Crusty old Joe's

Kodiak Alaska Military History

The official web site of the Kodiak Military History Museum

Communications Station Kodiak

Jack Cook, NOJ 1978

Building 576 Tech Control (NHB)

Pictures taken are from Technical (Tech) Control (or as the Navy named it: North Holiday Beach-NHB). The location of tech control was on the second floor of building 576 atop Aviation Hill. The lower floor was given over to Electronics Support Unit Kodiak back in the mid to late 80's. Prior to that time, Commsta admin was located on that floor.

Tech Control was destroyed by fire about 1985. This was the central hub for all communications circuits for the Coast Guard (and Navy prior to that time). All cables and microwave circuits terminated in this facility. Tech control was built in 1952 as part of the Navy's HF communications upgrade after WW2.

After the fire, tech control was moved to the garage complex next to building 576. The location was refered to as building 603. In 1990, plans were laid to remotely control all functions of tech control from a central location at the Buskin Lake transmitter site. By the end of 1992 this was completed and building 603 was abandoned and turned over to Coast Guard Support Center Kodiak. Alaska Communications Systems DMS telephone switching equipment and a small microwave repeater station (that the Commsta owns) is now located in what was the tech control center of the Commsta.

Comments on above pictures from early 1980s:

1.jpg - Collins analog microwave transmitters (3) and mux equipment. There were three paths.

NHB to Holiday Beach receiver site
NHB to Buskin Lake transmitter site
NHB to Alascom

The order wire teletype and test printers are shown. 2.jpg thru 10.jpg - various shots of the patch bays, test equipment and FDM mux equipment.

Building 576 fire

USCG photos

fire1.jpg * Picture of the teletype shop directly below tech control. This is where the fire started when a teletype motor overheated and caught fire. Base Fire Chief Vince Reyes on the right.
fire2.jpg * Another view of the same shop.
fire3.jpg * View of the electronics shop.

Tech Control and the Commsta admin offices on the floor above were destroyed. The floor in the hallway just out side of tech control got so hot that the steel reinforcing buckled splitting open the floor in that area.

Building 576 is an all concrete building with few windows. Temperatures in some parts of the building reached 1000 to 2000 degrees.

Holiday Beach

Building R-1

Photos by Stevens October 1999

R1-1.JPG * View from entrance looking back towards operating positions. Left to right, operating positions are: ship/shore radio teletype, air to ground voice, voice distress/sar sat, special operations. Equipment bay pedestals shown just right of center almost all the way to the back wall. Crypto equipment was located along the back wall. Chief watch officer position and supervisor were located in the center of this room.
R1-2.JPG * Fire alarm panel and tech control position. Booth to the right was the Comtac office.
R1-3.JPG * Main entry way hall. Operations deck entrances to the left. Offices on the right consisted of; RMIC/CMS vault, microwave room, galley and head. Another exit and freight elevator were at the end of the hall.

Tom Lawson Photos, Holiday Beach, 1959

I was stationed at Holiday Beach in 1959 as a RM2. Loved it...
Tom Lawson, Issaquah, WA, Trakai (at) aol.com

Receiver station and barracks at Holiday Beach, NAVCOMSTA Kodiak, 1959.

Evert Mudersbach, Holiday Beach, 1962-3

Now in Tres Pinos California, Evert was at Holiday Beach 6/62 to 6/63.
Emud37 (at) yahoo.com

Holiday Beach Fight Song
HOLIDAY HERALD
- October 13, 1962, 69th Edition
- May 19, 1962, Vol 1, No. 15
- November 3, 1962, Vol. II

The Barracks 1962-1963. Two story section is sleeping quarters and other effects. One story section is the galley and rec hall. The other building is the garage.

