Naval Security Activity Detachment Hakata was activated in May 1959.
Because of the size of the command and scope of the mission increased the detachment was changed to on July 1, 1967 to a Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Hakata. NSGA Hakata was co-located with the U.S. Army’s 14th Army Security Agency Field Station, Hakata, Japan. After 13 years in operations, in April, 1972 NSGA Hakata closed and most of the personnel, assets, mission and functions were transferred to NSG Det Pyong Taek South Korea, which had recently opened on March 1, 1972.
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Life at NSGA Hakata Japan
By Jim Lawrence (former CTI2) circa 1962-1963:
Standing the Watch:

Some general information about Hakata/Brady Air Base. There were only 45 of us in the Navy Detachment including one officer, in my time Lt. Taylor, 2 chiefs, one in charge, first Harold Gunter, then Theodore Mara, and one who did decryption, then normally two or three first class who were section leaders, then a dozen or so second class and the rest almost all third class. Us grunts who manned the radios, 2nd class and below worked a rotating shift. Starting with an 8 hour Swing, 8 off, 8 hour Day, 8 off, 8 hour Grave, then 32 hours off, then start all over again. That made a seven day a week work schedule. I don’t know about anyone else but in the 20 months I was at Hakata I didn’t get one day of leave. The schedule was grueling to say the least. We always seemed tired, and we were always in a rush. By the time we hit the graveyard shift it was tough to stay awake but you had to keep alert because there was always someone to give you a hotfoot if you dozed off. I got my share… and gave one or two as well.

Living Quarters:
E3s and E4s slept in the Army barracks in single bunks. You could have one or two small pieces of furniture next to your bunk. A chair and/or small table. I had a custom built stereo with a walnut cabinet and 2 large speaker systems in walnut. After you made E5 you were assigned to one of the Air Force bungalows that sat on the left side as you entered the base Main Gate. The Army barracks were further down the road on the right. The bungalows were sort of like condos with two of them attached in the middle and a front door at each end. There were two men assigned to each side. Separate single beds, not bunks, with end tables, dressers, chairs and a table, a closet each, and a regular bathroom with shower, sink and toilet. There wasn’t a lot of extra room but you could still add whatever you liked. They were low squat buildings that sat in amongst some trees and were very cozy. Jerry Fuller and I shared a bungalow and we each kept a bottle of Brandy in our night stand for a nightcap if we wanted. I don’t remember anyone ever entering our quarters without an invitation, so the privacy was nice too after living in barracks your entire military life up to that point. After making 2nd class you also had the option of receiving subsistence pay instead of just eating all three meals every day at the Army chow hall. You could still eat there, but you had to pay each time.

Liberty:
Liberty consisted of what you could do in 32 hours, that is after you got about 10 hours sleep off your graveyard shift. That meant you’d wake up in the late afternoon, go get dinner at the chow hall, hang around for an hour or so telling lies to all your friends, then either going to the base movie, the EM (enlisted men’s) Club on base, or going into either Saitozaki to down a few drinks, mostly beer, and the logical consequence of that, or head over into the bright lights of Fukuoka for some entertainment or local culture. The Yatai (mobile food stands) along the river were always interesting, a really nice German style rooftop beer hall, clubs, restaurants, a floor show, department stores, tailor shops, jewelry stores, markets, so much to do there. If you had a Japanese girl friend, which was actually against regulations for us because of our security clearances, there were temples and shrines, beaches and mountains to go exploring in as well. My wife Kimiko and I used to go to Fukuoka regularly where I would soak up Japanese culture and language like a sponge. Dazaifu was about the most distant place we ever went, a trip we made again when we were last in Kyushu in the late 90’s.
The EM Club was a really nice place to socialize. Drinks were cheap and varied. There was a jukebox and once a week some of the guys who had musical talent would get a band together and play on the small stage. We had Hiram Pritchard from Texas who played saxophone, Jim Plum from Iowa played drums, and several others played guitars, piano, bass and trumpet. Once a week or month, we had a woman from a jewelry store, and a tailor, both from Fukuoka, who would bring samples with them to sell items to us. I bought lots of shirts, vests, suits and a couple beautiful coats from Hong Kong Tailors, and a really nice Blue Sapphire ring from the jeweler. I gave the clothing away as I grew out of them, but still have the ring.
