Many Naval Security Group personnel who served during the Vietnam Era are familiar with PIRAZ station – the Primary Identification Radar Advisory Zone established in the Gulf of Tonkin (GOT) in 1966 to track hostile and friendly air traffic over North Vietnam and the GOT. PIRAZ was continuously manned from its inception until after the cessation of hostilities and the return of the POWs from Hanoi in 1973. Since any ship assigned PIRAZ duties (most were cruisers or DLGs) had a NAVSECGRU detachment, quite a few CTs earned membership in the “Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club.”
Continue reading “Peacetime Aerial Reconnaissance Program Station (PIRAZ)”
On 1 April 2001, a U.S. Navy EP-3 signals intelligence aircraft flying a steady cruising speed, steady on altitude and on its assigned reconnaissance track was repeatedly buzzed by a Chinese Navy J-8II interceptor fighter jet. On the Fighter Pilot’s last harassing fly-by buzz…..he flew so close to the EP-3 that his fighter canopy flew through the prop-arc of the EP-3 causing the EP-3 to abruptly roll losing altitude. Solely due to the strength the Pilot in Command, he was able to wrestle the EP-3 back into level flight. Fortunately for all, the only life lost was that of the offending Chinese Fighter Pilot.
Continue reading “April Fools – Not! The Hainan Incident”
Early in 1924, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral Edward W. Eberle, encouraged the Commander in Chief, Asiatic Fleet (CINCAF), Admiral Thomas Washington, to expand radio intelligence facilities in his area. As a result of this encouragement, in 1924, the first shore-based intercept station was established in the American consulate in Shanghai. Its primary target was the diplomatic radio network serving the numerous Japanese consulates throughout China. Shanghai also copied both Naval and commercial traffic (Japanese and British).
Continue reading “Shanghai, China (Station A) Moved to USS Monocacy (PG-20)”
On March 22, 1982 – Ground was broken in Washington D.C. for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial designed by Maya Lin of Yale.
Some little known information regarding the Memorial:
Continue reading “Vietnam Memorial Wall”
SSgt Alfred T. Dwyer, USMC, (Cryptologist), KIA Vietnam
February, 18 1935 – January 30, 1968
February 10, 1943 – June 8, 1967
“A Blue-jacket of the First Watch” is how Captain William L. McGonagle, U. S. Navy, described Petty Officer Curtis Allan Graves during the solemn dedication of Graves Hall held Saturday, November 14, 1970 onboard Corry Station.
Continue reading “Remembering CTO1 Allan Graves, KIA, USS Liberty”
Station HYPO 