First Composite Radio Company

Fleet Marine Force Pacific

     
       
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1st Composite Radio Company History (Page 2)

In March, 1964, the unit, then known as 1st Radio Company, participated in a joint amphibious exercise with the Formosan (Taiwan) Army, known as Operation Backpack.

The spring of 1964 saw a new, substantially larger Marine communications detachment introduced into the northern provinces of South Vietnam. Unlike its predecessors at Pleiku and Phu Bai, this unit was composed exclusively of Marines and included an infantry element for security purposes. Designated the Signal Engineering Survey Unit, the radio detachment consisted of three officers and 27 enlisted men drawn from the 1st Radio Company, FMFPac, and from Headquarters Marine Corps. This clement, commanded by Captain Alfred M. Gray, Jr. arrived at Da Nang on 20 May along with a 76-man infantry detachment from Company G, 2d Battalion, 3d Marines. The infantry element, reinforced with an 81mm mortar section (two mortars), was commanded by First Lieutenant Raymond J. Otiowski. Captain Gray assumed overall command of the composite force which was designated Marine Detachment, Advisory Team One.  Capt Gray would later become the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps.

As mentioned earlier, the unit was re-designated as 1st Radio Battalion in July, 1964 and 1st Composite Radio Company, as we knew it, was no more. (Back)

Sub Unit 1 in Pleiku Phu Bai Base Operation Backpack, 1964 Arial view of Phu Bai






 

 

Footnote: From Robert Destatte CWO=3 3rdRRU U.S. Army
 

One day in late September, the Commander of the 3rd RRU, LTC Cochran,
summoned Nelson and me to his office.  He told us that Sub-Unit One was
about to begin its third or fourth (I don't recall which) rotation of
personnel at Pleiku.  He explained that the NSA had complained that the
previous rotations had not produced enough intercepts to justify the cost
for maintaining the unit, and that NSA had decided to withdraw the USMC
intercept mission if the next rotation failed to increase production
significantly.

LTC Cochran further explained that he had discussed the issue with the
relevant USMC commander(s) and they had agreed that the short TDY tour at
Pleiku had not allowed the USMC technicians adequate time to become familiar
with their assigned targets and to develop the operational experience needed
to become fully productive.

Based on that analysis, LTC Cochran and the USMC commander(s) decided that
the 3rd RRU would deploy two experienced intercept technicians to the USMC
rotation that began in October.  Nelson and I each had operational
experience before deploying to Vietnam, and each of us had about 16 months
of experience against Vietnamese targets.  LTC Cochran charged Nelson and me
to assist the USMC technicians identify their assigned targets and acquaint
them with the known characteristics and idiosyncrasies of individual target
transmitters and operators.

I recall that Captain Fennel (spelling) maintained a graph on a wall in the
operations area that charted the volume of production, beginning in January
1962.  My memory is that the line on that graph took a nearly 90 degree
curve upward shortly after the October rotation began operations.  It
pleased Nelson and me to believe we contributed in some small way to your
success by helping you become familiar with your targets at the outset of
your rotation.

You and your colleagues demonstrated that the faith your commanders and LTC
Cochran placed in you was fully justified.  I know that LTC Cochran was
pleased with the results your rotation produced, and he told Nelson and me
that the NSA was happy.  I believe Captain Fennel and MSG Sepulveda
(spelling) were equally happy with your performance.

I was just a young E-5 at the time, but from my vantage point it was clear
that you and your colleagues saved the USMC SIGINT effort in Vietnam.

So, I repeat, you are too modest!  You and your fellow Marines performed
much better than you might have realized at the time.

 
 

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