[BC] Re: People asking questions....

[Glen Kippel]

On Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 4:50 AM, <WBRadiolists at aol.com> wrote:

>
> Man, I LOVE these Field Strength "War Stories!" Some of you guys are
> downright cruel, you know that?! ;)
>
----------------

OK, if you insist ... It was 1970, IIRC; I was working for KUDE in Oceanside
and we were tweaking the DA.  A consulting engineer was craking on the
phaser and I was running moniror points in the news station wagon with the
old GE two-way radio and "KUDE" emblazoned on every surface.

One of the moniror points was in Area 31, the gunnery range aboard Camp
Pendleton.  I stopped in at the main gate around midnight, picked up a
visitors pass, made the measurement, and turned in the pass on my way out.
About 0100 I did the same thing.  The MP at the gate asked me what I was up
to and I told him.  About 0200 I drove up to the main gate, the guard
recognized me and just waved me in.  This time, the engineer back at the
studio/transmitter experienced a delay and as I was waiting, an MP jeep
pulled up behind me.  He said, "Who are you and what are you doing here."  I
explained and then he demanded to see my pass.  I told him I didn't get one
this time, so he wanted to know (in no uncertain terms) how I "came
aboard."  I told him it was the main gate.  He went back to his jeep, talked
on the radio for a bit, then came back and repeated the same procedure as
before.  Then he did this a third time.  After that, another jeep pulled up
and the first MP told me they were taking me into custody.  So we drove
around to the Provost Marshal's Office, where they proceeded to grill me
until about 0530.  Finally they said I would be escorted out the back gate,
but I could never return to the base without the express authorization of
the Commanding General.  I was able to contact the other engineer on the
two-way, and he said the night was shot, so just to meet him at Denny's for
breakfast.  By that time I was too upset to eat anything.

Hmmm...is that better or worse than being zapped by a transmitter?