Artillery School Feb – April 1965

1. There and back on the train
   1. Mission formatio. From Blockhouse Signal Mtn, go left/right so many mils then down from the horizon so many mils to a colored car body, That is your target. Troops in the open/dug in. Your mission LT x.
   2. 24 Fire Mission Over
   3. 24 Send your mission over
   4. Cordinates xxxxxx, troops in the open, request fuse VT, over
   5. FDC (Fire Direction Center) would repeat cordinates and tell you the fuse given over
   6. Check, over – (if correct) or Hold, over – if wrong
   7. On the way over, On the way, wait
      1. Antelope killed by air bursts when grazed up too close to impact area
   8. Block House Signal Mountain
      1. Major landmark on the East Range (The Washboard), one of the few landmarks. Known to all field artillery soldiers.
   9. East Range (the washboard) and the West Range
      1. Buzzards hit by air bursts set explode 1 /10th second later each round in order to describe arc of trajectory
   10. Little John Rocket
       1. Failed to fire
       2. Had been all about what LT … was doing. Suddenly it was a warrant officer who had to deal with the misfire.
   11. Time on target
   12. Heard rounds rattling off one another on the way over our heads
   13. Had self propelled 155 mm roll into position, fire a round using indirect fire, then crank gun down and fire directly at the same target with both rounds hitting at same time.
   14. A few rounds of 8″ howitzers were fired. Said to be very accurate
   15. FADAC
       1. Early computerized fire direction center
       2. Was an analog computer which flew the round to the target
   16. Firing tables
       1. Gave you the elevation and deflection to use
       2.  Told you how many bags of powder to use
       3. Compensated for the rotation of the earth and prevailing winds.
   17. Aiming Stakes
       1.  Used by gunner to site the artillery piece
       2. Once locked on the stake, the elevation and deflection were entered.
   18. LT called fire in on our position
       1. Brought rounds in at 1000 yards from us to let us see a little bit of what it was like.
   19. Nose dripping on map board
       1. We sat on mountain tops to practice FO missions.
       2. My nose would run from the cold and wind covering up my map where I was trying to plot targets
       3. Wind chill -50 on one outdoor training exercise, finally called off
   20. Airborne
       1. While officially you had to volunteer for abn, all combat arms officer did go
       2. I took the physical test (running, etc) for it and passed with no preparation
       3. When I took the color blind test, the doctor was color blind, he claimed, so he asked an EM if I was giving the right answers. The EM said I did all correct, No way since I am red-green color blind. The doctor was running a scam since no doubt the book told him what each circle was to show.
       4. A few days later a message arrived from OTJAG saying Subject officer does not desire air born training. The fiction was preserved that all volunteered.
   21. Artillery Punch
       1. served at graduation ceremony. Tasted like fruit punch. Vodka in it or grain alcohol.
       2. Suddenly numbers of people staggered against the wall in an effort to remain standing.

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