I was talked into applying for Nike Ajax SAM school, located in Huntsville, Alabama. I joined the army on the 21st of July 1954, basic training at Fort Bliss in El Paso. I attended radio school in Fort Monmouth, NJ till Feb. or so 1955. I then went to Huntsville for Nike radar, missile & target tracking repair school. In August I was sent to the 4th Ord. Co., 61st Ord Grp. at Fort Bliss, TX. I worked in the Post Ord. area, doing an air/hydraulic pressure check on the Ajax missiles. I realized early on that military life was not for me, and when the opportunity came to go to RCRC I volunteered. It seemed like an out-of-the-way post to finish out my enlistment.

I arrived at RCRC the middle of Jan. 1957. My primary duties were to run the Ord. 6 equipment and repair the electronics chassis for the 10 radar batteries downrange. I was also available to do on site repair. I had a 5-ton shop van that I drove to the various sites to do acquisition radar power output tweaking. I believe the power to strive for was 120db minimum. I lived in Carrizozo in the brown/tan colored duplexes on the west edge of town owned by the Pettys. The officer in charge of our little group was W.O. Baish (sp?). He gave me a re-up talk that didn't last long enough for the coffee he sent out for to be delivered. I left RCRC to go to Fort Bliss for my discharge July 15th 1957.

I learned of the RCRC group and activities from The Malpais Missile book given to me as a Christmas present by my youngest son, Joseph. Kudos to J P Moore for his book and for keeping all who contact him informed of news, events and doings related to RCRC.

Jerry D. Churchman