AACS had all the ground communications for the Air Corps, including ground radio stations, Air Port Control Towers, all the Weather reports, the weather stations. We supplied, and maintained all the equipment, radio, electric power etc. I was in the Test and Repair section. We tested, and maintained all this equipment. Every island that was taken from the Japanese in the Pacific, was taken for one reason. To get an Air Strip in right away, plus a jumping off place for the next invasion. AACS personnel were always some of the first in, because you can't keep planes long in the air without landing them.

The 68^th AACS Group started in Brisbane, Australia early in the war when the Japanese still occupied New Guinea. We advanced to Finschafen, New Guinea, Hollandia, New Guinea, Tacloban, Leyte in the Philippines, and finally to Manila,Philippines.

On August 6,1945 we dropped the first Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima.

We were in Manila, and of course, amazed by this news. We had built a large radio station in Manila, and the following story begins our part in the Japanese Surrender.

General MacArthur tried to contact Tokyo using the Army Signal Corps radio to end the War. He received no reply, so he came to our AACS Station in Manila ( Army Airways Communications System ). He sent a message over our system.

Within less than 2 hours, the Tokyo reply came back. This was the first direct communication between the Allies and Japan.

This was great news, the Japanese would surrender. We were always told of the possibility of 1 million casualties with the invasion of Japan. Everyone, including troops in Europe would be involved. They were already shipping troops, and Air Corps from Europe to the Pacific.

The news of the Japanese proposal for surrender came on August 15. The 68^th Army Airways Communications System (AACS) Group received orders to fly into Atsugi Airfield near Tokyo and set up the communications equipment necessary to guide in the first contingent of occupation troops.

As far as I know, no one has ever told the following story:

It was determined that AACS would put a complete ground radio station into 3 C-47 airplanes. This had never been done in the history of radio. The Test and Repair section, about 25 of us, was selected to do this. It had to be done in 5 days. When we first heard this, our reaction was " You have got to be kidding". No one had any idea of how to start. With our experience through New Guinea, and the Philippines, we were the most qualified to do it. We were preparing for the invasion of Japan, but not like this!

They placed 3 C-47 airplanes at the end of a runway at Nielsen Field in Manila. We would work 5 days, and nights, with no sleep, to complete the installation. As far as I can remember, I never saw one person get as much as a catnap under a wing. If anyone would have told me you could go 5 days, and nights without sleep, I wouldn't have believed them, but we did it! It started with many trips between our Warehouse in Manila and Nielsen Field, with 6 by 6 trucks. We hauled radio equipment, diesel power units, gasoline power units, lots of wire etc. I was involved in scouring the Warehouse a lot, because of my experience in both Diesel, and radio equipment. Lieutenant General Kenny was the commanding General of all the Far East Air Forces, and with all his duties, getting those planes to Atsugi Airport in Japan became his main job. He was at the Airfield a lot, and having him there cut a lot of red tape for us. This impressed us as to what an important job this was! I worked on the plane with the Diesel Power units. We installed two International Harvester Diesel 100 KW Power Units in our C-47. These would provide all the power when they got to Atsugi. In addition, we put in two gasoline 10 KW Briggs & Stratton power units in. When they got to Atsugi, they could bring out the gasoline units, and get on the air in a hurry. Next get the Diesels running. We stripped out everything that would come out of those airplanes. Weight of course was a big factor, and we were constantly pouring over manuals. After 62 years I can't remember all the details, but after 5 days, and nights, we had them installed and running.

The radio guys had their own share of problems. They installed two banks of transmitters in one plane, and two rows of receiving positions in another. One plane had about 15 antennas in the roof about twenty feet high.It looked like a porcupine when done. The planes flew from Nielsen Field, Manila to Okinawa. From there to Atsugi Air Field Japan with just enough uel for a one way trip,to reduce weight. When they arrived they would kick the plane wheels out, drop the planes on the ground, and that's were they would stay as a complete ground radio station.

Just imagine what 25 men did. Worked 5 straight days, and nights, installed a complete ground radio station in three airplanes for the first time in history. After all that work we wanted to go along and operate it. They considered it for about one minute, and refused. We certainly earned the right to do it, but we were walking into the walls after no rest. It took sleeping pills to get us to sleep. After all that time you would think you would just drop off but it was an opposite effect. We laid and stared at the ceiling. We knew of course that Colonel Blake and his AACS men got to Atsugi and were successful, but never knew the whole story because shortly after we finished we were on our way out of AACS, and on a ship home from the War. I later learned the details of the landing at Atsugi.

Colonel Blake, was our commanding officer in the Pacific. He was never at Nielsen when we installed the ground radio station. He was busy putting the 150 man task force together in Okinawa for the advance party. Colonel Blake and our advanced party flew to Atsugi Airfield from Okinawa to set up equipment to guide the first occupation troops. They had both air to ground and point to point communication with the ground radio station we had put into the 3 C-47's. Before they landed they saw hundreds of troops lined up along the Airfield, but they were a welcoming guard of honor. They got our radio station on the air in a hurry and by mid-day had 340 take-offs and Landings, at the rate of 1 every 2 minutes. That day Atsugi was the busiest Airport in the World! Our 68 ^th AACS Group became the first Americans in Japan since before Pearl Harbor. We knew our Ground Radio Station had worked perfectly, and we had some small part in ending the War.