Transportation:
As time went by during your tour at the base, alternative transportation might become something you would address. You could walk down into Saitozaki, and if a bit too woozy on the way back, take a cab. You could also take a bus into Fukuoka and again, a cab back if it was late or your sense of direction was blurred. Cabs, even when shared, got expensive after a time and there were options. I chose to go into Fukuoka to a motorcycle dealer and bought a used Meguro. It had a one cylinder 250 cc engine. At the time the Japanese motorcycle police rode two cylinder 500 cc Meguros. So I couldn’t outrun the police I suppose. Others bought mostly Hondas, 125s or 250s. Bob Killen bought a British Triumph 500 cc. Other options were usually bicycles, or cars, especially those that had been brought over from the U.S. by those who went before and then sold their car to someone before they left to go back to the U.S. So a wide variety of recent and very unrecent vehicles came on the market sporadically. I think we had to get base license plates for them, but I don’t remember any inspections or insurance requirements, nor driver’s tests, utilizing our home state driver’s licenses for the duration of our tour. One thing to remember is that in Japan you drive on the left, so American cars had an inherent danger involved in driving them in Japan.

Our base Army PX wasn’t all that big but fairly well stocked with items young men would crave. The normal array of toiletries and clothing, but I remember most the new releases on 45’s and music albums from the U.S. I also remember the Japanese craft items sold there. Hakata dolls, fans, china, especially sets of Noritake, bamboo and beautifully crafted wooden items that all sold at prices you’d never see off base. Which brings me to U.S. script. Funny money printed by the U.S. government, I suppose to keep American dollars out of the hands of the Japanese. I sure missed greenbacks when I was in Japan. We could buy Yen with script at 360 Yen to the dollar. We needed that disparity in order to survive on $65. a month even if we didn’t have enough free time to really enjoy it.

I truly loved Japan, even though I couldn’t wait to go back to the U.S. at the time. The grueling work schedule had more to do with it than anything else. Kimiko and I made dozens of trips back to Japan over the years, staying with relatives mostly up until seven years ago when we finally rented an apartment near her relatives to stay at when we went over, and then four years ago we bought a cute little house a few miles away that we go to once a year now, staying 3 to 6 months at a time. We have a small car there and a 250cc Honda scooter that we tool around on in nice weather. I still love most aspects of Japanese life and never get tired of the things we see and do there. We’ve also surrounded ourselves here in the U.S. with Japanese art and objects that we take pleasure in on a daily basis. And finally, Kimiko’s many, many years as a professional chef in Japanese restaurants lends itself well to my love of quality Japanese food.
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History:
The Japanese base known as Hakata Annex was occupied and came under American control in October, 1945 following Japan’s defeat in WW II. Hakata was continuously occupied under various designations, including Hakata Air Station, Camp Hakata, Brady Air Field, Brady Air Base, Brady Auxiliary Air Field, and the Hakata Administration Annex until it closed in June, 1972.
Hakata Station was the largest military unit located at Hakata Administration Annex, and was a tenant activity of the U.S. Air Force. The base is located in the northern section of Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. With Fukuoka City as the center, the base circumscribes a rough arc with Nakatsu on the east, Omuta on the south and Hamasaki on the west. Hakata is bounded on the south by Hakata Bay and on the north by the Genkai Sea (Korea Strait). Fukuoka City is 5 air miles southeast and Kokura is 32 air miles northeast of the base. Tokyo is approximately 600 miles northeast of the station.
Hakata Administration Annex, formerly called Camp Hakata by the U.S. Army, is in Fukuoka Prefecture. It was used by the Japanese Imperial Navy as a Naval Air Base. Hakata Administration Annex was first occupied in October, 1945 by the 5th Amphibious Corps, which furnished logistical support to U.S. military units on the island of Kyushu. In 1945, the 24th Infantry Division Artillery, as a component of the U.S. Eighth Army, was transferred from Osaka, Japan to assume occupational control of the Fukuoka (Hakata) area. The unit remained in the area until 1950, when the Korean Conflict began.
With the advent of hostilities in Korea, the 8024th U.S. Army Station Complement was formed in July, 1950. The unit assumed command and logistical responsibility for the base. Several Anti-Aircraft Artillery units were assigned to the base during 1950-51 to provide support for the immediate area and Itazuke Air Base, located about nine miles away. During the course of the Korean War, various U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force units were assigned to Camp Hakata. Brady Air Field at Hakata and nearby Itazuke Air Base conducted air operations against North Korea. The camp was also used as a staging area for troops being sent to Korea, with LSTs and other landing craft departing from the base.

