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ZIG-ZAG IN JAPAN--New from one of our members.
Richard "Dick" Burnette Chitose 59-61 ZIG-ZAG IN JAPAN can be
purchased for $15.95 from the website www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=21835
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Treason in the Blood -- Anthony Cave Brown Military Intelligence (Army Lineage Series) -- John Patrick Finnegan & Romana Danysh (Govt. Printing Office) The Price of Vigilance -- Attacks on American Surveillance Flights by Larry Tart and Robert Keefe. (Recomendation from Dennis Buley SEMA WebMaster)A tribute to our airborne reconnaissance brothers who have paid the ultimate price and to their families. Covers US airborne collection from WW II to the recent Navy EP-3E incident with considerable attention paid to the shoot-down of C-130 60528 over then Soviet Armenia. Chitose mentioned on pg. 134-135 (home base for a Feb. '55 RF-86 mission that overflew Khabarovsk). Body of Secrets Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency -- James Bamford (See Puzzle Palace below) Dragon Lady The History of the U-2 Spyplane -- Chris Pocock The Master of Disguise My Secret Life in the CIA -- Antonio Mendez |
| Treason In The Blood by Anthony Cave Brown (pub Houghton Mifflin
Co, C 1994). About a quarter of the book is the story of H. St. John
Philby and the other three quarters deals with his infamous son Kim.
Kim Philby became committed to communism in his college days (1934). As a member of upper crust British society, Kim was tasked by his Soviet handler with the infiltration of England's Secret Service. He took and passed the required boards but two of his former professors refused to provide character references because of his known communist leanings. How he weaseled his way into British intelligence is a remarkable story of luck, bluster, and intrigue that evokes many painful questions. He was not alone in his penetration. Ultimately he became know as one of the 'Cambridge Five'. He was not definitely exposed until 1963 even though there were many indications of treason throughout his active agent life. During WW II he was privy to Ultra. At the end of WW II he was placed at the head of R5 the British Secret Service office of counter-espionage principally targeting the Soviets. Needles to say he did an incredible amount of damage in that capacity. From 1949 to 1951 he was the liaison between British intelligence and the CIA, FBI, NSA, and Canadian secret services working out of the British Embassy in DC. Kim finally defected to the Soviet Union from Beirut January 23, 1963 as his cover collapsed. He continued to make trouble for the west even while ensconced in a comfortable KGB financed apartment in Moscow. He died May 11, 1988 of a heart arrhythmia and was buried with honors as a hero of the Soviet Union. St. John Philby, Kim's father was also something of a traitor to the British empire. He began his career as a British civil servant in India. He was eventually canned from his position as a low-level secret service official because of his temperament. He eventually ended up in the near east during WW I. He wormed his way into British Intelligence where he rubbed elbows with Lawrence of Arabia etc.. After the war he managed to finagle his man, Ibn Saud, into the monarchy of what later became known as Saudi Arabia. This did not set well with his seniors who had another candidate in mind. St. John further angered Imperial Britain by championing the oil interests of (US) Standard Oil over that of British Petroleum. The author is himself a well educated Brit. The book is well written and documented but not an easy read. There is a lot of complex interwoven detail but, thankfully, the author frequently comes to the rescue with reminders of persons and facts we may have forgotten. The reader may want to have a dictionary handy while reading it unless your vocabulary includes such words as; soporific, doyen, miasma, etc.. While the story of the two principals is compelling enough, the reader will also be rewarded with lots of historical tidbits that surface throughout the book. For example, during WW II, the Germans, (with certain Spanish factions) had set up a chain of 14 infrared detection stations in the Gibraltar Straights linked by radio to submarine wolf packs. These stations would have wreaked havoc on the North Africa campaign. You will have to read the book to find out Philby's part in this operation. Hardcover. 677 pages, 16 page index, 34 pages of footnotes, 16 pages of photographs. Availability; out of print but still available as a used book (Amazon & B&N). |
| The EC-47 Experience (written and compiled) by
James C. Wheeler (self published, printed by Swearingen Ink
Printing and Publishing, (C) 1999) Thirty chapters on the personal
experiences of the author and other contributors with Project Phyllis Ann
(Combat Cougar, Sentinel Eagle, and other project names) which was the
incorporation of Airborne Radio Direction Finding equipment aboard the
venerable, WW II vintage C-47 "Goony Bird" for service during the Viet Nam
war. The installation of the equipment was done under contract by Sanders
(recently purchased by BAE from Lockheed Martin).
