Our Association is a not-for-profit fraternal organization. It's purpose is a) to foster camaraderie among the graduates of Signal Corps Officer Candidate School classes of the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War eras, b) to organize and offer scholarships and other assistance for the families of Officer and Enlisted OCS cadre who are in need, and c) to archive for posterity the stories and history of all of the Signal Corps OCS Officers who served this great country. We are open to ALL former Army Signal Corps OCS graduates, their families and friends, as well as other officers, enlisted men, those interested in military history, and the general public. Please, come join us. For more information about our Association, to see a list of our Officers and Directors, or for contact details, click on the OCS Association link at left.

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If We Call The Russians, Will They Answer The Phone?

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Why Your Wife No Longer Answers The Phone After Your Starter Marriage Ended

The humor in this article is that of the author's, not the Army Signal Corps Officer Candidate School Association its Officers or its Directors. It's humor folks...maybe bad humor, but still humor. It's not political comment. Don't get yourself all worked up over it. Please.

It seems as though President Obama’s relationship with Premier Putin has ended, and his famous effort to push the reset button has come to an embarrassing and very public ending. In American office business slang their relationship would be classified as a starter marriage. I.e. a short-lived affair/marriage that ends in divorce, with the wrong side getting the kids, all the property, and the other suffering the regrets. Can you guess which side got the property and kids, and which got the regrets?

In our humble opinion (or more properly these days, IOHO) Putin got the better of this deal, while Obama went home licking his wounds and vowing to find a better marriage partner next time.

Don't believe us? Look at the property settlement: Putin got Obama to walk away from Poland and the rest of Eastern Europe and forget about his idea of putting defensive missiles in the neighborhood. And how about the kids? As we read it, the settlement says Putin gets to keep the ugly step child... Edward Snowden... who Obama desperately wanted.

So with the demise of this once fascinating relationship, one wonders, if America calls, will Russia answer?

Probably not… since it doesn't appear that President Putin cares a whit about his former spouse, what he thinks, or what he wants... which brings us to the subject of this story: communication links between America and Russia... or more specifically, the famous Washington–Moscow Hotline. Perhaps it’s time to dust off this edifice and crank the handle, just to make sure the ball still drops on the other end. We may need to use it sooner than we think.

As most know, the famous Hotline came into being in response to the Cuban missile crisis of October, 1962. Recognizing that there was some value in being able to talk directly with each other in the event of a situation where clarity of purpose and intent was critical, both sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June, 1963, in Geneva, to set up a duplex cable circuit routed from Washington through London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, on to Helsinki, and then to Moscow. This circuit was to be used for primary political communications, and was buttressed with a duplex radio circuit that went directly from Washington to Tangier and then from there on to Moscow.

In popular culture ever since that time this Hotline was thought of as being something of a Red Phone that sat on the President’s desk... waiting to be used or answered. The truth was there was no such phone involved. Instead, the circuit was set up as a teletype connection. Later, in 1988, the teletypes were replaced with fax units. In more modern times (since 2008) the Hotline has relied on a secure computer link over which messages are exchanged by eMail. Which brings up another matter.... it almost makes one wonder, is the NSA collecting the meta data on these eMails too? No… that would be absurd, wouldn’t it... or would it?

For those that are curious, the actual time line for the provisioning and use of the Washington–Moscow Hotline looks something like this:

1963: Establishment of a land line teletype link between the Kremlin and the Pentagon

1967: Ancillary terminal installed at the White House.

1971: The hotline gets its first usage, when the two sides decide to talk about each other’s intentions with regard to the newly started war between India and Pakistan.

1971: The India-Pakistan issue causes both sides to realize that the system needed to be upgraded. Based on an agreement signed almost immediately [read the full text here: Washington–Moscow Hotline Link Agreement - 1971] the system was modernized. Work began right away, but took until 1978 to be completed. Upgrades included linking two American Intelsat satellites with two Soviet Molniya II satellites (which strangely followed a highly elliptical orbit) in order to create a set of primary connections between Washington and Moscow. The U.S. provided one circuit via the Intelsat system, and the Soviets the other via their Molniya II system. Multiple terminals were installed in each country. As backup, the original teletype circuits were left in place, but the Washington-Tangier-Moscow radio circuit was terminated.

1973: More use... this time over the Yom Kippur war.

1974: …and again, over the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

1978: The circuitous land line the system depended on was finally fully replaced by the satellite link started in 1971.

1977: President Jimmy Carter decides to use the Hotline to send a personal message to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Brezhnev thought the gesture immature and fired back that the Russians didn't appreciate use of such an important communication device for personal purposes. There doesn’t appear to be any record of Carter’s response to his hand being slapped by Brezhnev.