The U.S. Air Force assumed command and logistical responsibilities for the base on July 1, 1956. Designation of the base was changed on this date from Camp Hakata to Brady Air Base and became a primary installation of the 5th U.S. Air Force. On July 1, 1961 the base was redesignated Brady Auxiliary Air Field and became a part of the Itazuke Air Base Complex. On January 1, 1962, the base was redesignated Hakata Administration Annex.
Today, Hakata is a district located in Hakata-ku in Fukuoka City, east of the Naka-gawa River, and is one of the central areas of Fukuoka, the largest city on Kyushu. Fukuoka City is a town that has developed on both sides of the Naka-gawa River, since Kuroda Nagamasa, a general of the samurai army in the 17th century, constructed Fukuoka Castle there. The eastern side of the river has developed as Hakata, a merchant town, while the western side developed as Fukuoka, a castle town. Recently, with an influx of tourists from other Asian countries, the city has also become international.
Source: navycthistory.com
31 July 2017 at 08:03
I just discovered a “picture” (small hand drawn scenes like a map & history of the 24th division in Camp Hakata, all carefully colored in), which I makes me wonder if my father was at this camp. He was in the artillery and in Japan, but he retired in 1946 and 1947 Is on this “picture.” I am going to see if the museum in Hawaii would want it. Mrs.Bartlett
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9 November 2019 at 23:05
What was your father’s name? Did he retire in ’46 or ’47 with 20 or 30 years service? I would love to see the maps you have to see how they mesh with my memory from that same period.
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7 September 2020 at 20:30
I know that the main street in front of Headquarter was named Artillery Road. I have a map of the Base, as it was in 1957. Also I have an aerial picture of the base, that I took from an airplane while stationed there.
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6 November 2017 at 01:30
I was stationed at Hakata from May, 1963 to April 1965 and have many fond memories of my time there. I had both a car and motorcycle and traveled all over Kyushu. Became semi-conversational in Japanese and wish I had tried harder to become fluent. I’ve made numerous trips back to Japan on business and am amazed at the changes, especially the roads and the sewer system.
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25 November 2017 at 17:21
Don, did you know Vern Copeland? He was my father and was stationed there at that time (Air Force).
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23 May 2018 at 20:50
Kim: Did your father live in Springfield, Illinois until his recent death?
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28 November 2017 at 02:57
I was stationed at Hakata (71-72) after VN and was the last enlisted (E5) to leave the base. I was engaged to a young lady from Taiwan and awaiting orders for a transfer to Okinawa. Does anyone know what happened to that property? It appears that it is now a public golf course or a park. Duty there was a paradise. I lived off base and had a motorcycle and a car. The Japanese people were wonderful.
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17 March 2018 at 20:42
Bill Poore, were you in the ASA? I was one of the last 4 or 5 guys left there after the closing, and was moved over to Torii Station Okinawa.
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26 May 2018 at 21:22
My father was stationed at Hakata from July 1965 – July 1968 on a family accompanied tour. My maternal grandmother also accompanied us on the assignment.
I was 8 yrs. old when we arrived and 11 when we left for Richards-Gebaur AFB in Belton, MO on the south side of Kansas City.
My fondest childhood memories were the troubles I got into at Hakata AS and the local Japanese I met who worked at the facilities on the station.
Dad, deceased 24 Apr, 2008, was then SMSGT “Swede” Davidson and Recreations NCO. I just discovered a series of photos from the AS and saw a photo of the 1966 “Rockets.” I recall the bantering that occurred between the Army, Navy, and AF teams on the football field, baseball diamond, and basketball court. I watched dad officiate many of those games while there.
I grew up an AF brat and have visited Marietta, GA where I was born while pop was at Dobbins AFB; the AF Academy where we were from 1958 – 1965; and have been in the KC area since then except when I was in the AF from 1975 – 1981 at Lackland AFB for Basic & Crypto school then wonderful Minot AFB from 1976 – 1981.
Finding this website allows me to share a part of my childhood with my wife, children, and soon my granddaughter when she gets old enough to comprehend.
