Joe Dacko

Spent 30 days TDY on the mountain in the summer of 1977 during the O&M turnover to RCA OMS. They were down to one 303X2 SSgt there and he was 30 + days beyond his DEROS so AAC sent me over from Cold Bay. That year (1977) the commander and First shirt were both fired by Gen Boswell. (Accidental shooting of a radar maint troop and a valve on oil storage tank left open and as fast as oil went in one side it spilled out through open valve and down the mountain) I did take slides while there which i would scan and send you if you want. don't remember how many and just what the subject matter was.

Don't rember if I was the last AF there. I know when I left there were still some AF radar maintenance types there.

The two incidents (here again I might not remember 100%) but here's what I remember. The shooting incident involved a radar maintenance troop in his room. Someone in an adjoining room was cleaning a pistol (.22 cal) and it went off sending the bullet through the wall and hitting the radar troop in the wrist.

The oil spill was as I rememer 42,000 gal. Someone forgot to close a valve on the storage tank and as fast as they put the oil in it flowed out this valve and down the mountain. This was a big deal there since all the stuff was flown in. No cool barge.

These two incidents as I said (I think) got the commander and first shirt fired. Anyways that summer the ranking radar maintenance troop was a SSgt and he was 30 days beyond his DEROS. The replacement commander (LT. Col and as I remember he had been Gen Boswel's pilot) wanted a senior NCO and there was an E8 back at the fort (Russ Kniffin) who new me from Watertown NY so he recommended they send me over to the Mountain) I was a 30 day TDY and once released by the CC I was to procede PCS back to the states. As it turned out the CC released me on 08 Sept 77.

So that's what I remember....(ie I not sure anymore about the factual info, it may be suspect)

Have found some slides I took while at Indian Mt. I'm looking to get an adapter for my scanner so I can send same your way. I also have slides and

pictures from Cape Romanzof and Cold Bay.