STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of SP5 Charles Morrison, U.S. Army (1964-1968)

I had worked as a fingerprint technician with the FBI in Washington, DC, from June 1962 through August 1964. I then called an ARMY RECRUITER and volunteered to join the Army. When speaking with the recruiter, I also selected the US ARMY SECURITY AGENCY. He warned me that I had to score at least 112 on my battery tests to be in the ASA MOS. Luckily, I scored 114.5.

By the way, I was in the ARMY SECURITY AGENCY Honor Guard while going through my MOS schooling for THE ENTIRE year of 1965. I started out as just an honor guard member, then became a squad leader, a platoon Sergeant, and ultimately, the Field First, overseeing the entire Honor Guard, Companies A & B. The Honor Guard was Company “G” at Fort Devens. The attached picture was taken when I was Field First on NCO Day, when all companies marched to Soldier’s Field to listen to various speakers.

1. Basic Training @ Ft. Leonard, Missouri

2. Shipped to Ft. Devens, Massachusetts, MOS’S 05H20, 05D20 & 05D30. This took a full year of training in all of 1965.

3. Shipped to Oakland to be shipped to Bangkok, Thailand. 5th RRU NOTE: Bangkok became the 83rd RRSOU in 1967.

6. On April 20, 1967, Extract shipped me from Bangkok to Det “C” at Chiang Mai, Thailand

7. I kept extending until my tour of 4 years was up on July 31, 1968.

Boot Camp/Basic Training Memories

I took my Basic Training at Fort Leonard, Missouri, from October 28, 1964, to December 31, 1964.

I remember being told NEVER VOLUNTEER FOR ANYTHING! Well, at first, our Company was called to attention and asked for volunteers, and I raised my hand, and we were told that the next day, we were to report to the motor pool for class in the motor pool, where we were instructed, and then had to pass a driving test in a car or a pickup—3/4 ton truck, jeep, and finally a duce and a half truck. The safety instructor had us drive a Diamond Reo, an All Wheel Drive duce-and-a-half on the base. There, we were instructed to drive up a steep hill and around the side, where the Safety Officer instructed me to drive. At the end of the day, I had driven each vehicle, was issued a military driver’s license, and became one of Company B’s drivers. We were instructed which vehicle we needed to sign out the next day. If one of the officers requested to be driven to the firing range, then you would check out a car or a jeep, depending on the weather.

On one occasion, two of us were called to the First Sergeant’s office, and they had a prisoner who had tried to escape. We were then told that we were to escort him to the Company’s Prison. They sent the other driver to pick up a 3/4-ton and return with it. In the meantime, I was asked if I knew how to operate a 45-caliber pistol, and I answered yes. He gave the pistol and 2 clips with live ammo in them. I was told to lock and load it. When the diver came back, we were instructed to shoot to kill if he tried to escape. I said that I could do it, and we delivered him to the Stockade.

In 1967, I was on TDY from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to our headquarters located in Bangkok, Thailand. I was an armed courier tasked with picking up classified communication information, which included both Secret and Top Secret levels. We all had Top Secret Clearances. When it was time to fly back to Chiang Mai, I was driven to the airport, where the three bags of Classified Material and I were loaded onto a Caribou, a twin-engine aircraft. We had flown to Khorat and landed to pick up a soldier who was going on R&R. After taking off from Khorat, we climbed and leveled off. About 20-30 Minutes of flight time had expired when we heard a loud sound, and oil came streaming back onto the side of the plane. The crew chief was asleep, lying on the floor with his back propped up against our stack of luggage.

I immediately woke him up, and he went to talk with the pilots. He then turned and asked us which we wanted: to fly back to Khorat, where they would be stranded for a week waiting for parts, or to fly back to Bangkok, where they could immediately catch another flight. The majority wanted to fly to Bangkok. The pilot shut off the damaged engine, and we used only one engine. Upon arrival at Bangkok, we were skimming low to the ground. Viewing the runway, there were fire trucks on both sides of it! Many personnel were unaware that the C-130s and Caribous were rotated out of South Vietnam for a 2-week R&R in Thailand. When we were flying back, I’ve never seen such somber folk, no laughing or talking, just heads turning back and forth and eyes looking the same. I never knew that a Caribou could be fully loaded and fly on one engine!

