I attended AIT at Fort Gordon, Signal School 1967
Dec 25, 2017 07:57:14 #
Welcome to the Hog....I went through Fort Gordon's Siginal School in '67 as well.Experienced that type of baccacks when I went through basic at Fort Jackson S.C.I remember those old barracks on base, we were in the more modern ones.
Dec 25, 2017 08:00:36 #
Small world sometimes. I wasn't there with you Phillis,(I lived about 6 miles away), but my father may have been one of your instructors in signal school, John Frankum. He was an instructor at the base for about 29 years. Happy Holidays.
USArmygirl1967 wrote:
I attended Signal School in 1967, my name then was... (show quote)
Dec 25, 2017 08:22:53 #
Dec 25, 2017 10:11:22 #
Hello Phyllis,
I was also at Fort Gordon, but later than you, in 69. Didn't even know there was a WAC unit on the base. lol! Too busy trying to learn Morse Code and worrying about probably having to carry a PRC-25 in Vietnam or sitting in one of those little radio shacks that our instructors took a sardonic glee in telling us were the first target of a VC attack. But, you know the Army, one day the First Sgt called me in with news that I had been reassigned to the Army Corps of Engineers in Taegu, Korea. I watched them build a taxiway at K-2 Air Base for the duration of my tour. I guess that BSCE did me some good after all.
Stayed in barracks like you described during basic during the winter at Fort Knox, KY, though. Wow, it was so cold and miserable, during training they would herd us into heated tents every once in a while to warm up a bit. But nobody died.
I was also at Fort Gordon, but later than you, in 69. Didn't even know there was a WAC unit on the base. lol! Too busy trying to learn Morse Code and worrying about probably having to carry a PRC-25 in Vietnam or sitting in one of those little radio shacks that our instructors took a sardonic glee in telling us were the first target of a VC attack. But, you know the Army, one day the First Sgt called me in with news that I had been reassigned to the Army Corps of Engineers in Taegu, Korea. I watched them build a taxiway at K-2 Air Base for the duration of my tour. I guess that BSCE did me some good after all.
Stayed in barracks like you described during basic during the winter at Fort Knox, KY, though. Wow, it was so cold and miserable, during training they would herd us into heated tents every once in a while to warm up a bit. But nobody died.
Dec 25, 2017 10:14:37 #
Hello and welcome USArmyGirl.... I was at Fort Gordon from November & December 1967 for Basic Training.
iCE 🇺🇸
iCE 🇺🇸
Dec 25, 2017 10:23:46 #
Dec 25, 2017 10:29:01 #
Hi Phyllis.
Welcome to UHH. I'm older than you and was drafted - US Army - in Dec. 58'. Eventually I spent the remainder of my 2 years at White Sands Missile Range. The barracks (Det. II) were modern, brick ones. I spent 4 months living in them. In Aug. 59 I was married and spent the remainder of my time in an apartment in El Paso. It's possible, but I do not remember kerosene used for heating in the barracks. They were fully air conditioned for the intense summer heat. I vaguely recall older barracks. They may have been heated with kerosene. I do know in Ft Dix, NJ, where I did by basic training, the small barracks were heated by coal burning potbellied stoves. There was a constant odor of coal and dust everywhere.
Enjoy UHH!
Mark
Welcome to UHH. I'm older than you and was drafted - US Army - in Dec. 58'. Eventually I spent the remainder of my 2 years at White Sands Missile Range. The barracks (Det. II) were modern, brick ones. I spent 4 months living in them. In Aug. 59 I was married and spent the remainder of my time in an apartment in El Paso. It's possible, but I do not remember kerosene used for heating in the barracks. They were fully air conditioned for the intense summer heat. I vaguely recall older barracks. They may have been heated with kerosene. I do know in Ft Dix, NJ, where I did by basic training, the small barracks were heated by coal burning potbellied stoves. There was a constant odor of coal and dust everywhere.
Enjoy UHH!
Mark
USArmygirl1967 wrote:
Hi, thanks for responding, looks like we may have ... (show quote)
Dec 25, 2017 10:55:01 #
Dec 25, 2017 10:57:22 #
Dec 25, 2017 10:59:33 #
Hello, Merry Christmas to you ! Yes, I'm sure I had your father as a instructor. Wow, he taught at Ft. Gordon for 29 years, now he deserved a medal for that service.
Dec 25, 2017 11:15:45 #
Hi Merry Christmas, I see that you were at Ft. Gordon a decade before I was stationed there, I bet it was really different there. Yea, Our WAC barracks was stuck in the middle of now where, Our group of girls was 8 at the most, and we turned heads on the forts, OMG girls ! Yea, I really liked White Sands, Our barracks were very modern. If I looked out my bedroom window, I could see where I worked at McAfee Army Hospital. My room was large, I had my own bathroom, it was almost a pleasure to be stationed there. If it weren't for the bats ! They would linger around the light poles at night, sometimes I had to run home from work. The base was a little lonely, not enough to do. I would take long walks in the desert, or take a bus to Las Cruces, took in some concerts at New Mexico State. It all seems like yesterday.
Dec 25, 2017 14:52:06 #
Phyllis, when replying to specific person, use the “quote reply” so your comments will go to that person. Again Welcome.
Dec 25, 2017 15:48:51 #
I was at Ft Gordon January to June 1964 Signal School double MOS 053& 051. I remember those barracks very well. We had to keep furnace going all night (Fire Duty) not only to keep the barracks reasonably warm but to make sure the water was hot when the guys got up to take showers in the morning. Don’t remember any heaters. I would think they would be a fire hazard and banned in the barracks. Glad you got out safely.
USArmygirl1967 wrote:
I attended Signal School in 1967, my name then was... (show quote)
Dec 25, 2017 15:59:03 #
I was here in 1967, not a WAC, assigned to the Preventive Medicine unit housed in some of the old offices attached to the hospital. Went from there to Vietnam.
Dec 25, 2017 16:35:47 #
When I was in AIT for Signal Corp it was Camp Gorden 1955. After graduation was sent to Alaska Communication System but never got there as I was shanghied in Seattle into the Nike Missile system. The best thing that happened to me in 20 years of service.
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