32nd AADCOMM Patch | |
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94th Arty Gp Unit Crest Pin |
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Hook up a TTY to Linux | |
Being stationed in Germany led to my being a Volunteer for World Cup USA 94. |
Things get slow on Sunday mornings. How slow was it? It was so slow, that you didn't want to pick up the Playboy magazines, because you've even read the articles too many times.
One Sunday morning, my buddy and I are shuffling papers, and trying to think of something to do to fill the time, when 8AM came around, and Big John & Sparky came on American Forces Network on the AM radio. This is how bad things are on a Sunday. We actually kept it on, and listened to the weekly kiddies program!
On this particular Sunday, about 20 minutes after 8, the teletype started up, and my buddy and I eagerly ran to it, thankful for something to do (remember, I told you it was that bad).
"AND MATE AND MATE WE HAVE TRAFFIC FOR YOU
ARE U READY TO COPY???
" Chattered the teletype machine. No one could tell me
where this "AND MATE
" business started, it was just local
tradition, and one doesn't mess with what works tradition in the
military. Just as this was coming over, though, Big John & Sparky
on the radio started up the weekly radio serial episode of
"Captain Jupiter of the Space Patrol". I'd been listening for
weeks. I mean what else do you do on a Sunday morning. Even if
you're off duty?
Damn it, I'd probably miss most of the episode due to the
noise of the teletype, but heck, it was what they were paying me
for. I sat down at the keyboard and typed, "AND MATE AND MATE
READY FOR YOUR MESSAGE TRAFFIC GA GA GA
", and with the Go Ahead
signal, I turned on the paper tape punch to capture the incoming
traffic which would undoubtedly have to be forwarded to the line
batteries.
Nothing happened. I checked the wires, the switches, and the
Black Boxes. All seemed set right, but 32nd AADCOM wasn't coming
back. "AND MATE AND MATE READY FOR YOUR TRAFFIC
PLS GA GA
".
Nada. Zip. Nothing at all. OK, I've got to stop and think this
out. What could be going on over there that would make them stop
transmitting. Well, what was happening over here at the same
time? I mean, we usually get the same power failures they get, since we're just
across town from each other, but I knew the power was on, because I could hear the radio - and then it hit me. Of course. I'd figured out exactly what the problem was. I got on the teletype, and sent, "OK MATE, WE'LL WAIT TIL
AFTER CAPTAIN JUPITER
".
The teletype started right up with the reply. "RGR RGR MATE HE'S
ABOUT TO GET BIG BLACKIE CANT SHOOT TRAFFIC NOW C U N 5
".
Well, after all. Just what else do you do on a Sunday morning? And I guess the
traffic wasn't critical, if it could wait 5 minutes. (CUN5=See You In 5)
The author, Robert Osband is a member of |
thisdoc: http://spaceyideas.com/ozzie/warstory.html
last updated:
2017-12-30 13:11
UTC
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