328th Radio Research general information. To see a history of the 328th RRC click here.
ASA personnel were stationed at locations around the globe, wherever the United States had a military presence—publicly acknowledged or otherwise. In some cases such as Eritrea, it was the primary military presence. Although not officially serving under the ASA name, cover designation being Radio Research, ASA personnel were among the earliest U.S. military advisors in Vietnam.
The first battlefield fatality of the Vietnam War was Specialist 4 James T. Davis (from Livingston, Tennessee) who was killed on December 22, 1961 on a road near the old French Garrison of Cau Xang. He had been assigned to the 3rd Radio Research Unit at Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon, along with 92 other members of his unit. Davis Station in Saigon was named after him. President Lyndon Johnson later termed Davis "the first American to fall in the defense of our freedom in Vietnam".
All ASA personnel processed in country through Davis Station. ASA personnel were attached to Army infantry and armored cavalry units throughout the Vietnam War. Some select teams were also attached to MACV/SOG and Special Forces units.
ASA military occupational specialties (MOSs) included linguists (98G "Monterey Marys"), morse code intercept operators ("Ditty Boppers" or sometimes "Hogs" for their 05H designation), non-morse (teletype and voice) intercept operators, communications security/signal security specialists (05G), direction-finding equipment operators ("Duffys" for their 05D designation), Cryptanalysis/Cryptanalytic Technician (crippies), (98B), communications traffic analysts (98C), non-communications intercept/analysts (98J - RADAR and telemetry) and electronic maintenance technicians[2] (33S) and a 44 man Special Operations Detachment to conduct clandestine combat operations, among others. ASA had its own separate training facilities, MP corps, communication centers and chain of command.
These occupations, which required top secret clearance, were essential to U.S. Cold War efforts. ASA units operated in shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ASA troops were not allowed to discuss their operations with outsiders — in fact, they could not talk among themselves about their duties unless they were in a secure location. Even today, decades after they served, some of the missions still cannot be discussed. Owing to the sensitivity of the information with which they worked, ASA soldiers were subject to travel restrictions during and long after their time in service. The activities of the U.S. Army Security Agency have only recently been partially declassified. This turn of events has been accompanied by the appearance of a small number of ASA memoirs and novels.
Source cited from Wikipedia. See original content here.
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HISTORY OF THE 328th RRC:
ASA NARRATIVE TIME LINE - VIETNAM WAR
http://www.nasaa-home.org/history/narr.htm
OCT: 1966
408th RR Det deploys to Tay Ninh. Assigned to the 303rd ASA Bn, the Det is tasked with providing support to the 196th Inf Bde (Light).
APR: 1967
The 406th, 408th and Det 2, 374th ASA Co are combined to form the Provisional RRC, 313th ASA Bn. The unit is based at Chu Lai in support of Task Force OREGON. In OCT the Prov RRC is redesignated the Americal RRC in support of 23rd Inf Div (Americal).
Command of the 408th RR Det transfers from 303rd RR Bn to 313th RR Bn. The Det relocates from Tay Ninh to Chu Lai in OCT.
OCT: 1967
601st ASA Det/RR Det deploys to Chu Lai under the 313th ASA Bn's command. It is tasked with supporting 198th Inf Bde (Light). From OCT 67 till NOV 68 the 601st, along with the 408th and 415th Dets, are combined to form the Americal RR Co (Prov) in support of 23rd Inf Div (Americal). In Nov 68 the 601st is inactivated.
NOV: 1968
328th RRC is activated at Chu Lai to support the 23rd Inf Div. It assumes the former mission of the Americal RRC (Prov) and falls under the 313th ASA Bn's command.
408th RR Det is inactivated
JUN: 1971
328th RRC is reassigned to FS Pleiku's command, moves to Da Nang in OCT and once again changes command to FS-Phu Bai.
JUN: 1972
328th RRC is inactivated.
Awards:
Meritorious Unit Commendation — 19 Nov 68–30 Jun 69, DAGO 51, 71; 1 Jul 69–31 Dec 70, DAGO 43, 72; 1 Jan 71–30 Jun 72 DAGO 32, 73
RVN Gallantry Cross w/Palm — 24 Aug–31 Dec 69 and 31 Mar–30 Jun 70, DAGO* 42, 72; 1 Jan 70–3 Mar 71, DAGO* 6, 74;
1 Apr–30 Jun 71, DAGO* 6, 74
(*DAGO Department of the Army General Orders)
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