Pool room, 2nd floor *

Beer and weiner roast on Holiday Beach

Notice the stream. It goes right down into the rocks (underground stream). If you look you can see bottom. Nice & clear picture. This is about 200 yds. from the ocean.
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In front of barracks.
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Pretty. Standing in the shadows looking across a cove. Notice rocks go all the way to the edge of the water.
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Horse Shoe Lake with a buddy (Hancock), me in the back.
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Some dog salmon with a small silver in front. Dogs average around 10 of 12 lbs while the silver was 8 lbs. Check those teeth in the dogs. I caught those in 40 min.
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U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATIONS STATION, KODIAK, ALASKA

CDR. William M. MILLER, Commanding Officer
LT. JACK D. DURHAM, Executive Officer

Lt. Leonard R. Womack Lt. (j.g.) Lee A. Hodges Lt. (j.g.) Donald G. Spencer Lt. (j.g.) William E. Hower Ens. Roc M. Brierley Ens. Charles R. Scobee, Jr. Ens. Samuel C. Smith, Jr. Ens. Edward M. Elmendorf Ens. John D. Devlin Ens. Eldred "B" Stricklin Ens. Lawrence L. Edmundson Ens. Marion J. Diederich CWO-3 George R. Ballweber Eugene T. ABel, RMC Francis C. Affolter, RM3 Carl W. Alvers, ET1 James L. Anderson, RM2 Joseph L. Angelillo, CEPCP Robert D. Armstrong, RM1 Joseph F. Baggs, RM1 Larry D. Baldridge, ETN3 Phillip J. Barrett, ENSN Tommy (N) Barrett, RM2 James E. Bashline, BM2 Robert W. Bell, RM3 William A. Bengston, Jr., RM1 Harry R. Bigelow, RM3 Fred N. Bonton, SN John R. Boyd, RMSN David K. Brackney, RM3 Leonard R. Brown, EN2 John F. Brownlee, Jr., CEPCN William J. Burch, RMCN Timothy F. Burns, RMSN Charles R. Burr, RM1 Ronald C. Burski, RMSN Robert H. Burton, RM3 Milton P. Campo, RM1 Silviano (N) Candelaria, RMSN Robert D. Carlson, RMSN Simon W. Carraway, EM3 Benny C. Carson, RMSN Louis R. Charters, Rm2 Melcor (N) Chavez, ENFN Richard A. Cook, RMSN William (N) Webber, RM3 Ernest L. Woodring, RM1 Benjamin F. Zartiga, RM1 Earl R. Counts, UT1

Leslie J. Crow, SW1 Richard G. Crump, RMSN Marshal A. Davis, RMCA Ronald C. Dean, RM3 Guy F. Decker, RM3 Benjamin W. Denio, RMC Robert E. Dietz, SA Billy J. Dolgener, SA Donald L. Eizenga, RMSN William H. Emery Frederick K. Erickson, RMSA David F. Everleth, ETNSN Lee C. Fellenz, RMSN Aaron F. Fielder, SA Robert C. Franco, Jr., RM3 Richard A. Freeman, RMSN Edward C. Gacke, RMSN Jack W. Garoutte, RMC Harry J. Geraty, Jr., RMCA Lawrence E. Gerlits, Jr., CS3 Darrold L. Glanville, RMSN Richard P. Golightly, ETN3 Theodore (N) Granlund, RM1 Billy L. Gray, RMSN Thomas E. Greene, CS3 John A. Grennell, EN1 Georg (N) Gruen, SKSN Paul T. Halchak, RM1 William E. Hall, RM1 Lee N. Hancock, RMSN Gary B. Hamby, ETN2 Dale F. Hannaman, RMSA Tommy A. Harmon, PN2 Dennis L. Harris, RM1 Francis R. Harris, RMSN James I. Hart, RMCA Glynn L. Hathcock, RM1 Billy D. Havenhill, RMSN David G. Hemming, ETNSN Wiley O. Heninger, EMCA Harry J. Henzen, SN Jerry C. Hinman, ETN3 Francis E. Hopton, RM1 Frederick I. Horn, RM1 Calvin (N) Hughes, BUCA Charles A. Welch, RMC Jack C. Wright, SW1 Paul E. Zasada, BM1 Patrick A. Husseman, RMSA