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26 July 2018 at 07:13
John I lived at Hakata from 64 -67 was 8 when I got there father was part of the 6918 tsgt arnold fond memories of the area
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26 August 2019 at 15:38
I lived in HAKATA from 66-69 then went to MISAWA til 72. Now in SAN ANTONIO
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26 August 2019 at 18:49
i was at Brady field ASA from 56 to 58 Is that same as Hakata or near there ?
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17 August 2018 at 18:14
I was stationed at Brady in the Army ASA 1956-1958 anyone there at that time? Email me please
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3 October 2020 at 17:28
I was at the 14th from Feb 1957 until May 1959. SP5 Benjamin F. Phillips.
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19 August 2018 at 10:50
My father was stationed at Brady. I went to school at Itazuke and we lived at Camp Hakata. I was 8th thru 10th grade 1952-1954. Wonderful memories.
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7 October 2018 at 07:22
I lived in Camp Hakata from 1947 – 1949 when my father, Charles Hardesty, was stationed there. He was a pilot who flew fixed wing. We lived in a bungalow and the sidewalk from our house went right to the elementary school that had the coolest slide that looked like an elephant. Ah, the things we remember. I was very young but have very strong memories,
Going back to Fukuoka later this month.
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12 December 2018 at 19:39
Was an Army Brat at Camp Hakata 1949-51. Watched the opening of the Korean War there June- July 1950. After the 24th Inf Div (Arty) left, .50 Cal machine gun nests sprung up on the ocean side (Tsushima Straits) & the bay side. Army Command speculated that if the Pusan Perimeter collapsed, we would have a Dunkirk type evacuation. US Army offered our family 1 way trip back to the ZI (zone of interior = US). My mother declined, she did not want to send the message to my Dad that she was bugging out. 100 air miles across from Hakata’s beach to Pusan. Camp Hakata guarded by Japanese civil guards who only carried billy clubs. After the 24th left, they carried 12 gauge shotguns w/ a pocketful of shells. My older brother observed – the US was “re-arming” Japan early. Camp Hakata was home to the 24th Inf Artillery, so the funny looking buildings noted by Jim Lawrence were used to house 105mm & 155mm cannons when we were there.
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12 December 2018 at 22:52
Brother , sister & I were also Air Force brats at Hakaya ‘52, ‘53 & ‘54. First school was at Hakata then 10th grade & above at Itazuke. Had great time there. Wonderful memories 99 % of peers never had & probably wouldn’t understand.
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18 February 2019 at 08:24
Thanks ION for the information about the cannons being stored there. We Navy guys had no idea. The last time I was there one of the Army barracks was the only original building still standing and I believe I read somewhere that it is now gone too. The Japanese turned the base into a Peace Park with a fountain and a garden. The operations bunker was turned into just a small hill covered with grass. Saitozaki had been modernized quite a bit and the dusty dirt road had been paved. Progress…The old restaurant in the middle of town on the north side of the main street was where I first had Yakimeshi (fried rice) and Ohm Rice (Rice Omelet) and learned to love Japanese food. The base beach got lots of use where we would hang out sun bathing and listening to Armed Forces Radio with American music. We were in a cultural twist while in Japan, being lured by the local culture while trying to find as much of our American lifestyle on base to hang on to as we could.
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12 December 2018 at 23:03
To “M” : Looks like we were same grades, same schools, same time & lived at Hakata. We were probably classmates. I don’t use social media much but will look for a response from u. Last name is Walton . If like me, u probably don’t remember names that far back.? There were 13 of us in Itazuke 10th grade.
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14 May 2020 at 16:17
GREETINGS! SPEC 4 JOHN (JACK) H. SCHAEFER 32T ASA here. I worked the Comm Center at Brady Airfield 71 to 72. I was there when the shutdown started. One day all the equipment just up & disappeared…except for the antenna that was buried approximately 18 below the old cinder runway. Shall I elaborate? Whoever you are that reads this, I hope you are well. I enjoyed my time in Japan & my comrades!
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14 May 2020 at 18:31
My father was one of the pilots at Brady in the 1940s. As a 2nd grader, I got to meet Santa when his plane landed at Brady in 1947. Of course, he was another pilot friend who had circled and landed for the exciting moment. I know there is a photo someplace. Would you like a copy if I can find it?