Yes, I flew to Bangkok on an “Armed Courier” Run when I was on a TDY Assignment. Upon returning to Chiang Mai, Thailand, with 150 pounds of Classified Material, I hand-carried it to a “CARIBOU”, a twin-engine aircraft. We flew to Khorat and picked up troops going on R&R leave, and we were fully loaded. We had just leveled off and were about 20 minutes into the flight when the engine on the right made a noise, and oil began to steam on the side of the plane. I woke the Flight Chief up and showed him what was happening. The flight chief went and spoke with the pilots, then returned and informed us that we had a choice: either fly back to Khorat, where there were no parts for a week, or fly back to Bangkok, where parts were available. All elected to turn back to Bangkok. Now, this meant that we only had one engine to fly back. By the time we reached Bangkok, we were skimming low, and on both sides of the runway were lined with fire trucks. It should be noted that the C-130s and Caribous were rotated out of South Vietnam for a two-week R&R.

My favorite Station was in Chang Mai, Thailand. You could own a motorcycle, yet not go too far from the city. I had a 35mm camera in which I took over 1,000 pictures. Several were of the Rice Paddies and Temples, especially those in Bangkok, close to the famous Temple of DAWN. We could wear our Fatigues to work and then wear Civilian clothes when we were off work. One of my buddies asked me if I had ever been to the “FLOATING MARKET,” and I answered NO. I finally gave in to his asking, and we went to where the larger boats could take us. We passed the Temple of Dawn, and I snapped pictures of it. Well, coming back, the driver slowed down the engine so he could charge us more money. So, everyone wanted to stop at a temple and Pagodas, then return to his boat to finish the trip and collect his money. After climbing the TEMPLE OF DAWN, and taking pictures, my buddy decided that we would just pick up a Samlo driver and drive us to our Headquarters, and that we did! We did not pay for the boat driver. As far as we know,,,,,, he could still be sitting there!

Some of the best memories were with the other soldiers, when we would play volleyball and football, and not to forget playing poker and pinnacle. Also, we had Chinchucks about two inches long that ran freely in the house. We had finished playing poker, and two of the guys had mixed drinks and were talking about taking a toothpick and sticking it into their drink and then dropping a drop down the Chinchilla’s mouth. Now these things sorta looked like an alligator, only they were white with soft skin. Well…..it did not take long to get the little critter drunk, and I remember hearing those guys screaming and laughing. I’m located at the bottom right.

This picture was taken because someone ratted us out for growing mustaches, and we received notice from our Net control, “If it was not on your basic picture, then you have to shave it off!” It had to be some young fellow that was too young to grow one himself; never did find out who it was!

A little country boy being able to obtain a top Secret Clearance, and master the Army Security Agency’s Honor Guard, and passing the MOSs that I was assigned to, and in my job, possibly saving thousands of soldiers’ lives and helping save pilots’ lives, whose plane was shot down. It made you feel proud to protect our Nation. I feel it made you see the importance of a job and how serious it could be.

I was perplexed when various people would ask. Did you see combat? My answer was yes; the job we had was classified as Secret and Top Secret. I suspect that it resulted in the deaths of thousands. Our Net Controls would send out the encrypted Mega Hertz signal that was being transmitted in. We would encrypt the degrees from which the signal was coming. Each detachment’s signal was posted on a big map of North and South Vietnam. Where three of the lines crossed, The Latitude and Longitude were given to Officers, and Jets, companies, and artillery were sent to destroy them. We had to swear we would not say anything for 30 Years. For me, it was 1998. OSS….Old Spooks and Spies. We all had Top Secret Clearances.

No doubt, it was the ASA Army Intelligence brass and training that made the difference. We could not wear it overseas; we were required to wear Signal Corps Brass, which had two flags crossed over each other. I still have it in my Shadow box. All of our Identification was taken from us, and we were issued this folding identification, which we were required to carry 24/7. We were told that if we got into trouble, we should just show them the folder that had our information inside it. The men of the ASA even grin and kid each other, saying that we belong to the acronym “OSS,” which means “OLD SPOOKS AND SPIES.”

Sergeant Long was only a buck Sergeant, yet he was over the “HONOR GUARD AT FORT DEVENS.’ He had a deep voice, yet it was loud, and the commands were very understandable. He would march us to our schooling daily. He would run us through exercises daily and was just with us. Various States and cities would call and request that we march in parades there. I can remember a full bird colonel who was in the VFW, coming up and complimenting us on our precision in marching and using our M-14 Rifles. SGT. Long did not march with us in the parades, just our Company Commanders and lieutenants. The Captain would call cadence and commands. The Lieutenants would repeat what the Captain would order. I am in the front right of the picture as the 1st Platoon Sergeant in a parade in Keene, New Hampshire. We marched in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. It was usually on holidays. Please note each person’s toe of the left foot is on the tip of the pavement. By this, you know you are looking at precision marching and on time, no heads bobbing up and down, which would be out of step!

