photos by protostack.com From Tubes to Transistors Prior to the mid 1950’s vacuum tubes lit up the insides of TV’s, stereos, radios, and telecommunications gear. The large tubes emitted a lot of heat. They were fragile, consumed a large amount of electricity and were susceptible to vibrations when used in bulky two-way radios installed in…
Month: January 2017
An Alternative Foreign Service Orientation
Our tech supervisor Norm Bates, a Foreign Service veteran notified me that I would accompany him on a road trip to Philadelphia and Boston. Little did I know the trip would be an alternative Foreign Service “orientation.” Bates (whose last name wasn’t Bates) had serious goiter problems that were exacerbated by his beer drinking. Nevertheless, Norm…
The Dr. Henry Kissinger Assignment | Or, How I stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Radio
At the OC radio depot our main task was repairing handheld two-way radios for security agents and personnel at U.S. missions abroad. We also supported Office of Security (S.Y.) details, both domestic and overseas (more on that later). There were odd jobs, too. My first “solo” assignment materialized after radio manager Kevin had surprised by…
Foreign Service Beginnings | The OC Bandits
October 1976 My Foreign Service beginnings commenced on a Monday morning. My first day on the job with the State Department I zoomed down the I-395 from my Arlington motel to Springfield. When I saw a Denny’s off to the right I stopped for a “Grand Slam” that the restaurant chain had been advertising since…
Swearing-In | The U.S. Department of State
October 1976 Mom called. The official confirmation letter from the U.S. Department of State had arrived. On a Thursday I took off work at noon and a buddy took me to a used car lot on Manhattan Beach Boulevard. I bought a used red Fiat sedan for seven hundred fifty cash. Then I swung by…
High School Graduation Interrupted By “Six-Day Arab-Israeli War”
Flashback | June 5, 1967 The beginning of the “Six-Day War” between the Israelis and the Arabs would have a profound effect on my life. But, on that day I wasn’t even aware of the situation in the Middle East. I had one thing on my mind—to graduate from high school and enjoy our Disneyland…
Foreign Service Appointment | An Accident Waiting to Happen?
On a Saturday morning in September of 1976, an official letter arrived at my parent’s house in Southern California. I was staying the weekend and answered the door. The mailman handed me the envelope. The old guy (he was well over forty) had been delivering to our mailbox for years. I had waved to him occasionally…
Foreign Service Messages 