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14 May 2020 at 19:20
always good to hear about Brady Field. I was there 1956 -1958 working shifts at .058 positions.
Lots of good memories from the trick parties. $.25 Heinekins at the club
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13 November 2020 at 20:09
This is for Anonymous who posted on May 14, 2020. My father, Charles M Hardesty, was also a pilot (fixed wing) at Brady in 47, 48. 49. I went to 2nd, 3rd, and half of 4th grade there so we must be the same age. I have photos of meeting Santa’s plane. Why do I think Santa was Bill Pring? You can’t tell in the costume. How do we share photos on this site?
Or you can send me your email address and I can copy and email it to you.
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14 May 2020 at 19:41
Does anyone know how I can see the names of the pilots that were sent from Camp Hakata/Brady to Korea? They were the first ones sent and I believe most of them died including my father’s best friend. I would like to find his name and see if I can reach out to his family.
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24 June 2020 at 15:54
I was one of the first personnel at the 14th US ASA Field Station. It was the 7202th Field Station to start with. It changed to the 14th just as I arrived there in March of 1957. March 5th. I loved my time at the 14th Brady Air Base. I get to me and keep a lot of great friends from my time there. Thanks for putting up this web site. Ben Phillips
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26 June 2020 at 13:20
You were at least a year late
I was there in early 1956
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7 September 2020 at 00:24
Hi, my name is Stephanie Haff Pearson and my Dad was Bill Haff (Cmdr. Wilson M. Haff). Dad was a Naval Pilot in three wars (WWII, Korea and Nam). 30 years of a fantastic life!!! I visited my folks in 1967 when dad was stationed at Hakata then transferred up to Sasabo till he returned to the States and was stationed at Pt. Mugu Pacific Missile Base by Oxnard, CA, where he was in charge of launching the Naval missiles from Vandenberg Air Force Base. My parents are both gone, but memories live on that can not be beat! Any responses are more than welcome!!
Thanks,
Steff
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7 September 2020 at 16:58
Was stationed at Hakata ‘68-‘70. Never knew until now that it had closed. As sailors we always enjoyed seeing Army officers get irritated when we didn’t salute them in our civvies! Army ran the mess and it was never good food. Air Force personnel always had the longest hair and the dingiest shoes. We had a very good fast-pitch softball team.
While there my roommate, and I think 23 others while on TAD were shot down by a North Korean MiG claiming our plane was over Korean waters. It was a devastating experience.
Thanks, Jim Lawrence for the memories.
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14 January 2021 at 15:43
That was a EC121 was shot down over the Sea of Japan 4-15-1969 all souls lost. Chief snuffy Smith was on it, us army guys worked with him in operations. I went to the memorial service at Hakata.
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12 November 2020 at 15:23
I was a pre-teen dependent there from 68 to 71, when the word came that the base was to be closed. My dad, Frank Damron, was a CTR Sr. Chief for NSGA. I remember fondly the sports rivalries in football, basketball and softball. They had great activities for the kids – a good school, youth center, and plenty of beach, coast, and forest to play in.
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13 November 2020 at 21:58
When you talk about the “forest” to play in, I remember two different types of woods. There was a stand of tall pine trees between the quarters and the berm that surrounded the school playground. That area had a floor of pine needles and smelled of pine. It was always cool in what we called the woods. We climbed those trees and came home stickly with sap.
The other woods was behind another street of houses. The ground was sand and the trees were somewhat misshapen by the wind from the water. If we went through those woods, we came to the beach. Going to the left on the beach, there was a rocky “shoal” where older Japanese men would collect octopus? squid? that washed up with the waves. If we went to the right – which we NEVER did because our mothers said we weren’t allowed at the beach, were the beaches for the Americans to swim.
In that second woods were huge cement tunnels that had another tunnel going off into the dunes. That tunnel had massive rusted steel doors we couldn’t move. We used to sit in front of those doors and imagine all kinds of things that might be behind them. As an adult, I think they were where they stored the large weapons to defend the coast from invasion and probably anti-aircraft weapons to shoot down planes. In those woods, there were large bomb-size “shells” that we would climb on and pretend to ride like horses.
So, when you talk about the forest to play in, where were you playing? People who post here were at Camp Hakata into the 1950s and were not children when they lived there.
I look forward to hearing from you. Valerie
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