Thomas A Owens was a man of color with fine features, and we worked the same shift together. We both had Motorcycles and would travel together. Tom and I had just finished a night shift, and then we would be off duty for a couple of days. In the picture, Tom asked me to go and drink some with him after we got off duty. Well….I finally agreed to go with him, and a couple of waitresses came and sat down with us, wanting to learn English, and that is how we also learned to speak Thai.

Jerry Burch was from Texas, and we worked some night shifts together. I will never forget when we came in and ordered our hired cook to make us scrambled eggs. I had never seen this before. He took a ketchup and squirted it all over his scrambled eggs.

Yes, one of the guys had bought a “Gibbon Monkey”, but not everyone liked it.

1. When riding downtown, he would set the monkey on his motorcycle handlebars, grip the handlebars with his feet and hands, and then squat down, chatter, and grin. Many Thais would stop and ask questions about it or slow down to take a look.

2. Our old dog, “UTE,” hated it. The poor dog would lie in the shade, where it was cooler from the exceedingly hot days, and the gibbon would slip up behind UTE, grab her tail, and start pulling. Old Ute would get up and run it up a tree beside the house. It would take off running with one arm up in the air and just squawking.

3. I didn’t care for it either! You had to keep everything tied down or the Gibbon would carry it off. On one occasion, I pulled up, took my helmet off, and hung it over one of my rear-view mirrors. After a short time, I came back out, and my helmet was missing. I heard the Gibbon up on the first-floor roof just chattering, and my black helmet was beside him. I threw some sticks and rocks up toward him! He would start squalling, swinging his arm in the air, and running off! The stupid thing bit one of our hired help, and he was sent to the zoo!

If you look at the picture of me, lying on the seat, is that the black helmet that the gibbon carried up onto the 1st floor roof. Sorry….but I didn’t like the gibbon enough to take a picture of him. I should have taken one when he was sitting on the handlebars!

1. Got married on December 21, 1968.

2. Went back to work for the FBI in DC as a fingerprint tech.

3. I worked for about 2 1/2 years with USS Steel in the Construction Department, and in the evenings, I went to college.

4. Finally finished working for the WV Construction Department of Highways. I started out as an inspector, then became a Field Office supervisor on two major, 4 lane I-79 interstate projects. I then transitioned to our headquarters as the Finals Supervisor, where I checked all calculations on every project in District Seven. I finally retired on March 31, 2000, with 14 years of service as the District 7 Office Supervisor, and a total of 30 years of service with the Division of Highways. It should be noted that the Construction Department only builds new roadways and bridges. In our District, we had two major Highways that crossed through our District. We constructed a major 4-lane highway, APD US 33 (east-west), and also a major 4-lane highway , APD US 19 (south-north), into District 9, in which we oversaw four of their projects. Each of the project’s costs was over several million dollars. The Supporting Photo is a Polaroid photo someone took of me when I was with the West Virginia Division of Highways, when I was the District Seven Construction Office Supervisor. As the District 7 Office Supervisor, this is the highest position that I could go.

5. I took early retirement at the age of 55, and I’ve been retired for 25 years. And I’m still enjoying retirement!

1. I am a member of the VFW and the American Legion.

2. I send monthly donations to Various Disabled Veterans, such as the “Tunnels to Towers.”

3. It is very important to give to those who served in wartime and put their lives on the line.

4. I, too, am now 100% disabled according to my VA records, 70% PTSD, 30% heart.

1. The military makes a man out of boys if you let them

2. The experience I learned in the military as a man with responsibility showed up with the WVDOH, I went from an inspector, to grade foreman, to Field office Supervisor, to a District 7 Finals Technician (every item is checked and recalculated for accuracy), to a Project Supervisor and the crowning moment as the District 7 Construction Office Supervisor over 93 personnel.

3. I really don’t miss anything in the military

4. And by he way, I became a licensed Preacher in 1982.

5. The Photo was known as ‘ARLINGTON HALL’, and this is where we went through our MOS training. If you did not have a “TOP SECRET ” clearance, they would drop you from all ASA schooling. And there were some that could not get a TOP SECRET Clearance. Sad to say, “Fort Devens no longer exists”; ALL Barracks have been destroyed.

Please pay attention and accept responsibility. Accept reprimands, stay safe, and don’t play a hero. A Medal of Honor recipient visited us during my Basic Training and warned us about the realities of war. He told us to be careful and protect ourselves, that the Vietnam War isn’t just fun and games. He then pulled up his shirt, and you could see the line of machine gun tracks across his stomach area!

As a suggestion, I would try to get into a MOS that requires a classified clearance. This will follow you when you are a civilian and use it on your application. It would help you to get a job in any police position and many other occupations.

1. It has caused me once again to remember several things that my mind had pushed back or just forgotten.

2. It has brought back the serious part we played in the war and reminded us of those we worked with, played with, and the great times we had.