A Stupid Reply While on Guard Duty -- 1951

Put on Guard Duty

One day I was assigned duty on the road leading to our Radio Relay site. I don't remember which site it was. I suspect that we weren't there long enough for a lasting memory. I was in a very small shack and had a EE-8 telephone set for communications. It is one of those phones with a crank that you crank when you want to signal anyone to pick up the phone. All phones on the line will ring and you indicate whom you want to talk to. I was bored out of my mind with nothing going on. The time was passing slowly.

The Phone rings

All of the sudden the phone lets out a ringy-ringy. I, in a foolish moment, gave out a silly answer to the ring. I picked up the phone and gave the following reply, stupid as it was, "Black or white, day or night, you call we haul, digger speaking." There was deafening silence and an official voice said, " Do you know who this is?" I replied, "No!" The voice said this is Lieutenant Blah Blah!" I forget this real name. I then replied, "Do you know who this is?" The voice replied, "No!"

My Next Reply

"Well, you ain't ever going to find out!" and I hung up. About 15 minutes later a jeep drove up, skidded to a stop and a breathless Lieutenant asked me if I had seen anyone using that phone. I truthfully replied that I had not seen anyone use the phone. At that he roared off to the next phone. I never did anything stupid like that again.

Who had it better?

For many of you signalmen who followed us note our fancy radio room and me squatting on the ground. Who had it rougher? Well we had no duty roster, no inspections, no Site Chiefs and very rarely any inspecting officers making silly inspections and requests. As long as we kept on the air they left us alone. Our officer's duties were simple. He told us the frequency, the azimuth for our antennas. He knew nothing on how to set up, make things work or any technical details. Each of knew what had to be done and divided duties as to who knew the job and who enjoyed what work. He left us alone to do our work and we left him alone to do his thing. If we liked him we would set up his tent without being asked. Otherwise he would have to ask us but that would come only after we got the station on the air.