ASA vets who served in SEA will find this interesting as the various detachments of the 6994th AFSS units that flew the EC-47s were actually under the operational control of the ASA's 509th RRG. Well documented including many photographs and drawings. Msgt. Wheeler (Ret.) was a flight mechanic detached to AFSS. Many of the chapters are contributions from AFSS 'back enders' who give first hand descriptions of what missions were like including descriptions and operations of the equipment and positions. There were approximately 30 C-47s converted to this mission and considerable effort is made to account for each. Paperback. 240 pages, table of contents, no index. Availability: can only be obtained directly from the author at: http://www.ec47.com |
| Treason In The Blood by Anthony Cave Brown (pub
Houghton Mifflin Co, C 1994). About a quarter of the book is the
story of St. John Philby and the other three quarters deals with his
infamous son Kim. Kim Philby became committed to communism in his college
days (1934).
As a member of upper crust British society, Kim was tasked by his Soviet handler with the infiltration of England's Secret Service. He took and passed the required boards but two of his former professors refused to provide character references because of his known communist leanings. How he weaseled his way into British intelligence is a remarkable story of luck, bluster, and intrigue that evokes many painful questions. He was not alone in his penetration. Ultimately he became know as one of the 'Cambridge Five'. He was not definitely exposed until 1963 even though there were many indications of treason throughout his active agent life. During WW II he was privy to Ultra. At the end of WW II he was placed at the head of R5 the British Secret Service office of counter-espionage principally targeting the Soviets. Needles to say he did an incredible amount of damage in that capacity. From 1949 to 1951 he was the liaison between British intelligence and the CIA, FBI, NSA, and Canadian secret services working out of the British Embassy in DC. Kim finally defected to the Soviet Union from Beirut January 23, 1963 as his cover collapsed. He continued to make trouble for the west even while ensconced in a comfortable KGB financed apartment in Moscow. He died May 11, 1988 of a heart arrhythmia and was buried with honors as a hero of the Soviet Union. St. John Philby, Kim's father was also something of a traitor to the British empire. He began his career as a British civil servant in India. He was eventually canned from his position as a low-level secret service official because of his temperament. He eventually ended up in the near east during WW I. He wormed his way into British Intelligence where he rubbed elbows with Lawrence of Arabia etc.. After the war he managed to finagle his man, Ibn Saud, into the monarchy of what later became known as Saudi Arabia. This did not set well with his seniors who had another candidate in mind. St. John further angered Imperial Britain by championing the oil interests of (US) Standard Oil over that of British Petroleum. The author is himself a well educated Brit. The book is well written and documented but not an easy read. There is a lot of complex interwoven detail but, thankfully, the author frequently comes to the rescue with reminders of persons and facts we may have forgotten. The reader may want to have a dictionary handy while reading it unless your vocabulary includes such words as; soporific, doyen, miasma, etc.. Besides the two principals, the reader will be rewarded with lots of interesting little tidbits that surface in this work. For example, during WW II, the Germans, (with certain Spanish factions) had set up a chain of 14 Infrared detection stations in the Gibraltar Straights linked by radio to wolf packs. These stations would have wreaked havoc on the North Africa campaign. Read the book to find out Philby's part in the operation. Hardcover. 677 pages, 16 page index, 34 pages of footnotes, 16 pages of photographs. Availability; out of print but still available as a used book (Amazon & B&N). |
| Marching Orders The Untold Story of World War II by Bruce Lee.
(pub Crown Publishers, © 1995). Chronologically tells the story of WW II
as revealed through declassified decrypts of Ultra and Magic. A
sizeable portion of the story comes directly from Baron Oshima, the
Japanese ambassador to Hitler's High Command. While the Allies
sporadically read German High Command transmissions (Ultra), more
consistent intelligence often came from the Japanese diplomatic
cables (Magic) because the German High Command revealed their
intentions, purposes, and goals to Oshima who faithfully transmitted
the information to Tokyo. The author also makes extensive use of
declassified US documents to explain Allied reactions to this
intelligence. The work concludes with WW II segueing into the Cold War and
offers explanations on why things ended up the way they did (e.g. how the
Soviets ended up with Berlin). Lee expends much energy
debunking the myth that the use of the atom bomb was unnecessary.
