19 April 2024
Semper Paratus! Shades of my Coast Guard days. My friend Jim Monko of the CGC Reliance sent me an article about Jerry Burleson sending out the last Morse Code signals on March 31, 1995 that ended 100 years of sending code.
The Brunswick News… “TC1 Jerry Burleson was one of the last three Coastguardsman to send and receive Morse Code Signals by the USCG…. The Ceremony marked the passing of an era. 31 March 1995.” The Rest of the Story… “On 31 March 1995, Coast Guard Communication Area Master Station Atlantic sent a final message by Morse Code and then signed off, officially ending more than 100 years of telegraph communications. Three operator’s used their skills to regretfully end a tradition of Coast Guard communications services to all nations. The operator’s names and ranks were: Telecommunication Specialist First Class Jerry D. “Burly” Burleson; Telecommunication Specialist Second Class Timothy L. Hilf; Telecommunication Specialist Third Class Sergio M. Morales. At 010030Z APR 95 the last message was delivered to those that were copying the Morse code signals by the three operator’s. Once completed, the operator’s secured the equipment carrying out the order given by the Commanding Officer Captain Freddy L. Montoya. The official logs and Morse code hand keys are on display at CAMSLANT Chesapeake ending the era of pounding brass and sparking clicks.
I’ve mentioned before that I was a radioman in the Coast Guard and although we had voice and teletype communications back in the 70’s we still sent and received Morse Code.
Many of the ships of that day didn’t have teletype and voice communications was range limited. The most effective long distance communication was Morse Code. We always maintained a 24/7 watch on 500 kHz, the international distress frequency and over the four years of my CG enlistment, I copied two SOS’s of ships in distress.
After enough time, you could recognize individuals by how they sent the code on their hand key. You developed a rhythm and each person’s was unique. There were several that I really enjoyed copying their code because you could read their rhythm and their messages were always readable and you didn’t have to ask for repeats. Then there were those that liked to use a speed key and weren’t very good at it. Speed keys could let you send code up to 80 words per minute. I never copied faster than 30 words per minute so when someone got on a speed key I needed a lot of repeats which would anger the sender.
When you wanted to show anger and that someone was a dummy, they would send dah, dah, dit, dit, dah, dah (two dashes, two dits, two dashes). That mean they thought you were an idiot. The idiot was the one sending with a speed key.
When I say long distance communication, I really mean it. I could sit in the radio station on New Orleans and copy traffic from the Indian Ocean. The code signals from the transmitters would bounce off the ionosphere and we could pick up the signals and copy the traffic.
As a side story, a lot of movies and tv shows often use Morse Code and I’ve found over the years the people responsible for the code take advantage that the producers don’t know code. For example, in the old TV comedy show Hee Haw, they had a news segment that was introduced each episode by Morse Code. What people didn’t know was what the code spelled. It was 3 dits, followed by 4 dits, followed by 2 dits, followed by one dah. It was all run together so you couldn’t separate the dits, but any radioman worth their salt knew it spelled “shit.” That’s one they got past the censors. It’s kinda fun to be able to decode the signals in movies and tv shows.
I’m still sore today and both ankles still hurt – the left more than the right – but I try to keep moving so I don’t lose flexibility. After sitting a while, I look walk like I’m crippled but after a while I can get to moving pretty well. I canceled yesterday’s PT but plan to go to the two next week. I also have a Herceptin treatment on the 23rd.
I need to start packing for the May trip to Mississippi. I always over pack and always manage to forget at least one item.
Just to let you know, after the four page letter I send to the manager and customer service representative at Hollywood Chrysler/Jeep, I haven’t had any response other than text messages asking me to rate their service on Google. I’m not going to do that but I was expecting some response to my letter from the dealership. Oh well.
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