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ODE TO THE DITTY BOPPERS By Martin Sandy Doria Hail to you comrades so old, Veterans of the war so cold. Oer the ramparts a watch you kept, While most of us dreamt and slept. What no heat of battle, scars! No wounds on body to mar. Not lance nor pistol you bore How fought you that damned war? When you say it was electronic, Makes it sound most demonic Can you relate tales of battle? Oop is that security tattle! How then do you we commemorate? No troubadours, no verse of any rate. Yet, you've lost most hearing so dear From the decibels beating on ear. Hail to all of you veterans so old, Who did that service oh so bold. © Copyright 2013 Martin Sandy Doria ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
This page features the graduation photos of men that graduated from the Morse Intercept Operator (MIO) School located at Keesler AFB, MS. Each of the below graduation photos identifies by name, the men who served at the 6987th RSM/RGM/SG during their USAFSS career. The MIO school has a rich history going back to the late 1940's when the school was located at Scott AFB, IL. Hundreds of MIO graduation photos were taken over the course of the two-plus decades when the school was active at either Scott or Keesler. While we feature here only the class photos that include people that served at the 6987th, over 300 of these photos exist in a collection owned by Merritt "Red" Barthel. Red has launched a Web site to showcase his collection to a wider audience with the hope that visitors to his site, viewing the photos, will be motivated to send him a copy of their own MIO graduation photo.
Many of these photos exist in photo albums in homes all over the country. In some cases, widows, sons/daughters, or even grandchildren of MIO graduates have looked at these photos, not knowing the history behind them. If you have such a photo in an album at home and would like to share it, please send a copy of it to Red so he can add it to his collection and preserve the history and legacy that these men left behind. You may click on the photo of the Morse Sending Key below and it will take you to Red's Web site. His entire collection is on display and he will be adding additional photos as they are received. Red's e-mail address is: marritt@bellsouth.net. If you graduated from the MIO School at either Scott AFB or Keesler AFB, and you still have your graduation photo, won't you please share a copy of it with Red for his collection? He will not only display it on his Web site, but he will share it with the Keesler Heritage Museum. As many of you know, Keesler AFB was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and their museum was all but destroyed. It is Red's intention to also make his collection available to the museum to restore their MIO exhibit. This is a worthy project that Red has undertaken and your help would be greatly appreciated. You may e-mail a copy of your photo to Red Barthel at: marritt@bellsouth.net. |
Our Web site is soliciting Keesler Graduation Photos from Graduates of the MIO School. If you served as a Morse Intercept Operator, at any time during your career, at Shu Linkou Air Station when it was designated as the 6925th, Detachment 1, or later when it was known as the 6987th RSM/RGM/SG please submit your class graduation photo to us. Our e-mail address is: webmaster@6987thalumniassociation.org We would like to display your photo here on this page. Thank You. |
KEESLER AFB | KELLY AFB | YALE IFEL |
KEESLER AFB - YEAR OF GRADUATION |
1950 through 1955 | 1956 through 1960 | 1961 through 1965 | 1966 through 1970 |
1950 THROUGH 1955 (Click on Photos to Enlarge) |
CLASS NUMBER 03130 - GRADUATION DATE-1950 | CLASS NUMBER 23053B-GRADUATION DATE 09/09/1953 |
Archie White's Class. Archie is pictured on the top row, 2nd from the right end.![]() |
Bert Daniels Class. Bert is pictured on the right end of the first row.![]() |
CLASS NUMBER 05063A-GRADUATION DATE 10/01/1953 | CLASS NUMBER 17114-GRADUATION DATE 06/01/1955 |
1956 THROUGH 1960 (Click on Photos to Enlarge) |
CLASS NUMBER 29065-GRADUATION DATE 01/17/1956 | CLASS NUMBER 21036-GRADUATION DATE 09/25/1956 |
CLASS NUMBER 29086-GRADUATION DATE 02/12/1957 | CLASS NUMBER 26126-GRADUATION DATE 06/11/1957 |
CLASS NUMBER 13117-GRADUATION DATE 04/29/1958 | CLASS NUMBER 03098B-GRADUATION DATE 03/03/1959 |