Hardcover, 554 pages of text, 33 page appendix of source material, index and a few maps. No table of contents and the chapters are not titled. While Lee deserves high marks for his thorough and unbiased work, it is frankly, a tough read, owing to its tremendous detail. I'd recommend this one to the serious student of WW II. NOT currently availabe on line at: Borders, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon. You may be able to find it through "out of print" channels. |
| Battle of Wits The Complete Story of Codebreaking In World War II by Stephen Budiansky (pub The Free Press, (C) 2000). Offers far more detail than Kahn or Bamford owing to it's later publication date and more focused scope. Gives great insight and fascinating detail on how German and Japanese codes where broken. Details various co-operative efforts and rivalries between the US Army and Navy, and inter-country efforts such as the US & Great Britain, Great Britain and Poland, etc.. Nicely documented with salient photos (i.e. early Vint Hill, Arlington Hall, Two Rock Ranch, and Bletchley Park), maps, and illustrations. Provides some insights into early efforts on the "Russian problem", and Soviet penetration of Arlington Hall and GC&CS. Explains why some generals and campaigns were more succesful than others. The author has a mastrers degree in applied math from Harvard. Five appendices, source notes, bibliography, and index. Availability: on line & in stock through: Borders, Barnes & Nobel, and Amazon. A great addition for your permanent collection. Treats cryptanalysis in a clear and understandable fashion but is not limited to that topic. |
| The Chinese Black Chamber An Adventure in Espionage by Herbert Osborn Yardley. (pub Houghton Mifflin Company, (C) 1983) Yardley was the founder of MI8 Cipher Bureau, the great, great, great grandfather of ASA. This is his personal account of his 20 months in wartime Chungking, China ('38-'40) while the city was being bombed and he was instructing his Chinese employers (Chiang Kai-shek's army) in the fine arts of cryptanalysis. His efforts were not overly effective due in large part to a lack of intercepts. There are two accounts of "nailing" foreign agents (working for the Japanese). He also cracked a case where Chinese were working against Chiang Kai-shek in an attempt to strike a peace deal with the Japanese. Throughout the stories Yardley encounters several attractive women who assist him and like the Bond novels, they all come to a bad end or leave him. Hardcover, 225 pages with an introduction by James Bamford (see Puzzle Palace below) and closing remarks by Mrs. Edna Ramsaier Yardley. The book was written sometime between 1941-45 but was not published until later due to Yardley's past experiences with the federal government after he published The American Black Chamber in 1931. Upon leaving China, he worked briefly for the Signal Corps explaining his solutions of Japanese army crypto systems. This was followed by employment with the Canadian government Examination Unit. Other books by Yardley include: Yardleygrams, The Blonde Countess (made into the movie Rendezvous), Red Sun of Nippon, Crows Are Black Everywhere (with Carl Grabo) and The Education of a Poker Player. Availability: out of print; try http://www.harvestbooks.com |
| Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War by James F.
