Commander Markle T. Smith was born on April 5, 1910, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1930. His early sea service included duty aboard the USS Louisville from 1930 to 1934 before he was selected for advanced Japanese communications intelligence training in 1934 as a member of the legendary “On-the-Roof” Class 13.
December 23, 1923 – July 5, 2005
“The worst thing that can happen is death, and that’s not the worst thing in the world either.”
Continue reading “Remembering VADM James B. Stockdale, USN, (Ret.)”
Imaging and Signals Intelligence Space Systems
The major effort within the US satellite reconnaissance program in the 1960s and 1970s featured overhead visual imaging systems, which produced information not obtainable any other way. (CORONA, GAMBIT, and HEXAGON, the early filmbased satellite systems, have already been well documented.) But there were important intelligence questions that could not be answered with pictures alone. The first question involved determining the location and characteristics of Soviet radars that could detect American strategic bombers. The second involved the performance capabilities of Soviet missiles—ICBMs and ABM systems. These two problems led the list of reasons favoring SIGINT satellites that could listen to and record the signals of Soviet radars, radio communications, and telemetry systems.
Continue reading “Early History of the National Reconnaissance Office (4 of 5)”
Morris “Moe” Berg (March 2, 1902 – May 29, 1972) was an American professional baseball player, scholar, and spy. Although he played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for teams including the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox, Berg was better known for his intellect and later, his work with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Fluent in multiple languages and educated at Princeton and Columbia, Berg became a unique figure in American history: a man who excelled in sports, academics, and espionage.
After 20 years of faithful and honorable service to the United States Navy, Commander Daniel Reddeg retires, leaving behind a distinguished career marked by dedication, leadership, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to duty. Throughout his service, he exemplified the highest traditions of naval service while making lasting contributions to his command, his shipmates, and the nation he proudly served.
Continue reading “CDR Daniel Reddeg, USN, Retires”
Captain Ivan Dunn, USN (ret) retired in 1998 after 31 years active duty. After his first tour as an Ensign Communications Officer at NAS Point Mugu, CA. (67-68), he volunteered for a special mission squadron, VQ-3 at NAS Agana, Guam. He served two years there flying as an Airborne Communications Officer in specially-configured C-130 aircraft designed to provide a survivable airborne component of Navy support to SSBNs (68-70).
Continue reading “Honoring Captain Ivan Dunn, USN, (Ret.), Former CO of NTTC Corry Station”
Station HYPO 