Introduction to Blog

 

The White House Communications Agency (WHCA)
Type Of Activity	Communications support for the White House
Location
Location	Washington DC
Date of Activity	Nov 1965 to Dec 1973
Coordinates	38°53′52″N 77°02′11″W

Working and Traveling with the White House

In December 1964, as my Army discharge approached, I chose to reenlist in order to attend Microwave Radio Repair School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Several weeks before completing the course, I was interviewed by representatives of the White House Communications Agency (WHCA). Following a polygraph examination and an extensive background investigation, I was selected for assignment and transferred to WHCA in Washington, D.C.

My service with WHCA began in November 1965 at Camp David, Maryland. Assigned as a microwave repairman, I worked primarily at a site known as Cactus and also supported another nearby installation, Cannonball. These facilities were critical nodes in the secure communications network supporting presidential operations. In March 1967, I was permanently transferred to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where I served as Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC). In that role, I was responsible not only for all communications systems but also for the daily operation, maintenance, and upkeep of the facility and its grounds.

During my time at Camp David and Cannonball, I traveled extensively, both within the United States and overseas, in direct support of the White House and the U.S. Secret Service. The demands of the job intensified dramatically in 1968, a year marked by national turmoil and historic events. It began with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., followed by widespread civil unrest across the country. Only weeks later, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning for the presidency.

In response to these events, the Secret Service was tasked with protecting all major presidential and vice-presidential candidates, a mission that required WHCA to provide secure and reliable communications for each campaign. That same year also saw the Vietnam War protests surrounding the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, further straining resources. By the time of the general election, WHCA was supporting six major candidates. The election of Richard M. Nixon later that year initiated a transition to a new administration, bringing new operational requirements and challenges.

In 1970, following the closure of Cannonball, I was reassigned to the Western White House in San Clemente, California. There, WHCA established a new unit known as the Communications Contingency Team (CCT). This team was designed as a rapid-response force, capable of deploying anywhere in the world on short notice to support presidential or vice-presidential travel and emergencies. Based at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, the team maintained all communications equipment in a fully palletized state, ready for immediate airlift.

While assigned to the CCT, we supported numerous presidential events throughout Southern California and regularly provided communications support for the Vice President during travel across the western United States. The work required constant readiness, technical precision, and close coordination with the Secret Service and military air assets.

My final assignment with WHCA began in 1972 at the Florida White House in Key Biscayne. Serving again as NCOIC, I was responsible for all communications within the presidential compound, as well as permanent FM radio installations throughout southern Florida. In addition, I oversaw a UHF radio system linking Key Biscayne with Walker’s Cay in the Bahamas. This network supported presidential and Secret Service operations during visits to Grand Cay and provided communications for White House staff and members of the press accompanying the President.

The Watergate break-in occurred while I was in the process of relocating my family to Florida. Shortly thereafter, WHCA supported the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami, which had been moved there amid concerns over potential protests and unrest. President Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew were reelected that November, but the unfolding Watergate scandal would ultimately lead to the resignation of both men. Gerald R. Ford was appointed Vice President and later assumed the presidency, eventually issuing a pardon to Nixon.

I was discharged from service approximately six months before the end of the Nixon presidency. By that time, I had spent nearly a decade with an organization whose mission was to ensure uninterrupted, secure communications for the President, Vice President, First Family, White House staff, and the Secret Service. It was a role carried out largely behind the scenes, yet essential during some of the most consequential and turbulent moments in modern American history.

Although many details have faded with time, there remains much left to document That is why I started this Blog. I am proud to have served with the White House Communications Agency for more than nine years and to have played a role in supporting the Presidency during some of the most significant events of the twentieth century.