PROLOGUE My Travels with the White House and WHCA
In December of 1964, I was nearing the end of my time in the Army when I decided to re-enlist in order to attend Microwave Radio Repair School at Ft Monmouth, NJ. After completing my training, I was interviewed by the White House Communications Agency (WHCA), underwent a Polygraph examination, and a thorough background investigation before being ultimately selected to join WHCA in Washington, DC in November of 1965. My first assignment was at Camp David in Thurmont, MD, where I worked as a microwave repairman at a site called Cactus. I also worked at another microwave location called Cannonball. In March of 1967, I was transferred permanently to Mercersburg, PA, to serve as the NCOIC of Cannonball, where I was responsible for maintaining all the communications at the site and the general day-to-day maintenance of the facility.
During my time at Camp David and Cannonball, I traveled extensively both domestically and abroad to support the White House and the Secret Service. However, 1968 was perhaps the most challenging year for WHCA. This year began with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King and the ensuing race riots. Then, Robert Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning for the Democratic Presidential nomination, which prompted the Secret Service to assign protection to all candidates campaigning for their party’s nomination for the President and Vice President of the United States. WHCA was then assigned to provide communications for the Secret Service Protection Details. Later in the year, there was the Vietnam War protest at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and finally, the 1968 Presidential election. WHCA supported the Secret Service with all three Presidential candidates and three Vice Presidential candidates that year. Richard Nixon was elected, and the transition to a new President began.
Cannonball was closed in 1970, and I was assigned to the Western White House in San Clemente, CA. The Communications Contingency Team (CCT) was established and staffed with personnel from all the recently closed microwave sites. The CCT was designed to be a fast response unit that could provide communications for the White House anywhere in the world. We established a maintenance facility on the tarmac at the El Toro MCAS, with all our equipment palletized. This allowed us to load the equipment onto a transport vehicle at our front door for immediate departure to any designated location. The team was always on call, and we carried pagers so that we could respond immediately to any assignment. The San Clemente CCT supported the President at many official functions in and around Los Angeles and was also called upon to support the Vice President on numerous visits to Palm Springs and other locations in the western United States.
In 1972, my final assignment was at the Florida White House located in Key Biscayne FL. as the NCOIC of the Key Biscayne Compound, I was responsible for overseeing all the FM Communication permanently installed across southern FL at various sites. In addition, our Detachment was tasked with maintaining and repairing a UHF Radio Network that facilitated voice and data communications between the Key Biscayne compound and Walkers Cay Club in the Bahamas. This UHF system was primarily used by the President and the USSS during their visits to Grand Cay Island. Moreover, we installed FM radio service for the protective detail while they were on the island. Walkers Cay also housed the WHCA switchboard and Communication Center, which provided support for the White House Staff and Press Corps who stayed there while the President visited Grand Cay.
While I was in the process of relocating my family to Florida, the infamous Watergate break-in occurred, which ultimately led to Richard Nixon's resignation as President. Soon after settling, I had to prepare to support the 1972 Republican Convention in Miami, which had been moved from southern California due to the threat of anti-war protesters disrupting the proceedings. President Nixon and Vice President Agnew were re-elected by a landslide, but Watergate soon began to erode their popularity. The House of Representatives held hearings that eventually led to the President's resignation, and Vice President Agnew also resigned from office for unrelated activities as the Governor of Maryland. This led to the appointment of Gerald R. Ford as the new Vice President and eventually the President of the United States. I was discharged just six months before the end of the Nixon Presidency, and Ford would later pardon him of all charges.
During my nine years with the White House Communications Agency (WHCA), I traveled extensively in the US and overseas, supporting two Presidents, two Vice Presidents, and key members of the White House Staff. I helped the Secret Service support all the national candidates during the 1968 and 1972 Presidential elections and participated in training and maintenance trips to sites and equipment permanently installed to support daily activities at Camp David, Cannonball, San Clemente, and Key Biscayne. I also participated in four major overseas trips, including President Nixon's historic trip to China.