Dunnigan and Albert A Nofi. (pub. Thomas Dunne Books, (C) 1999)
Despite it's sensationalist title, this is a pretty good book and unlike
my original misgivings, it is factual and unbiased. If it has any sins at
all, they are sins of ommission. Such topics as; ASA and Op Plan 32,
for example are never mentioned. Noteworthy topics include; ELECTRONICS While America was the acknowledged leader in high tech during the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese were not without resources in this area. In the field,, an infantry battalion rarely had more than half a dozen Chinese-made radios. These had a range of some fifty kilometers and were only used for communication between companies and battalion headquarters in emergencies or as part of a deception. The Communists knew that the Americans had an enormous advantage in electronic warfare equipment. US radio detection gear could fix the location of Communist radios within minutes and have artillery fire or bombs on the target within one hour or less. Communist units relied more on telephone wire laid through the jungle, troops carrying messages or other signals (rifle shots, flares, etc.) to communicate in battle. An American infantry battalion had over a hundred radios of various types and these were used freely in the field. The Communists used this abundance of enemy radio traffic as one of their own weapons. Using captured US radios manned by English-speaking operators, the Communists would monitor American radio traffic during operations and, despite code words and the like, were able to obtain a lot of information on what the enemy was up to. This provided a tremendous advantage, for the Communist units sent nearly all their messages by foot or telephone and were thus almost impossible to intercept. Meanwhile, American and South Vietnamese units broadcast their plans for the Communists to hear. Using spies in South Vietnamese and American base camps, it was often possible to obtain code words and battle plans that made the seemingly chaotic American radio traffic provide useful information for Communist troops. There was even more extensive electronic gear in North Vietnam, along with thousands of Russian soldiers to help maintain and operate it. Again, this Russian and Chinese gear was no match for the higher tech and better built US stuff, but taking advantage of the American sense of superiority in this area, the Communists were able to keep everyone wondering how they knew so much. And from THE PROBLEM OF MOLES (on the subject of loss of US SOGs) All was revealed some twenty years later, when the Walker family of spies was caught and tried. Several of the Walkers worked with secret codes, and from about 1968, they were selling these to the Soviet Union. The Russians, now able to read our secret messages, and allowed to set up monitoring stations anywhere the North Vietnamese had a military presence, were apparently passing SOG information back to the North Vietnamese. The Russians had a vested interest in doing this and hurting SOG. At times there were hundreds of Russian advisers in Laos, and the bombers SOG teams called in didn't discriminate between Russian or Vietnamese Communists. Between this book and the Battlefield: Vietnam TV series (PBS and other cable outlets) you get a balanced and fairly complete account of the war. Softcover, 374 pages, table of contents, index, rcommended reading, and glossary. Every chapter is loaded with tables. Available via Barnes and Nobel (off the shelf). |
| Assault on the Liberty by James M. Ennes, Jr.
(pub. Random House, (C) 1979) Then Lieutenant Jim Ennes, a
specialist in cryptology who served as Liberty's Electronic Materiel
Officer, was Liberty's officer-of-the-deck when the ship was attacked some
13 miles from shore. This is an eyewitness account of that June '67
Israeli attack that killed 34, wounded 171, and lasted over two hours.
The ship was flying an oversized special holiday American flag
(unfurled in a more than adequate wind) and was clearly in international
waters. The ship was repeatedly reconnoitered by Israeli aircraft
prior to the attack.
The book can be divided into four sections -- prelude (ch 1-5), attack (ch 6-8), cover up (ch 9-12), and aftermath/more cover up (ch 13-16). You could not ask for a more extensively documented account. Besides the 16 chapters, there is an Epilogue (offering a very plausible theory on why the Israelis attacked), an Author's Note, a map with a time line detailing the attack, 20 Appendixes, plus an index. It took over twelve years to research and write. Hardcover. Available... in the author's words "I only have a few copies left so cannot guarantee supply until I have more printed. Best to check : http://www.ussliberty.org/jim/ussliberty/jimsbook.txt for latest information on availability and price" |
