Brigade Helm
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PTA Message Center Ironman Kaneohe Marines Brigade leathernecks World runners get `gungy' ensure security prepare for on Big Island of message traffic upcoming triathlon See Page A-10 See Page A-11 See Page B-4 HAWAII MARINE Voluntary payment for delivery to MCAS housing/$1 per four-week period. VOL. 12 NO. 30 KANEOHE BAY. HAWAII. JULY 27 1983 TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES Brigade helm changes hands Brigadier General Orlo Keith During his 28-year career, the Steele will assume command of general's assignments have the 1st Marine Brigade during a included officer-in-charge/senior change of command ceremony instructor guide of the Mountain Friday at 3 p.m. Leadership School, Bridgeport, The ceremony will be held on the Calif.; commanding officer, aircraft parking ramp of Hangars Headquarters Company, Head- 101 and 102. In the event of quarters Battalion, 1st Marine inclement weather, the ceremony Division in Vietnam and Marine will be held in Hangar 104. officer instructor with the Navy Present Commanding General -Reserve Officer Training Corps Brigadier General Jacob W. Unit at Dartmouth College, Moore, who has commanded the Hanover, N.H. brigade since June 11, 1982, will report to the United States Central In May 1981, he assumed the Command, McDill Air Force Base, duty as commanding . officer, Fla. as the chief of staff. Marine Barracks, Washington, This is the second tour of duty D.C. While serving in that here for Steele. In 1959 he served capacity, he was selected in as aide-de-camp to BrigGen R.G. February 1983 for promotion to Weed, then commanding general brigadier general. of the 1st Marine Brigade. The Bronze Star Medal with Subsequent brigade assignments Combat "V" and the Vietnam included executive officer, Service Medal with four bronze Company B, 3d Reconnaissance stars are among Steele's many Battalion, and assistant training decorations. officer, 4th Marines. After BrigGen Steele and his wife, the promotion to captain in October former Catharine H. LeBaron of 1961, he was reassigned as Honolulu, have two children, BrigGen Jacob W. Moore BrigGen Orlo K. Steele CO of Company C, 1/4. Colin and Wendy. First Radio Battalion celebrates 19th anniversary Story and photos of a radio company at Camp Smith in September 1958 was the by SSgt W.S. Saunders beginning for 1st Radio Battalion. "We're here to celebrate the birth of the battalion and to In 1959, the unit moved here and acknowledge the real debt we owe was known as the "Composite our families," said Lieutenant Radio Company," a name it held Colonel Mike Moss, commanding until 1963 when it was designated officer, 1st Radio Battalion here. 1st Radio Company, Fleet Marine "Without their support," he Force. continued, "we could not fully dedicate ourselves to the task Headquarters Marine Corps necessary for us to deploy in planners foresaw the coming defense of our country." conflict in Southeast Asia with the With those words, Moss kicked assistance of 1st Radio Company. off the battalion's Family Day The unit had been operating activities July 14, commemorat- detachments in Vietnam since ing his unit's 19th anniversary. 1962. In preparation, a giant step The event was also a welcome was taken to expand the unit to 1st home for a detachment of the unit Radio Battalion July 14, 1964. which was deployed in support of With the commitment of Marine Operation Team Spirit. combat forces to Vietnam in A complete battalion was on- March 1965, 1st Radio Battalion hand as the festivities began. operated a large detachment in Communication was the theme for support of Marines there until the day as the families of Marines March 1960, when the entire talked on field radios, boarded battalion was moved to Vietnam. trucks and visited with Star Wars In April 1971 the battalion characters Darth Vader and returned here where it now carries Chewbacca the Wookie. out normal peacetime operations Knowledge and understanding and training. of how the battalion operates grew First Radio Battalion has the by leaps and bounds for the distinction of being the only radio families during the day, but, the battalion to provide cryptologic formation of the radio battalion support to Marine forces in was a slow process. combat. The history of radio battalion Streamers attached to 1st Radio goes back to the establishment of Battalion's colors proudly tell the a Radio Intelligence Platoon in story of the battalion. The unit the Corps' Signal Battalion in awards are: the Meritorious Unit January 1943. Commendation, National BEAM ME UP SCOTTY - Mike Jackson checks out a PRC-77 PULL! - Officers of 1st Radio Battalion dig in during the tug-of- Growth of radio intelligence Defense, Vietnam