| This is my 4th article on my experience in | | | | civilian splicer on that post.The school lasted three |
| Vietnam. I have heard from some of you and I | | | | weeks and nothing too eventful happened. I still |
| thank you for the email. I have added my home | | | | remember the color code. I did go into Saigon |
| email address on the bottom of this article.Mike | | | | with the duty driver for an afternoon. I had a |
| Massey and I flew from Qui Nhon to Long Binh to | | | | good time just looking around. I think the driver's |
| attend splicing school and earn the MOS 36E. On | | | | name was Bennet from Detroit.The Army would |
| the flight to Tan Son Nhut AFB the C130 lost one | | | | remain short of cable splicers for the entire war. |
| engine so the plane landed at Cam Ranh Bay. We | | | | The Army had decided to install modern |
| slept outside of the air terminal all night and made | | | | telephone switching offices but left in place an out |
| it to Long Binh the following day. This was a bit of | | | | of date outside plant doctrine. The Soldiers who |
| excitement for 2 guys that had been in country | | | | would pay for this failure were by and large the |
| for about 2 or 3 days.The splicing school was | | | | cable splicers. More on this in future articles.With |
| good for what it was. The Army was behind Ma | | | | splicing school over Mike Massey and I flew back |
| Bell in current splicing techniques but the | | | | to Company D, 40th Signal Battalion, in Qui |
| instructors did well with what they had. I | | | | Nhon.Dr. Mike Copper retired from the U.S. Army |
| remember two instructors, Hurt and Raney. | | | | in 1994. Dr. Copper has a Master's Degree in Data |
| Sergeant Partain ran the school. I knew him for | | | | Communications and a Ph.D. in Computer |
| Fort Gordon. In 1977 I ran into him at Fort | | | | Information Systems. Dr. Copper currently lives in |
| Gordon. He had retired from the Army and was a | | | | Delray Beach, Florida. |