| Code To Victory by Arnold C. Franco (pub. Sunflower University Press, (C) 1998) The author was a German linguist/TA/CA trained at Vint Hill and shipped to England in Aprill '44 as a member of the Army Air Corp 3rd Radio Squadron Mobile -- 9th Air Force, intercepting "low level" Luftwaffe morse & voice. Three noteable observations: 1) a Luftwaffe weather sqdn. daily supplied code keys by sending the same data type without deviation, 2) the Battle of the Bulge might have been much less costly if SHAFE had headed 3rd RSM warnings of a German behind the lines assault 3) almost as soon as the Germans surrendered, the unit was "monitoring the Russians". Outstanding documentation (photos, maps, diaries, and official archives). Softcover, 238 pages, Bibliography, and Index. Available via Sunflower University Press 1-800-258-1232. |
| A Yank Down Under by Ray A. Wyatt. (pub. Sunflower University Press, (C) 1999) The autobiographical account of a Kansas farm boy who enlisted in in the Army Sept., 1941. He trained as a Radio Operator (Morse) -Fixed Staion and shipped off to Australia as a Staff Sergeant with the 997th Signal Service Co.. He had many assignments in Australia and for a time was assigned as intercept op in Melbourne where he learned to copy Katakana. His service essentially ended in New Guinea where, by then, he was down to 137 pounds and sufered from combat fatigue after 35 months under mostly hostile conditions. Softcover, 226 pages with index and a selected reading list. Many excellent b&w photographs and a table of Katakana Morse (symbol-English-morse). Available via Sunflower University Press 1-800-258-1232. |
| One To Count Cadence by James Crumley. (pub. Vintage Contemporarries (Div of Random House) , (C) 1969) Sargent Krummel trick two trick chief has a masters's degree in Russian history, so naturally, he is assigned to the 721st COMSEC DET at Clark, PI. He has an ex-wife back in the states who left him for 'a cause', and an unshakeable belief that he (ex-infantry) "is the final moment of a proud descent of professional killers, warriors, men of strength whose only concern with virtue lay in personal honor." His group gets sent to Viet Nam and after spending weeks setting up on Hill 527 gets overrun and put out of business minutes after going operational. A psychological study with time and scene shifting. Softcover, 338 pages, available via www.bn.com (Barnes & Nobel) (And in case you forgot its; "bleep 'em all but 9; 6 pallbearers, 2 roadguards, and 1 to count cadence") |
| Beller's Fellars by Vern Greunke (pub.
Vern Greunke Enterpises, (C) 1997) Sp/4 Greunke's tour of Nam as an
Air-Mobile, "Fly-Away", jeep mounted , PRD-1 operating, O54 (duffer).
More specifically, it is his letters home from the central highlands
supporting the 330th, 303rd, and 509th. Here is more shameless
self-promotion in the author's own words:
Subj: Bellar's PS .... if you are not aware ... I increased the speed of the
search engine .... database now standing at 21400 + The DATABASE is NOW
located at: |
| The Blankenship Solution by Thomas Kistner (pub. Xlibris, (C) 2000). Fictional account of a handful of ditty bops TDY to Wakkanai in the late 50s to track their navy. Can be ordered direct from pub: www.Xlibris.com or Amazon.com . Lots of fun, language a little rough for civilians (but not quite as bad as real GI chatter - not that any of us...) Note(1) (2) |
| Day of Deceit The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor by Robert B. Stinnett (pub. Free Press, (C) 2000 ) Extensively documented account of the attack on Pearl. Disputes previous claims of Japanese radio silence. FDR not only knew it was coming but provoked it. (Order via Amazon.com, BN.com, and others) |
| The Code Breakers by David Kahn (pub. Macmillan Co., (C) 1967) 3,000 years of cryptography and cryptanalysis. Original was weighty hardback, the paperback version was abridged by the author. An updated version ((C) 1996) is available via BN.com. |
| The Puzzle Palace by James Bamford (pub.Penguin Books, (C) 1982) NSA and it's history. Good source material, bibliographical notes, acronyms and abbreviations, and indexed. Paperback 655 pages. Still available via Amazon.com |
| Bucher: My Story by Lloyd Bucher (Cmdr. USS Pueblo) (pub. Dell, (C) 1970) Eyewitness account of the event, the events leading up to it, captivity, and the aftermath. Paperback 433 pages, 8 appendices, glossary, but no index. Available via BN.com. |
| Traitors Among Us Inside the Spy Catcher's World by Stuart A. Herrington (pub. Presidio Press, (C) 1999) Col.Herrington's career in MI spanned 30 years culminating in the Foreign Counterintelligence Activity. This books covers three cases from his FCA years. The last two make up the majority of the book: Clyde Conrad & WO James Hall (INSCOM). If you ever wondered how "sellouts" were caught, this book will help provide insights. Hardback, 409 pages, no index. Available via Amazon.com, BN.com, & others. |
