shima series on his computer
essentially about the mysterious (at least to us GCI
people) 1st radio group. We (GCI) shared The Rock
with them, but we knew nothing about them and were
not permitted in their operations even with secret
and crypto clearances. They had no officers to share
exciting BOQ evenings around the bar. I'm sure our
persuasive personalities would have extracted the
mysteries and unlocked the secrets of 1st radio.

Anyhow, I was paroled from The Rock March 1956
after eleven months and eleven voyages on the AKL
from and to the exciting Japanese ports of Otaru
(Hokkaido) and Amori (Honshu). Each voyage consuming
plus or minus eleven hours of continuous puking on
the floor of the passenger quarters courtesy mainly
of the Straits of Hakodate.

On the eve of Boat Day, we prepared our BOQ Guests
for their return voyage on the AKL by insisting they
be suitably inoculated against the combined action of
the AKL roll, yaw, pitch, and sudden freeing of the
screw from the drag of the ocean, causing vibration
as the stern of the AKL came out of the water while
surfing the 30 to 50 foot waves. The inoculation
consisted of endless amounts of Grasshoppers chased
with beer. Needless to say, the phone at the BOQ
rang incessantly several days after departure,
delivering every profanity known to mankind from
recovering puked-out voyagers.

I departed December 29, after serving as GCI
Operations Officer of the best FPS-3 radar operations
in the 5th AF, January 1956 exercise. We had an
outstanding group led by Captain Robert C Colip,
Commander, USAF. One never ever forgets The Rock.

This is SODA POP, out! (Det29 GCI call sign).

Proudly,

GCI Radar OIC Det. 29
613th AC and W Squadron
1st Lt. Donald C Long, USAF Ret.
AO 3014507

Keywords: Rock, Okushiri shima, Det 29, 613th AC and W, USAF,
Japan, AKL

---

---

Tom McNiff wrote on April 25, 2012

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: WINTHROP MA

Unit: 613TH AC&WRON

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: Atop the Det 45 mountain May-Nov 1958, then off to
Det 29 thru May '59. Flew off the 45 hill for Misawa
dental work after a softball knocked 2 teeth out.
Loads of memories include 2 big Det 45 radar fixers
taking over a Sapporo to Chitose train, the major
telling us we might go to war with M-1 carbines as
China threatened Quemoy, pinochle and canasta games
by the hour, big losses and a hike thru bamboo around
Okushiri-Shima to end up in a fishing village where
the local teacher spoke just enough English to call
the base and get us a weaps ride back to the base.
Like to share such memories. Remember Jack Munn and a
Cajun A/1c named Joe at Det 45.

Keywords:

---

---

Thomas O. Simpson wrote on August 15, 2011

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: BELLEFONTAINE OH

Unit: 613 AC&W SQ

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: Served with some great troops,Mancuso from La, Walton,Ark.(was behind us tearing down Japanese contractor Quarters to build Chapel.A1c Kirkland,KY,was NCOIC Radar Maintenance.

Keywords: Upon arriving Misawa, was asigned Det 28. my buddy was asigned Det 29 The man going to 28 ask me to change asignments with him so he could go to 28 and I would go with my buddy to 29. when I ask clerk about the change, he looked at kind of strange and ask I was sure. Dumb me said yes, and ended up on the rock 

---

---

Bob Dietz wrote on February 21, 2011

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: SEBRING FL

Unit: 613TH AND 511TH AC-W

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments:

Keywords: I was on site 42 as a radio operator. Knew Ron Weidner

---

---

Erin Duskey wrote on December 13, 2009

Send Email To ERIN DUSKEY

---

City and State: PA

Unit:

Service or Relationship: Family Member

Comments: Hey looking for anyoe who may know

Paul Richard Sentinek of Pennsylvaia

He was with 613AC and W and retired as a Staff Sargent.

Looking for friends, as his 80th birthday is soon!!

Keywords:

---

---

Leigh Fried wrote on April 11, 2009

Email Update Needed

---

City and State:

Unit:

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: Made two trips to Okushiri on the AKL. I thought it was the most remote and primitive place I had ever seen. My TDY trips were just routine for about a week each time. Once when the snow was the deepest I'd ever seen and once when the hills were covered thickly with bamboo. Still have what I think are some good pictures.

Keywords:

---

---

Ron Weidner wrote on February 12, 2009

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: FL

Unit: 613TH - HQ. SQD. 39TH A.D.

