Just digging a slit trench for a latrine was a major item because the tip of the pick would just roll up. The rock was just more than it could handle.  Pictures @ Photo 1

Our  primary purpose was just to get the bare essentials to live out there set up. Living quarters were wooden frames with 12 man squad tents stretched over them. All other buildings were some form of canvas with wood floors and frames. We were to get the most basic of the items needed to provide support, set up for the people who were going to set up an operating radar screen. We started out as Site # 3 of the 117th Sgdn., Then were changed to the735th Sqdn. which was the old 129th Sgdn.  In December it was changed again to the 734th Sqdn. I think that remained the same until it was discontinued in about 1960. Pictures @ Photo 2

The crew was made up of the least number of personall needed to get started. I don't know how many people were assigned to the different tasks at hand.  There were 6 Air Police, 4-6 food service {cooks} 3-4 for the Orderly Room, 2-3 Motor Pool [most of us had a drivers license], A few tech people for Radar set-up and other communications. We had 1 jeep, 1 or 2 6 by 6's and maybe 2 weapons carriers. I am not sure of any of the numbers.

The Radar was a portable unit mounted on a truck sitting on the north-west corner of the camp. Power was by a portable unit with most of the wires lying on the ground for quite a while. While I was there a steel platform was assembled and a Radar unit of some kind mounted on it. Don't ask me what it was because I don't know that either. The following notation was sent in to my guest book by Don Helgeson. Thanks Don. (The radar set in the slide show is an AN/CPS-1 "Snowplow" We had a 'GPS-4 & MPS-14 at the 734th in the spring of 1962. I was a UNITEC techRep there until Feb. of 62. The site was shut down & demolished in May of '62. Regards, Don Helgeson)

Every one helped where needed to get everything started. One guy did nothing but haul water from Berguent which was 35 miles North of us.

Our work-day for site building stopped around 10:00 AM and restarted around 4:00 or 5:00 PM because of the tempatures (110-130 degrees in mid day and early evening). Being in Air Police, all my duty was at night. We didn't need security in the day time. Really all we needed was theft protection. The Arabs would pick up anything they could get their hands on. We also had 2 Legion guys who stayed on site with us. They were a great help in the day time.

The dust storms were a real pain in the butt. We would see them coming in on the radar. We would get inside the tents-let the sides down-lie on our cot with a damp cloth over our face until they passed by. Afterwards you could write your name with your finger anywhere in the sand. It was a good thing that they weren't daily.

Our dress code was rather lax. Jump boots, cut off jeans and anything on your head was okay.

Our CO gave orders that one salute in the morning was enough for that day unless we had visitors. Visitors were not very often out there.

Our only R & R was a ride to Saidia in a 6x6 with a tarp tied on the front of the stake rack. We took turns  at going. About once a month was about average. We would leave Site # 3 early Saturday morning and return Sunday night late. The trip was about 125 miles one way. We slept on the beach in our sleeping bags.       Pictures @ Photo 3

Our only food supply was 5 in 1 rations left over from WWII. Most of it was labeled in 1945-6. Each ration included a pack of 5 cigarettes (Mostly "LUCKIES" or "CAMELS") and they were very dry and strong. Also there was a chocolate bar (it was turned white from age). After a short while we wanted fresh food. The only thing that we were allowed io buy local was bread. This was the long loaf french type bread. We radioed the base and asked if they would send us fresh food. Their response was a flat 'no'.Three days by truck wouldn't supply food still fresh in the normal temperatures we had. We asked if they couldn't fly it to us. Their response was a laugh and commented that if we had a runway that they would fly it in. That is when we tied some heavy building timbers and radar platform steel beams behind a 6x6 and started dragging it across the sand. The volcanic rock was a good solid foundiation for the smoothly dragged sand. We then called back and reported a completed runway was on site. They refused again because of the untried  landing area. Our C.O. then took a jeep back to Nouasseur and checked out a plane (C-47) and proceeded to fly it out to us.  Three days after dragging down the runway, we had fresh meat for dinner. They continued to fly it to us from then on until I left  there in December.

About 2 weeks after the success of the  runway building we had our first medical emergency. Someone had an acute attack of appendicitis. An Air-Sea Rescue PBY flew in and picked him up. Was he ever lucky that we had done the runway? We had nothing but medics, therefore he had to go somewhere for treatment. Pictures @ Photo 4

Our first USO Show arrived not long after the runway was finished. Sometime in late October according to the date on the back of the pictures. They were not from the U.S.A. but they nice to see anyway. I think they may have been from France. Anyway they spoke English and that was good enough for us.   Pictures @ Photo 5