Robert Michael O'Connor Interview, 23 February 2005
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MO: | I was born and raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania, went to school there 'til 10th grade, moved to Maryland in 1962 and attended Duvall High School where I graduated. The year after I graduated I enlisted in the Air Force in 1966. | |
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TT: | Was the number system in play then? | |
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MO: | Yeah, I received my notification that I was going to be drafted so I enlisted in the Air Force for four years and went to basic training in August— | |
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TT: | You didn't want to go to the Army? | |
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MO: | No, I didn't want to go to the Army (laughs). Ended up taking a test when I went in basic training for bypass tech school, I was in the apprenticeship electrician's union before I went in the service and they needed electricians so they sent me to Minot North Dakota. My first duties up there were in the PRIDE Building where I took care of all the electrical problems they had. | |
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TT: | After the SAGE was out? Originally it was constructed for the SAGE System? [Semi-Automatic Ground Environment]. | |
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MO: | Right, it was a pretty dingy building; there were no windows in it. | |
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TT: | Yeah, there was just a big computer but that wasn't in there at the time? | |
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MO: | No, it wasn't. | |
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TT: | What were they doing with that building then? | |
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MO: | They turned it into an administrative building. That's where all the administrative offices were and everything. I was there for approximately three months and then I was pulled into the shop to go on night duty in which we made repairs at night, emergency repairs around the base, in the housing area— | |
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TT: | You were working nights? | |
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MO: | Well yeah, it was once every third night, I was on the night shift for I guess going on about 8-10 months and then I got drafted by the 455th Missile Wing. | |
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TT: | What do you mean drafted? | |
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MO: | Well, they needed electricians who were qualified and I... | |
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TT: | And you went in as an Airman Second Class? | |
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MO: | Yeah, well no, I was just Airman Basic when I got up to North Dakota. After 8 to 10 months in the Electric Shop then got drafted by the missile wing, then they pulled me in there and started doing tests on the bench, fixing various [things] that they used at the missile sites. Then I started doing standby, which I had to carry tools and clothes and whatnot with me. I had 30 minutes to get to the base ready to go. A lot of the trips out to the missile sites were done by helicopter, which, you know, you just jump on there and you go. After a certain period of time, I forget how long it was, they put me on a Facilities Maintenance Team, which I was still doing standby, a lot of standby seemed like I had every— | |
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TT: | So you were always on standby seven days a week? |
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