1979: While proving futile, the hotline was used by the U.S. to find out Russia’s intentions in invading Afghanistan. Considering Brezhnev’s response to the friendly folksy way Carter liked to operate (see 1977, above), it was clear that they saw no need to let the U.S. know what they were thinking, unless it was in the way of a scowl exposed across teeth hidden by scorn.

1980: While still useful and fully operational, the old teletype and encryption machines then being used were replaced by newer ones.

Over the past few months we have been looking at the state of the American military between World War I and World War II. Our interest has been in how the military went from being essentially a 19th century one to a 20th century one, and the best in the world at that. What we found was that much of the improvements came about because of the actions of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Nearly single handedly, the Signal Corps put into effect a series of actions that pushed not only the military but American business to a higher level of effectiveness and productivity than had even been attained before.

Included in those activities was the development of newer and more modern methods of research, design and manufacturing, as well as better methods for quality control, the standardization of systems, tests, measurements, production and much more. New laboratories were set up, new partnerships were built with academia, new training programs were established, new methods for logistics control were developed, and even an early forms of just in time (JIT) inventory control was defined and tried as means to assure that whatever turned out to be needed on the front lines in the next war, it would be there when needed... in the proper quantity, and working. The changes the Signal Corps made to how American industry operated were revolutionary, and could easily be cited as the root cause that made America the superpower it is today.

Last month we focused on one technological area to show how such revolution could come to even the most mundane of technologies. The area we focused on was the use of wire as a primary means of communication. This month we will look at what the Signal Corps did in the then emerging field of radio.

Radio Begins To Crackle

While wire was at that time the primary means of communication, in part it held its dominance because it offered a cheap, easy and reliable means for establishing field communication in war time. This was especially so in rear-areas, where much of the administrative work was done. As the battle space got closer to the front however, advances in forms of combat were beginning to test the limits of wire based communication systems, especially when it came to the issue of ease of installation and the reliability of the communication channels that were set up.

In particular, the use of what was called light assault wire tended to limit the number of circuits that could be put in place, while the methods for laying this wire left it exposed to being destroyed by everything from tanks to bombing runs. Because of this, in that area where divisional wire networks and light assault wire networks met and ran towards the front, a new solution was needed. Further, two new combat doctrines were being developed at that time that would put additional pressure on the effectiveness of wire based communications. The first dealt with mechanization of the fighting force, while the second sought to increase its mobility. Both promised to propel troops out of reach of the rear echelon wire networks almost as soon as they were up and running.

The obvious answer to this problem was radio, as it promised to be able to keep up with troop movements no matter where they were… or at least that was the hope. Otherwise, a solution was going to have to be developed that created a link between the men at the back where the fixed equipment was located and the men at the front using the sound-powered telephone networks held together with the lightest wire in use.

Sitting here today it is easy to think that radio was obviously the only choice needed, and that it must have soon displaced wire communication nets. But that wasn’t the case. When radios were tried they were proven to have severe limitations that, until technology could be pushed along by the Signal Corps, would threaten the effectiveness of the dual doctrines of mechanization and mobility.

Instead, the answer fell to finding a way to marry the two technologies so that the limitations of radio as a means of communication were buttressed by a combination of spiral-four cable and radio relays. Radio communication, by voice, was thus slow to find its way onto the battlefield; although wherever it did find a way to fit into the forward echelon areas it quickly became the dominant tactical communication method, displacing telegraphy and wire telephone almost completely.

Continued at top of page, column at right

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This page last updated 1 September 2013. New content is constantly being added. Please check back frequently.

Posted 1 September 2013 – The Center for Cryptologic History will host its biennial international symposium in October. All Signal Corps personnel are invited... active, retired, or whatever. Click here for more information.

Posted 1 August 2013 – Thinking about a second home? Maybe a cottage somewhere? Perhaps something up in the mountains so that you can do a little hunting or fishing? Colorado, maybe? Or how about a place along the coast... the beautiful Tidewater area of South Carolina, say? Then check out our list of Signal OCS members that run their own real estate companies. They'll be sure to treat you right. Talk to David Martinek, Class 09-67, or Jimmy Stewart, Class 17-52. They'll both help you find what you need. You can find them on our Other Links page, or just click their names above.

Posted 1 August 2013 – Have a business of your own? Drop us a note with the details and we'll post your business on our Other Links page. And don't forget, you can advertise your business in our OCS Newsletter. Just send an eMail to Preas Street at preasstr@csranet.com for details.