Gary L. Jenneke, RMSN Jon C. Jensen, RMSA Carlton R. Johnson, SK2 James L. Johnson, YN3 David E. Kimes, RMSN Kenneth L. Kloncz, RMSN John H. Koons, RMSN Henry H. Kopf, RM1 Kenneth A. Koski, RMSA Walter L. Krout, EO1 Gary J. Langston, YN3 Romaine H. Lee, SN John O. Lewis, RM1 Thomas B. Lewis, Jr., SN Tommy G. Lewis, RM3 John J. Lindsey, ETC Frederick J. Lounds, Jr., RMSN Vernon L. Luce, RMSA Robert M. Luther, RM2 Donald H. Maclaine, RM1 Maximo "F" "X" Madril, EM2 Frank C. Marcell, RM2 Michael S. Marchesano, RMSN Lewis C. Martin, UTP3 William H. Mason, ETN3 John P. Matthews, RMSN Richard G. McAtee, RM1 Richard E. McConnell, CS1 Paul L. Mead, RM1 Ribert H. Miles, RMCA Richard A. Morales, RMSA William J. Motto, RM2 William C. Mowery, BUL2 Evert R. Mudersbach, RMSA Marvin C. Mumm, SN Raymond A. Meyers, ETN2 Donald W. Newberry, ETR2 Robert E. Nolan II, RMSA Gary U. Noone, RMSA Elno O. Nuenz, RM3 William E. O'Donnell, RMC Oscar W. Osvatics, RMC Charles F. Palmer, RMC Thomas W. Park, ETN3 Jimmie C. Patton, RMSN James F. Williette, SN Elwood E. Yetter, RMSA Edward "J" Zimmerman, ENFN Harlan D. Peterson, RMSN

John R. Phillips, BUL3 Ledger (N) Powell III, SA Michael W. Quade, SKSN Jay A. Ranney, RMC Calvin A. Ray, Jr., ETR2 Kenneth W. Roberts, ETN3 Roy J. Roberts, ETN3 Ray A. Robson, SKCA Ignacio V. Rodriguez, SN Henry T. Rouse, CE1 Horace R. Royals, Jr., ETN3 Edward F. Rudzinski, BMCS Franklyn G. Samson, RM2 Earl D. Saulmon, RM2 Richard W. Scherer, RMSN Herbert S. Schory, ETCM Norman R. Schwendler, RMSN Dennis H. Schyvincht, SA Donald L. Scott, EN3 Miguel (N) Sevilla, YNCA Gerald E. Shelden, UTP2 Gaelon W. Silva, HM3 Joseph F. Skelding, SA George F. Smith, CS1 Paul W. Smith, CS1 Neil L. Sovern, RM3 Paul R. Speelman, RMSN Lawrence (N) Spencer, RM2 Charles E. Stephens, CE1 Richard B. Stivers, RM1 Eddie K. Stoddard, RM3 Riley H. Stogner, RM1 Kenneth J. Stone, ETNSN Willard R. Strong, SN Ta'a (N) Ta'a, Jr., RM1 Tye A. Taylor, ETC Donald O. Thompson, RM2 Donald C. Timmons, RMC Ronald L. Tira, RMSN William F. Trant, ETNSN Jack N. Treher, SN Stewart W. Vandervort, SWE2 Manuel J. Vasquez, RM3 Murry L. Walker, SA Leither D. Walley, ETN3 Larry G. Ware, RMSN Ronald E. Warren, PN3 Larry L. Watson, RMSN Robert W. Williamson, ETN2 Phillip N. Young, YN3

Image of above roster

* (Note: If largest photo version doesn't load, it may be only available on our CD-ROM of the website.)

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http://www.kadiak.org/radios/commsta.html Updated 2008 February 11