Sunday, July 4, 2021

Publishing reports

The main product of the American side of the Combined Intelligence Center was a set of additions to the standard military maps. The Center had a computer and it was used to make overlays that showed such things a every place on the map where enemy forces had been seen and every enemy position that had been discovered. These included things like bunkers, firing positions, and tunnel entrances. Probably the most useful overlay were the ones that showed the ease of movement. The analysts used things like the vegetation, soil type, slopes and more to determine the difficulty various types of units would have moving though an area. 

My main job was to put this material together and give it to the printers who would print and distribute the final product. In addition, the typist made final copies of other studies and reports and these were sent directly to the unit requesting them. I also edited the material correcting grammar and spelling and trying to find errors and omissions.

A Sgt from printing office came whenever we finished anything that need printing. The same guy came every time and almost always stayed for a cup of coffee and a chat. He said that he was born and raised in Hawaii and particularly like Hawaii sweets. One night he brought some sugared ginger, something that he had talked about but I had never had. As a true Yankee of that era, I have never eaten anything hot. I took a bite of the ginger and thought my head was going to explode.

No comments:

Post a Comment