I was in Pyong Taek, K6, for about three months. Our site was referred to as Fresno (HQ Co). I was then transferred to D Battery (38th Brigade). While at that missile site, we were TDY. There were only about 5 of us there from the 581st. The rest were from the 44th Artillery. We used to shoot to Beason. That was our relay which shot to Fresno. I was at Tucson (D Battery) for about 7-8 months. A friend of mine was rotating to the states, so I went back to K6 to say "Goodbye, Good Luck." I was a PFC and he was a sergeant. We went to the NCO club to celebrate. Guess what! I got busted at the NCO Club! So, they pulled me off Tucson and put me back at Fresno Headquarters company. The Captain called me in and "suggested" I take an Article 15 for that offense! I did. The next day the AG office called the captain and wanted to prosecute me for impersonating a non-com. He explained to them that I was already served an Article 15; that saved my ass 6 and 2/3 at Ascom City. At the end of my two week Article 15, the captain called me and said I "owed him." That's when he sent me to Inchon (Portland) and I spent my last 5 weeks in Korea.

I then rotated back to Ft. Hood. I served with B Company, 54th Signal Battalion. 16 LONG months. I mustered out the 24th of June, 1964. Amen! I believe it was Captain Landis that was my company commander, BCO. 54th SIG at Ft.Hood. I wish I had one of my patches from the VAGABONDS! Mine, too was round, black and had the white skull. VAGABONDS was in orange on the top. 581st was across the bottom. We had the orange scarf for around the neck with the white skull just under the chin. I remember washing that scarf and drying it on the stove pipe. Dry and iron all in one step. We weren't allowed to wear the scarf or the patches, though, once we got back to Ft. Hood

I remember when Kennedy blockaded Cuba. I had put the arms room guy in my truck. We were going to do maintenance on my 50 caliber. Over the loudspeaker were the famous words... "Alert, Alert! We are on ALERT." That's when the arms alert guy said, "I'd better stay here and see what the hell is going on." I casually drove on up to the top of the mountain to do my maintenance. When I got there, they wanted to know hat the hell I was doing there and sent me back down the mountain to get a weapon! I went back down and got my 45 caliber sub-machine gun (grease gun). We stayed on alert for about a week or week and a half if I remember correctly. I was a Yoju at that time, I thought we were on our way that time

Gene Shaffer
Pittsburgh, PA

Contact: Gene Shaffer at: gandl@connecttime.net