Comments

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  Robert David Martin May 11, 2011 at 2:40pm

  Yes,  we used the loop antenna.  Pretty low tech huh? Today I have a GPS and it tells you everything but your weight and age.
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  Robert David Martin May 11, 2011 at 12:28pm

  Hi James,

  Chuck found me about 13 years ago and I believe it was thru the University of Houston. We have talked almost daily on the internet ever since.  We have been to visit each other a couple of times in Missouri and in Texas. He is my closest friend.

  By way of answering your questions:

  We had to learn morse code and had to check out at 22 words per minute.

  We had no voice communication except within the plane.  Every thing we sent was in Morse code in coded groups.

  Automatic direction finders were unknown.  We  used triangulation on radio stations for determining our position. 
  I was not in a TBF however I have flown in a TBF.  Thankfully, I was in a PB4Y2 Privateer.  It's like a B24 liberator except it is longer, has more powerful engines and a single tail. It has 6 turrets, one on the bow, one in the stern, one on each side and two on the top. We each had twin 50 caliber guns.

  I was the 2nd radionan and the bow turret guner.

  The radar was mainly for surfacer targets, however with practice you could spot a group of planes.

  I believe we were still designated VPB.  Ask Chuck, maybe he remembers 
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  Robert David Martin May 11, 2011 at 10:13am

  Hi James, there is not much to tell. I joined the Navy in 1944 in Houston, I was 17 years old. We went to Dallas for a thorough physical, passed it and was sworn in. I was told to wait and I would shortly receive orders. The orders came and my twin brother and I reported to NATTC for boot camp. You know what it's like. We then went to radio/radar school in NATTC, Millington. After graduation we were sent to Jacksonville Florida to a base on the Municipal Airport. We were then given a short leave, and reported back and sent to Yellowwater Florida for Gunnery School. After graduating from gunnery school we were sent to Master Fieldsd, Opa Locka Fla. for operational trainning. Somewhere along the line I received the rate of ARM3/c with a radar badge and aerial gunnery badge. Upon graduating we received our wings. Our flights were mainly in the Burmuda Triangle. At the time we did not call it that. I was there when the 5 TBFs were lost in the area. After VE day my twin brother was sent to San Francisco and I stayed in Opa Locka. After VJ day we became a weather squadron. I flew into one hurricane. We didn't have a lots of instruments, so we took the hurricane's speed, direction, pressure and temprature, and flew out of it and back to our base and tied down our plane. The other planes had been flown to Wichita, Kansas for safety. Later in the year we were all transferred to Whiting Field near Pensacola Florida. Afer a few months I was sent to Dallas awaiting discharge. All of this is pretty much the same except the planes we flew in. The training was intense and time was short for everything we did. During those times everything in civillian life was scarce. Gas, meat, tires etc were rationed. When I graduated from High School there was no yearbook because of the paper shortage. You didn't do a lot of driving because of gas rationing. Most of the families only had one car. They quit making cars in 41 or 42. I was very lucky in the war. I came home. 100s of 1000s didn't make it home. GOD BLESS America.
  P>S> CHuck and I went to boot camp at the same time only I didn't really get to know him until we were at Master Field, Opa Locka Fla.
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  Tim Plotner April 29, 2011 at 2:20pm

  i was there from 84-86 bm1(sw) base master at arms
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  Robert Roman April 11, 2011 at 9:43am

  Hi All, I was stationed at NATTC Memphis from April of 1966 to Sept of 1966. I attended AT school and stood duty at the MARS radio station on North Side. Most of my free time I was at the MARS station which was also a Ham Radio club house where all the ham radio ops would hang out at. I was hoping to find some of the guys who used to hang out there. My old ham call was WA2MOI I am now N2DR. I had a great time in Memphis.

   
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  Robert David Martin March 18, 2011 at 9:12am

  I went to boot camp at Millington, September 1944 then attended Aviation radio/radar school there at NATTC.  At the time we called it the Naval Air Testicle Straining Center.

  Robert (Bob) Martin ARM3/c. 
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  Paul Hosse March 18, 2011 at 7:18am

  Hey all! Glad to be aboard. I was stationed at the "thriving metropolis" of Millington from February 1977 through March 1978. I worked in the Personnel Department, which was then located across the street from the ADJ School. My boss was Lt. Dote. Any remember 1st Class PN Justin Perkins?
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  Bob Hughes March 16, 2011 at 8:10pm

  We went to Boot Camp for 4 weeks then went to "A" School at NATTC Memphis, then back home for the rest of our 6 year Active Reserve duty. Mine was 63-69. Boot Camp was not fun but the food was pretty good; especially the avocados! But not fun getting up at 4AM and marching!
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  Bob Hughes March 16, 2011 at 7:59pm

  I was in "A" AD School in 63. The planes we worked on were AD3's I think. We started them and did a magneto check as part of our final grade. I was 6 months active and 5 1/2 years inactive at Andrews AFB in DC. Our squadron was VR661 and we flew R5D's(Air Force Designation, C54) Transport and/or cargo plane. Not pressurized, 4 engines. A School was fun.
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  Skip Maire March 16, 2011 at 7:29pm

  I was an ET going to a "C" school in 1983-84. ACLS radar. That was a great duty station for a black shoe.