Service with field radio while his mom, Josie and dad Gunnery Sergeant Tim war competition. This event was one of many held to units proceeded very slowly after two Silver Stars and the Vietnam Jackson looks on. First Radio Battalion held a Family Day to commemorate the battalion's birthday July 14. World War II. But, the activation Cross of Gallantry with Palm. commemorate its 19th anniversary July 14. Ham radio operators answer call International radio communications aids rescue decide what to do. It was only about 10 "I picked up his signal in the early The radio signal from the stranded because of low cloud covering, the by Sgt Tracy Heuman miles back to Case Springs, but I knew the afternoon on the 7th," said Kelly. "Retold Marine's radio continued to overshoot the helicopter plan was scrubbed. smartest thing to do was not walk off by me his name, unit, and that his jeep was local radio operators, and the rescue Finally, with the additional help from a CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - When a myself." stuck in a ditch. He said he'd already been became a display of good Canadian and ham operator in Fallbrook, Wright's Marine was separated from his unit last there for about a day." U.S. relations. Marine radio operators location was pinpointed and his unit month in the mountains of Camp An important rule of survival is to stay worked closely with the Canadians, dispatched a jeep to pick him up. Pendleton, his radio signal for help where you are if you become separated What happened next was a bizarre chain gathering information about Wright's "I saw headlights coming over a hill, launched an international and inter- from your unit. Wright said he of events. Kelly signaled another ham predicament. but I wasn't sure if I was imagining service "rescue" operation. remembered the rule from his training, operator, a Muriel Foisy in Toronto, "Bobby told us Wright's name, unit and them," Wright said. He radioed MARS and chose to contact someone for help on Canada. She alerted officials at the Scott general location," said Donaldson. "We and the "rescue" jeep, asking the driver to Lance Corporal Jeff Wright, 20, is back the (MRC-138) radio in the back of his Air Force Base Rescue Coordination decided to have Wright change honk his horn. with his unit, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, jeep. Center in Illinois. The Air Force notified frequencies and relayed that information "I hear it, I hear it!" yelled Wright into 1st Marine Division, after two days of un- "I switched up and down the First Sergeant Kenneth Willitts of the 1st to Bobby. Wright moved to 7.393 mega- the radio mike. "It's them. They're scheduled survival training. frequencies, trying to contact someone Marine Division's Inspectors Office. hertz and we picked up his signal very coming." here (Camp Pendleton)," said Wright. Willitts then notified the Military Radio well." After his day-and-a-half ordeal, Wright At about 1 p.m. June 6, he was driving a Station at Camp Pendleton. By this time it was already dusk and said he was grateful to everyone, jeep back to his unit's main camp from al, The hours dragged on as he continued to despite Wright's description of the terrain especially Bobby Kelly who kept him training area near Case Springs. He made work the radio. His position, it was later "We learned from Scott Air Force Base around him, his exact location could not company on the radio until the Marines a wrong turn and in attempting to retrace learned, was causing the radio signal to that Wright was on frequency 14.160 be determined. took over. his route his jeep became stuck in a ditch. overshoot Camp Pendleton. Then, after 24 megahertz, so we moved to that At one point a helicopter rescue was "I was surprised when she said she was hours, a voice answered the Marine's call. frequency," said Staff Sergeant Brian planned. MARS relayed Wright's radio in Canada, but I was just glad to hear "I couldn't move the jeep by myself," It was a Canadian ham radio operator, Donaldson, noncommissioned officer-in- signal to a pilot at Marine Aircraft Group- from anyone," he said. "She helped me a said the Marine from Fairhaven, Mass. "I' Bobby Kelly, in Richmond, British charge of MARS. "We could pick up Bobby 39, here, but after listenin g to the Marine's lot, talking to me, keeping me company. I got out and looked around, trying to Columbia. Kelly in Canada, but not Wright." description of the confined area and really appreciated it." Published by RFT) Publications, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Navy or the U.S. Marine Corps. Opinions expressed by publishers and writers herein are their own and not to be considered an official expression of the Department of the Navy or the U.S.