| Stalking the Vietcong Inside Operation Phoenix a Personal Account by Stuart A. Herrington (pub. Presidio Press, (C) 1982. (see above -- it is recommended that the serious reader read this work first for background). This is not a shoot 'em up. It deals with the author's (near) 4 year tour in Vietnam as a CIC officer working to turn VC/NVA to our side as part of Operation Phoenix. Paperback, 222 pages, with glossary, appendix of captured photos, and index. (Originally pub as Silence Was a Weapon) Available via Amazon.com, BN.com, & others. (No mention of ASA) |
| War Secrets in The Ether by Wilhelm Flicke. (pub. Aegean Park Press, (C) 1989) Spans Germany's radio intercept operations from 'day-one' to the end of WW II. Good background material showing that many countries have had intercept and cryptanalysis capabilities. You'll see how Rommel, the Desert Fox, got to be such a revered general. Paperback 234 pages. Index. |
| The Origin and Development of the Army Security Agency 1917-1947 by Unknown (pub. Aegean Park Press, (C) 1978) Declassified -- originally; "A Lecture On ...". Goes all the way back to the MI-8 Cipher Bureau and continues to the end of World War II. Paperback, 51 pages, personality index, subject index, and ASA lineage index. |
| Achievements of the Signal Security Agency In World War II by Unknown ("Prepared Under the Direction of The Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2 WDGSS-14 Feb. 20, 1946) (Pub. Aegean Park Press, (C) 1995) Three chapters: building the organization, production of information, and preservation of security. Picks up at the end of WW I, the interim period, both theaters of WW II. Lists and tables of staff levels, intercept sites, traffic intercept volumes, equipment used. Appendix: code cracking responsibilities 1861-1945, work flow, the Dewey letter, sundry broken messages, etc.. Index. Paperback, 77 pages. |
| You're No Good To Me Dead by Bob Stahl (pub. Naval Institute Press, (C) 1995) Bob Stahl began his WW II Army service as an enlisted man (operator/cryptographer) at Vint Hill. He was soon shipped to MacArthur's Allied Intelligence Bureau GHQ in Australia. He then volunteered for service as a costal watcher/intelligence collector/agent handler/saboteur in the Philippines, 1,500 miles behind enemy lines. (MacArthur would not allow the OSS in "his" theater.) This is NOT Hollywood's "South Pacific". Stahl's tour eventually stretched to 15 months during which he lost 55 pounds. Hardback, 196 pages. |
Your
reviews...
|
For all you who have spent time in Japan, I
would like to recommend a book that my friend, Lou Marinaccio told me
about. The title of the book is "Blossoms in the Wind" by M.G. Shetfall.
It is an inspiring story of the Japanese Kamikaze pilots during WWII. It
also contains factual information about the people of Japan and what life
was like prior to, during and after WWII. I guarantee you will not be
bored by this book. "Boys if you haven't got your copy let me encourage you to do so as I found it very enjoyable and would have read it in one setting but being at home there is always something to come up at the most critical point..." "I could picture the antics in town very easily and could relate to a lot of it even though I wasn't in on the real goings on of that place . I think you'll enjoy it even though the writer was supposed to have came to Chitose from the base in Hawaii and some up from Ojiie( Hope that is spelled right) but don think so but it was This first camp most went to when they came to Japan. A lot of good belly rumbling laugh in it also some serious stuff. Catch you later Clark." |
| Note (2)
Subj: Thank you crazy stick |
Suggested Sources:
| Sunflower University Press, 1531 Yuma, PO Box 1009, Manhattan, Kansas 66505-1009. Orders 1-800-258-1232, FAX 785-539-2233, Phone 785-539-1888 |
| Aegean Park Press http://www.aegeanparkpress.com PO Box 2837, Laguna Hills, CA 92654 (949)-586-8811 Many excellent books on cryptography, intelligence, and like maters. |
| National Security Agency (http://www.nsa.gov) publishes many pamphlets available free for the taking in the lobby of the National Cryptologic Museum. Write to: Center for Cryptologic History, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, 20755-6886, Attn: S542. (The Venona material is online.) |
| The Naval Institute Press (US Naval Institute) 118 Maryland Ave., Annapolis, MD 21402-5035 (1-800-233-USNI for a free catalog). Publishing since 1898, 400 titles in print, well known for the monthly Proceedings and the bi-monthly Naval History. |
Email for this web site should be sent to
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