Working and Traveling with the White House
As I recall it was December of 1964, I was approaching my discharge from the Army, I decided to re-enlist to attend Microwave Radio Repair School at Ft Monmouth NJ. Several weeks before I completed training I was interviewed by members of the White House Communications Agency (WHCA). After submitting to a Polygraph examination and an extensive background investigation I was ultimately selected and was transferred to WHCA in Washington DC. It was November of 1965 when my experiences with WHCA began; I was assigned to Camp David in Thurmont MD. I worked at a microwave installation with the WHCA code name of Cactus as a microwave repairman, and would also work at another microwave location known as Cannonball when in March of 1967 I was transferred permanently to Mercersburg PA as the NCOIC where I was responsible for the maintenance of all of the Communications at the site as well as the general day to day maintenance of the facility and surrounding grounds.
While stationed at Camp David and Cannonball I traveled extensively at home and abroad to support the activities of the White House and the Secret Service, but 1968 may have been the most challenging for WHCA. This was an unprecedented period of time of my experiences in WHCA. It started with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the race riots that ensued. If that wasn’t enough Robert Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning for the Democrat Presidential nomination, this prompted the change to assign Secret Service 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! Then there was the Vietnam War protests at the Democrat National Convention in Chicago, and finally the 1968 Presidential election itself. Three Presidential candidates and three Vice Presidential candidates campaigned that year and WHCA supported the Secret Service with all of them. Richard Nixon was elected and the transition to a new President ensued.
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 of the microwave sites that were recently closed. The CCT was set up to be a fast response unit that would be able to 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 of our equipment palatalized we were able to pull a transport vehicle at our front door and load the equipment for immediate departure to any designated location. The team all carried Pagers and was on call if needed to immediately respond to an assignment. The San Clemente CCT not only supported the President at many official functions in and around Los Angeles but was called upon to support the Vice President on numerous visits to Palm Springs and other locations in western United States.
Our final move came in 1972 when I was assigned to the Florida White House in Key Biscayne FL. I was the NCOIC of the Key Biscayne Compound, and all of the FM Communication permanently installed in southern FL., the Detachment was also responsible for the maintenance and repair of a UHF Radio Network that operated between the Key Biscayne compound and Walkers Cay Club in the Bahamas. This system provided voice and data communications for the President and the USSS while they visited on Grand Cay Island. The USSS Command Post was located on Grand Cay and FM radio service was also installed for the protective detail. Walkers Cay had a WHCA switchboard and Comm. Center operating to support the White House Staff and Press Corp. staying there during the Presidents stay on Grand Cay.
The Watergate break-in occurred while I was in the process of relocating my family to FL. This break-in of course would eventually lead to Richard Nixon’s resignation as President! Almost as soon as I was settled we had to ready ourselves to support the 1972 Republican Convention in Miami. The convention had been changed from southern CA. to Miami primarily because of the threat of antiwar protesters disrupting the proceedings and becoming another 1968 Chicago. President Nixon and Vice President Agnew won re-election by a landslide. It wasn’t long after the election when Watergate would start to erode their popularity. This was the story that just wouldn’t go away; it eventually led directly to the White House. The House of Representatives would hold hearings which would eventually lead to the President’s resignation. Vice President Agnew would also resign from office for unrelated activities as the Governor of Maryland leading 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. Gerald Ford would pardon President Nixon of all charges against him and finally ending Watergate.
For almost a decade I would be part of an organization providing communications for the President, Vice President, First Family, White House Staff and the Secret Service during some of the most memorable periods of time in our countries history.
