All About Me

I joined Western Union at the Cincinnati Reperf Center in November of 1956. I had a choice between Western Union and the local phone company.  The phone company was offering $1.00 per hour, Western Union offered $1.80. The decision was a "no brainer," as they say. When I applied for a job I was to take a test of my electronic knowledge. At the top of the first page it said "Position Applied For..." I was applying for the position of "Apprentice Technician," but couldn't spell either word. So I abbreviated it as "Appr. Tech." I completed the test in 20 some minutes as I was parked in a 30 minute zone.

So I started my career serving a 6 month apprenticeship as required by the labor union (CTU). I could start doing actual work at any time during the apprenticeship, provided a journeyman technician did not work while I was working. So I finished the required schooling and started working full time after 3 months.

At the end of the apprenticeship I was assigned to maintain the FAX consoles and other duties in the "Locals" area. Then I got some out of town jobs — field engineering work. Back in reperf the other tech's begin to resent me for working too hard, too fast and too smart.  So they begin sabotaging my work, hiding my tools, etc. I got mad and quit — just walked out, actually.

I was gone for three days when I got a call from Norbert Hays (who had been my boss), asking if I was coming back. I told him I had a pretty good offer from a railroad (which I did). He said I should at least come in and give two weeks notice. I agreed, sarcastically stating that I would write the resignation notice on company time!

I went back to work the following day and shortly after arriving (while writing my resignation) Walter Goldsberry (an engineer) came around and asked if I would go to breakfast with him and "some others." We met with Ed Hable, another engineer, and Del Harmon, their boss.  We went over to the Mills restaurant around the corner from the WU office. It was there that the three of them convinced me to stay with WU.  I was informed that I was being "groomed" for better things.

Sure enough, in October of 1958 Mr. Harmon called me in and told me about the Plan 55 project. He said I could take that or stay in Cincinnati and wait for the next engineering opening.  Well, a bird in the hand and all that — so I took the promotion— to Maintenance Supervisor and shortly thereafter left for training in Chattanooga. 

Upon completion of the training I was assigned to the Plan 55 center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base back in Ohio. In March of 1959 I was reassigned to the Plan 55 center at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. The site was just being put together so I got in on the ground floor.

Our contract in Hawaii expired in the Summer of 1961 so I was forced to return to the mainland with my new Wife¹ and three month old baby, Child#1¹.  I was assigned back at Wright Patterson AFB for a while, then temporarily assigned back in the Chattanooga Training Center.  I learned to teach (Click here to see a picture of one of my classes, that's me, front and center!) and taught everything from Way Station Selectors to AUTODIN outstations. 

Sometime in 1962 I went back to Hawaii for AUTODIN outstation maintenance. While there I worked again at Hickam AFB, Kunia Tunnel and other places around Oahu, plus installing and maintaining equipment on Johnson Island.

Two years later it was back to the mainland. After a few weeks vacation in Ohio I was then told to go attend AUTODIN ADU classes in Oklahoma City.  I got there 2 weeks after the classes started, the powers that be thought that was okay as I had all that outstation experience. I managed to pass all the tests okay but for the most part I had no idea what they were talking about. I don't remember how long the classes lasted, I do remember it was very cold most of the time.

Following that I was assigned to the AUTODIN center at Norton AFB in San Bernardino. I had barely arrived, about a week, when I was told to go attend classes back in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, for updates to the ADU. Good thing, maybe this time I would learn something.

I did, learned a little something. However, shortly after returning to San Bernardino I was told that I would have to teach a class on what I had learned, to Air Force Instructors. I spent 6 hours each evening, learning what I had to teach the next day. So I learned the equipment quite thoroughly, and was able to teach the class over and over during future assignments.

Then, on November 24, 1965, Mother died...

I spent a couple of weeks back in Ohio settling my Mother’s affairs. Upon returning to work I was told that I had been taken off the payroll as I did not keep my supervisor advised at all times of my location. (My supervisors name¹ was ** and I have never forgiven him.  Just where the Hell did he think I was?) So I got mad, quit the company (this time no one tried to talk me out of it), sold my house and possessions and moved myself and my family back to Hawaii.  But this is not the end of my affair with The Western Union Telegraph Company…

Back in Hawaii I soon learned that Western Union International had opened a small office there. Although they were not hiring at the time I went to see them anyway. To my surprise I was hired almost immediately, as supervisor of their technical department. Seems they were on the verge of expanding their operations and needed my technical expertise and experience. Everything was fine until they hired an Englishman to be overall boss of the entire office, including me and my personnel. Once again I had a disagreement with my boss and walked out (do you see a pattern here?) and once again returned the next day to give my two weeks notice. 

Meanwhile, The Western Union Telegraph Co. (WUTCO) was in the process of establishing an AUTODIN center at a Navel Air Station in Hawaii, so I hired back on with them. I stayed there until getting force furloughed (fired) in 1975. Thus, finally ends for all times, my association with the telegraph company.