Posted 1 August 2013 – The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society has extended a special invitation to all former Army Signal Corps OCS graduates and Officers to join them for the presentation of the William J. Donovan Award to Admiral William H. McRaven USN, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), in Washington, DC, on October 26, 2013.

In addition to honoring Admiral McRaven, the Society will also honor veterans of OSS and members of its successor organizations: the Central Intelligence Agency and USSOCOM.

A special musical tribute to Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich will also be presented. Ms. Dietrich served the OSS by recording songs that were used by its Morale Operations Branch. Maria Riva, Marlene Dietrich's daughter, will offer a toast to her mother.

At the dinner the Society will also commemorate the liberation of the Hotel Ritz in Paris in 1944 by Ernest Hemingway, Col. David Bruce, and members of the French Resistance. When they arrived at the Hotel Ritz shortly after the Nazis had fled the hotel, the manager asked Hemingway if there was anything he could do for them. Hemingway said: "How about 75 dry martinis?" Colin Field, the head bartender at the Hotel Ritz and founder of its legendary Hemingway Bar, will offer a toast to Ambassador Bruce, Hemingway, and his son, John Hemingway, who served as an OSS Jedburgh (the predecessors to U.S. Army Special Forces) and parachuted behind Nazi lines into France. (Marlene Dietrich and Ernest Hemingway met while crossing the Atlantic in 1934 and remained close friends until the author's death in 1961.) Seating space is limited; those interested in attending this special function should contact the OSS directly at: The OSS Society, Inc., 703-356-6667 oss@osssociety.org .

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Continued from left column... 

Bill & Art's Excellent Adventure

We spend so much time talking about militaria, politics and other serious things on this website that we thought that this month we would give you a break. Knowing that every good American has tattooed a Harley symbol on his arm (or in the usual Tramp Stamp position for you women who are reading our website), we thought we would take a break from the normal Army Signal Corps stuff and fill you in on a little of Harley Davidson’s history. And so... Bill & Art's Excellent Adventure.

This year Sturgis ran from August 5 to 11. We looked around (while we could still focus…), but didn’t see anyone wearing signal flags on their collars. I guess that means we were the only one there wearing ours. No? Well in that case, look for us next year… we’ll be the one on the Iron 883 with the Signal Corps emblem on the tail, proudly wearing our flags on our collar. At any rate, if you are a Harley lover like we are, we want you to know the following... or put another way, herewith we present to you our unofficial Army Signal Corps version of the Harley Davidson story. Enjoy.

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In 1901 a then 22 year old named Bill Harley designed a single engine motor he believed he could attach to a bicycle frame, and thus make it possible to go places without having to pedal. Two years later, with his friend Art Davidson, they produced their first riding bike, which they called a “power-cycle.” The first thing they noticed however was that while trying to ride it up and down the hills in their backyard it didn’t have the power to get where they wanted to go. Fortunately they had left the pedals on and so they were able to pedal to where they were headed, but the point sank in... they recognized that while the thing had some value, the whole idea of a machine that didn’t need pedal power still alluded them.

Over the next few years they played with their idea until in 1903 they felt good enough about their progress to form a company to produce the power-cycle. And thus it happened, in 1903 three… count them… three motorcycles, were produced.

These units had a bigger motor than the one that could barely get the bike up the hill, as well as a stronger loop-frame able to support the engine. And while terminology at the time was sketchy and somewhat nondescript, the redesign Bill and Art did boosted their bike out of the “motorized bicycle” class and into the a class then becoming known as the “motorcycle” class.

By 1905 the boys had sold 8 bikes. Wow, 8 bikes sold by the age of 26!

But that was just the beginning. The next year 50 more were sold… and Bill and Art's excellent adventure had begun.

Bill and Art, or the “Harley Boys” as we prefer to think of them, were more than just mechanics… they were also pretty darn good at marketing for their time. One thing they did was to spruce up their bikes to make them look good. Just like the pin-stripers of the early 50’s that made street rods a thing of beauty, the Harley Boys recognized that while their bikes might get attention if they sounded mean when arriving somewhere, they would get more attention sitting there if they looked good. And so they set out to make sure their motorcycles stood out in any crowd they drove into.  

In particular, they painted their bikes a solid, very, very shiny black, after which they both picked up paint brushes and set about hand-painting on each bike a series of pinstripes… and… most important of all… the much revered “Harley-Davidson Motor Company” logo... which they placed conspicuously on the fuel tank.

Imagine… pin-stripes in the early 1900s... the mind boggles.