Presidential Support Trips
Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) Support Trips Richard M Nixon Support Trips
28 Aug 66 to York PA-Dallastown Rally 11 Jul 69 to Madrid Spain-New Delhi India Trip
05 Oct 66 to Anchorage AK-Manila PI Trip 12 Jul 69 to Adana Turkey-New Delhi India Trip
06 Oct 66 to Tokyo Japan-Manila PI Trip 31 Jul 69 to New Delhi India-New Delhi India Trip
26 Oct 66 to Manila, PI-Manila PI Trip 03 Aug 69 to Bangkok Thailand-New Delhi India Trip
30 Oct 66 to Tokyo Japan-Manila PI Trip 04 Aug 69 to Tokyo Japan-New Delhi India 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
05 Nov 68 to Los Angeles CA–Nixon/Humphrey
Vice Presidential Support Trips, Presidential Visits to San Clemente and Presidential Visits to Key Biscayne
Spiro T Agnew Support Trips San Clemente Visits and Side Trips
02 Dec 69 to New Orleans LA 26 Jun 70 to 06 Jul 70- Los Angeles CA
23 Feb 70 to Phoenix AZ 24 Jul 70 to 03 Aug 70- Los Angeles CA
19 Oct 70 to Tucson AZ 21 Aug 70 to 06 Sep 70-San Diego CA
31 Oct 70 to Newport Beach CA 30 Oct 70 to 04 Nov 70- Anaheim CA
19 Nov 70 to Palm Springs CA 05 Jan 71 to 14 Jan 71-Santa Catalina Island
08 Feb 71 to Palm Springs CA 26 Mar 71 to 4 Apr 71-Beverly Hills CA
05 Apr 71 to San Diego CA 30 Apr 71 to 3 May 71-Palm Springs
09 Jun 71 to Los Angeles CA 06 Jul 71 to 22 Jul 71-Burbank CA
27 Nov 1971 to Palm Springs CA 21 Aug 71 to 3 Sep 71-Loma Linda CA
27 Dec 71 to Palm Springs CA 24 Nov to28 Nov 71 to Palm Springs CA
19 Apr 72 to New Orleans LA 02 Jan 72 to 08 Jan 72- San Diego CA
Henry Kissinger Support Trip Trips to the Bahamas
13 Oct 71 to Hilo HI-Pre China Trip 25 Jul 72 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-Maintenance
29 Aug 72 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-Maintenance
Key Biscayne FL Visits and Side Trips 13 Sep 72 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-Maintenance
22 Aug 72 to 24 Aug 72-1972 National Convention 03 Oct 72 to Walkers Cay Bahamas- Maintenance
08 Nov 72 to 12 Nov 72-Ocean Reef Club 31Oct 72 to Walkers Cay Bahamas- Maintenance
30 Nov72 to 04 Dec 72- Ocean Reef Club 11 Nov 72 to Key Largo FL-Ocean Reef Club
20 Dec 72 to Dec 26 72- Ocean Reef Club 30 Nov 72 to Walkers Cay Bahamas- Maintenance
12 Jan 73 to 18 Jan 73 - Ocean Reef Club 09 Dec 72 to Orlando FL- Equipment Repair
26 Jan 73 to 29 Jan 73- Grand Cay Visit 11 Dec 72 to Grand Cay Bahamas- Maintenance
16 Feb 73 to 18 Feb 73 17 Jan 73 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-Maintenance
22 Mar 73 to 26 Mar 73-Ocean Reef Club 06 Mar 73 to Walkers Cay Bahamas- Maintenance
20 Apr 73to 24 Apr 73-Grand Cay Visit 04 May 73 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-POTUS Visit
03 May 73 to 07 May 73-Grand Cay Visit 15 May 73 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-Maintenance
26 May 73 to 28 May 73-Grand Cay Visit 22 May 73 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-Maintenance
08 Jun 73 to 10 Jun 73-Coco Lobo III 26 May 73 to Grand Cay Bahamas-POTUS Visit
15 Jun 73 to 17 Jun 73-Coco Lobo III 12 Jun 73 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-Maintenance
17Aug 73 to 20 Aug 73-Coco Lobo III 26 Jun 73 to Walkers Cay Bahamas-Maintenance
04 Oct 73 to 07 Oct 73-Ocean Reef Club 12 Jul 73 to Grand Bahama Island Bahamas- Maint.
01 Nov 73 to 05 Nov 73-Coco Lobo III
16 Nov 73 to 20 Nov 73-Coco Lobo III Nixon Family Support Trips
9 Feb 73 to Jacksonville FL - Julie Nixon
WHCA TDY Trips and Training 12 Feb 73 to Jacksonville FL– Julie Nixon
Cannonball-Microwave Duty Crate-Communications Rail Car
10 Jan 66 to 17 Jan 66- Mercersburg PA 20 Jul 66 to Harrisburg PA-Equipment Maintenance
07 Feb 66 to 14 Jan 66-Mercersburg PA 25 Jul 66 to Washington DC-Communications Test
28 Feb 66 to 7 Mar 66-Mercersburg PA
11 Apr 66 to 19 Apr 66- Mercersburg PA Training/ Recruiting
16 May 66 to 23 May 66- Mercersburg PA 16 Jan 67 to Washington DC - Howard University
13 Jun 66 to 20 Jun 66- Mercersburg PA 26 Feb 67 to Washington DC– HF Radio
05 Jul 66 to 11 Jul 66- Mercersburg PA 17 Sep 67 to Lemoyne PA- AT&T 1A1 Key
01 Aug 66 to 08 Aug 66- Mercersburg PA 04 Aug 68 to El Paso TX– Ft Bliss Recruiting
06 Sep 66 to 12 Sep 66- Mercersburg PA 18 May 69 to Norfolk VA– Naval Station HF Radio
03 Oct 66 to 04 Oct 66- Mercersburg PA 09 Aug 70 to Thurmont MD– HF Radio console
12 Dec 66 to 19 Dec 66- Mercersburg PA 11 May 71 to Camp Pendleton CA- ORE
19 Sep 71 to Chicago IL- Motorola Radio
14 Nov 71 to Washington DC - Linkcopex
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