Throughout my time with WHCA, I witnessed significant historical events, including the escalation of the Vietnam War, anti-war protests, the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the civil unrest at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, the San Clemente Western White House, the historic trip to China, the Florida White House in Key Biscayne, the end of the Vietnam War, including the return of POW/MIA's, the Watergate break-in and cover-up, and the resignation of the Vice President and ultimately the 37th President of the United States.
Although many details have faded from my memory, there is still so much to document in these many pages. I am proud to have served as a member of the White House Communications Agency for over nine years and to have been a part of such significant historical events.
Awards and Decorations
National Defense Service
Medal
Good Conduct Medal 3rd
award
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| Presidential Service Badge and Certificate |
Meritorious Unit Commendation with Oak Leaf Cluster
Military Assignments
Fort Knox KY Basic Training (1962)
Co. E, 16th Bn., 5th Tng. Regt, U.S.A.T.C. Armor
Jackson Park Nike
Site (1962 – 1964)
Btry. C, 2nd Msl. Bn., 57th Arty Chicago 37, IL –
Redmond WA Nike Missile
Site (1964)
Btry. A, 4th Msl. Bn, 4th, Arty, Redmond WA
Jackson Park Nike
Site (1964–1965)
Btry. B, 6 th Msl. Bn, 3rd Arty, Chicago IL
Microwave Radio training
Fort Monmouth NJ (1965)
Co. D, US Army Signal
School Training Center, Ft Monmouth NJ
The White House Communications Agency (1965-1974) Camp David Det.1 (1965-1967)
Cannonball Tower
Site 2 (1967-1970)
San Clemente Communications
Contingency Team (1970-1972)
Key Biscayne Communications Detachment (1972-1974)
28 Aug 66 to York PA-Dallastown Rally 11 Jul 69 to Madrid Spain-New Delhi Trip
05 Oct 66 to Anchorage AK-Manila PI Trip 12 Jul 69 to Adana Turkey-New Delhi Trip
06 Oct 66 to Tokyo Japan-Manila PI Trip 31 Jul 69 to New Delhi India-New Delhi Trip
26 Oct 66 to Manila, PI-Manila Trip 03 Aug 69 to Bangkok Thailand-New Delhi Trip
30 Oct 66 to Tokyo Japan-Manila PI Trip 04 Aug 69 to Tokyo Japan-New Delhi Trip
01 Nov 66 to Chicago-Manila PI Trip 28 Jul 70 to Los Angeles CA-Century Plaza
15 Mar 67 to Zandria Surinam-Punta Del Este Trip 30 Oct 70 to Anaheim CA-Convention Center
11 Apr 67 to Punta Del Este-Punta Del Este Trip 26 Mar 71 to Beverly Hills CA-Samuel Goldwyn
14 Apr 67 to Zandria Surinam-Punta Del Este Trip 30 Apr 71 to Camp Pendleton CA-1st Marine Div.
15 Apr 67 to San Antonio TX-Punta Del Este Trip 01 May 71 to Palm Springs CA-Annenberg Estate
15 July 71 to Burbank CA-NBC Studios
1968 Election Support Trip 29 Jul 71 to Santa Rosa CA-Bohemian Grove
21 Sep 68 to Atlanta GA-George Wallace 20 Aug 71 to Loma Linda CA-Medical Center
04 Oct 68 to Newark NJ-George Wallace 28 Aug 71 to Santa Catalina Island-Mojo Cruise
07 Oct 68 to Raleigh NC-Spiro Agnew 27 Nov 71 to Palm Springs CA-Eisenhower Med
24 Oct 68 to San Jose CA-Hubert Humphrey 04 Jan 72 to San Diego CA-National Shipbuilding
27 Oct 68 to Los Angeles CA-Hubert Humphrey 06 Jan 72 to San Clemente CA-Japan PM Sato
30 Oct 68 to Long Beach CA-Richard Nixon 20 Feb 72 to Agama Guam-China Trip
31 Oct 68 to Burbank CA-Richard Nixon 29 Feb 72 to Honolulu HI-China Trip
03 Nov 68 to Anaheim CA-Curtis Le May
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