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: SCOPE DOPE AT 42 1957-1958

Keywords: RON

---

---

Bob Ruble wrote on September 9, 2008

Send Email To BOB RUBLE

---

City and State: NEWBURY PARK CA

Unit: 613TH AC-W

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: I worked for awhile under Terruya (Hawaiin) Radio site. Later, I ran the radio site. I also ran the Special Services and built an operating radio station for music and DJ'd all over Japan. I saved a bunch of guys lives one day when I found my barracks covered under snow and the oil heater roof stack was covered with snow. I hand dug down to the front doors and black smoke piled out of the barracks and I pulled a lot of guys out to clear they're lungs out. A few more minutes and we would have had a bunch of dead buddies. Lots of memories. I think we were power or powder radio and the main net station was Gold Coast where Sgt Jake Keffer was in charge. I worked with the Navy P2V's who flew daily over Russia and around the Port of Vladivostok. The migs one day shot a P2V up before I could get help from Misawa AFB. The P2V I was told cradhed but they made it out ok. I will never forget when a P2V crew on Misawas shook my hand and thank you for having the best monitoring radio station in Japan. Lots more memories with AKL29 which brought our supplies and during the Korean action was used as a Ship binging dead soldiers from Korea. I was once in a middle of a monsoon on board the AKL29 which was a two hole freighter. Like I said I have lots of these memories and lots more of my Japan duty.

Keywords: I worked with a Hawaiin who was in charge of out radio site. I believe his name was Terruya, I had to stay with him in town he did not like the Japanese which stems from Perl Harbor. I knew Sgt Jake Keffer who worked with me on the 773rd AC and W at Montauk, Long Island N.Y.. He worked at the Net control radio station at Furimaki. We were good buddies.

---

---

Lorenzo Blocker SR. wrote on July 29, 2008

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: MILFORD TX

Unit: 613TH AC-W

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: stationed in misawa and site 29 from 1952 thru 1954 nicknamed lucky, looking for old pals

Keywords: ralph c briggs

---

---

Ken McKellar wrote on September 3, 2007

Email Update Needed

---

City and State:

Unit: 613TH AC-W RADIO OP

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments:

Keywords: I WAS STATIONED IN MISAWA IN 1954/1956
WOULD REALLY LIKE SOME PICTURES OF MISAWA AND BASE FROM THOSE YEARS.. ANYTHING WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE..
THANKS...... KEN MCKELLAR

---

---

Scott Bolsins SR. wrote on February 23, 2007

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: HILLTOP LAKES TX

Unit: 613TH / 962ND AEWC

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments:

Keywords: Looking for friends in Japan 1954/56 and Otis AFB 1957
Construction of 33,42,37.

---

---

Lorenzo Blocker SR. wrote on July 31, 2006

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: MILFORD TE

Unit: 613 AC@W

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: had a ball up at the site hope to hear from old friends

Keywords: Served time up at okushira shima53

---

---

Richard Burke wrote on December 10, 2005

Email Update Needed

---

City and State:

Unit:

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: I was assigned to the site near Ominata in 58 and 59. Later in life I worked with a guy named Jim Moreland who was squadron commander at the site for a short time before I was there. Would like to hear from anyone who was there.

Keywords:

---

---

Bob Ruble wrote on November 11, 2005

Send Email To BOB RUBLE

---

City and State: NEWBURY PARK CA

Unit: 613TH AC-W SQDN, OKU SHIRRI SHIMA ISLAND, JAPAN

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: We were the best radar site covering Japan, Russia, and Korea and the Russians new it and use to mess with us all the time. We were on top of the mountain monitoring radio and radar. Constant monitoring of our aircraft by looking out for Russian acft and there Navy. Lots of stories and memories. I still wonder if any Russian Acft. who buzzed us out of Vladisvostok Air Base would carry some of my bullets back to there base. We got all of our supplies by ship AKL29 out of Aomori, Japan. It was a small two hold freighter which during Korea used as a ship to carry our dead military home. I have lots of great memories. It's the kind of thing that makes me proud of wearing our uniform.

Keywords:

---

---

Bill Russell wrote on November 2, 2005

Email Update Needed

---

City and State:

Unit: DET. 29, 613TH AC-W, 5TH ABG

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: Stumbled upon this site and thought I'd see if any other guys were still around that served on "The Rock", that little spot in the ocean. Served at Misawa and then got transfered to Okushiri Shima.
The photos of AKL 29 certainly brought back memories.
Anyone know what happened to Major Zwicker? Other than prison.

Keywords:

---

---

Harry W. McCarthy wrote on May 30, 2005

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: COLLINGDALE PA

Unit: RADIO

Service or Relationship: Air Force Veteran

Comments: Would like to hear from you and anyone else who was at MIsawa or up at the site

Keywords: personal friends Tom Feeney,Pa-Bob McKinney,Tenn-Bob Ades,Wisc-Ken Newbold,Utah-Joe Golden,Pa-Max Sanchez,Tex-Clyde Fontenot,La

---

---

Sonjia Kirk wrote on April 7, 2005

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: NEW ORLEANS LA

Unit:

Service or Relationship: Friend of Veteran

Comments: EMAIL ME PLEASE

Keywords: FRIEND OF LORENZO BLOCKER

---

---

Lorenzo Blocker wrote on October 28, 2004

Email Update Needed

---

City and State: HILLSBORO TE

Unit: 613 AC-W

Service or Relationship: -

Comments: was in Japan from July 1952 thru. 1954 one year in Misawa and the last year on a little site named okushira Shima site 29 from 53 - 54

Keywords: LuckyFriend named Ralph C Briggs

---

---