CLASS NUMBER 08108A-GRADUATION DATE 04/07/1959 | CLASS NUMBER 22108B-GRADUATION DATE 04/21/1959 |
CLASS NUMBER 29108A-GRADUATION DATE 04/29/1959 | CLASS NUMBER 05118A-GRADUATION DATE 05/05/1959 |
CLASS NUMBER 19118A-GRADUATION DATE 05/19/1959 | CLASS NUMBER 19118B-GRADUATION DATE 05/19/1959 |
CLASS NUMBER 26118A-GRADUATION DATE 05/26/1959 | CLASS NUMBER 03128B-GRADUATION DATE 06/02/1959 |
CLASS NUMBER 17128BB-GRADUATION DATE 06/19/1959 | CLASS NUMBER 31128B-GRADUATION DATE 06/30/1959 |
CLASS NUMBER 21019A-GRADUATION DATE 07/21/1959 | CLASS NUMBER 28019B-GRADUATION DATE 07/28/1959 |
CLASS NUMBER 11029B-GRADUATION DATE 08/11/1959 | CLASS NUMBER 18039B-GRADUATION DATE 09/15/1959 |
CLASS NUMBER 22049B-GRADUATION DATE 10/20/1959 | CLASS NUMBER 15079A-GRADUATION DATE 01/12/1960 |
CLASS NUMBER 23099A-GRADUATION DATE 03/23/1960 | CLASS NUMBER 04119A-GRADUATION DATE 05/03/1960 |
CLASS NUMBER 18119B-GRADUATION DATE 05/17/1960 | CLASS NUMBER 02129B-GRADUATION DATE 05/31/1960 |
CLASS NUMBER 06010A-GRADUATION DATE 07/05/1960 | CLASS NUMBER 06010B-GRADUATION DATE 07/05/1960 |
CLASS NUMBER 27010A-GRADUATION DATE 07/27/1960 | CLASS NUMBER 10020A-GRADUATION DATE 08/09/1960 |
CLASS NUMBER 02030B-GRADUATION DATE 08/30/1960 | CLASS NUMBER 30030B-GRADUATION DATE 09/28/1960 |
CLASS NUMBER 20040A-GRADUATION DATE 10/19/1960 |
CLASS NUMBER 06070A-GRADUATION DATE 12/27/1960 | CLASS NUMBER 06070B-GRADUATION DATE 12/27/1960 |
1961 THROUGH 1965 (Click on Photos to Enlarge) |
CLASS NUMBER 13070B-GRADUATION DATE 01/10/1961 |
Wesley (Wes) Jones' class. Wes is pictured in the front row, on the right end. Arriving at SLK in February, 1961, he was assigned to "D" Flight. Wes completed his 15 month tour in May, 1962![]() |
CLASS NUMBER 17080B-GRADUATION DATE 02/14/1961 | CLASS NUMBER 24080B-GRADUATION DATE 02/21/1961 |
CLASS NUMBER 31080A-GRADUATION DATE 02/28/1961 | CLASS NUMBER 14090A-GRADUATION DATE 03/14/1961 |
CLASS NUMBER 28090A-GRADUATION DATE 03/28/1961 | CLASS NUMBER 12100B-GRADUATION DATE 04/11/1961 |
CLASS NUMBER 29031B-GRADUATION DATE 09/27/1961 | CLASS NUMBER 19041B-GRADUATION DATE 10/17/1961 |
CLASS NUMBER 19071C-GRADUATION DATE 01/16/1962 | CLASS NUMBER 02081B-GRADUATION DATE 01/31/1962 |
BASIC TRAINING FLIGHT NUMBER T32C1-DATE MARCH, 1962 |
CLASS NUMBER 08111B-GRADUATION DATE 05/08/1962 | CLASS NUMBER 22111A-GRADUATION DATE 05/22/1962 |
CLASS NUMBER 04042B - GRADUATION DATE 10/03/1962 |
CLASS NUMBER 13062C-GRADUATION DATE 12/12/1962 | CLASS NUMBER 08082B-GRADUATION DATE 02/06/1963 |
CLASS NUMBER 06015A - GRADUATION DATE 04/14/1965 | CLASS NUMBER 17025B - GRADUATION DATE 05/23/1965 |
CLASS NUMBER 02124B - GRADUATION DATE 09/03/1965 |
1966 THROUGH 1970 (Click on Photos to Enlarge) |
CLASS NUMBER - 16026B-GRADUATION DATE 04/26/1966 | CLASS NUMBER - 04056A-GRADUATION DATE 07/26/1966 |
Mike (Sam) Smaha's Class. Pictured in the top row, 3rd from the left, Sam's first assignment after Keesler was to the 6922nd, Clark AB, The Philippines. From there he extended for a tour at the 6987th and found a home.![]() |
Terry Ricchiardi's Class. Terry is pictured on the 2nd Row, 2nd from the right end. Also in this class was Robert Kimm, pictured in the top row, 2nd from the left end. Robert went on to serve in Vietnam, and passed away in 2008 (see Personnel Roster)![]() |
CLASS NUMBER - 04056B-GRADUATION DATE 07/26/1966 | CLASS NUMBER - 14096B-GRADUATION DATE 12/13/1966 |
CLASS NUMBER - 08037B-GRADUATION DATE 06/06/1967 | CLASS NUMBER - 28067B-GRADUATION DATE 09/26/1967 |
KELLY AIR FORCE BASE, TX - SCHOOL |
CLASS NUMBER -GRADUATION DATE 12/1956 |
Bob Gee's class, shown in front row, far right. Bob went on to Radio Printer School at Suitland Hall, MD before going to his first assignment at the 6922nd RGM at Ashiya Air Base in May, 1957. Once there, he requested, and was approved, to revert back to work as Chinese Linquist and held this specialty for the next 16 years. He was then appointed US Army Warrant Officer, still in the intelligence field. By that time, he was a qualified military linguist in Japanese, German, and several main Chinese dialects. Bob was a "re-tread", having served a combat tour in Korea with the 7th I. D. as a Chinese linguist. Note his ribbons: The Korean Service Medal, UN Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.![]() |
YALE INSTITUTE OF FAR EASTERN LANGUAGES |
CLASS OF JANUARY, 1964 - GRADUATED AUGUST, 1964 |
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