Well, not exactly SAGE...LOL!
My Dad was a nuc wpns tech and spent some time at Cheyenne Mountain and what was then Ent AFB (now the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Posted on 05/21/2010 6:56:37 PM PDT by VaRepublican
just looking for other SAGE folks who might be still around. My dad passed away to soon but I just found out he was an original member of sage, never said a word.
My brother worked on the network back in the 60’s.
Well ok then! I was a Computer Maintenance man on the SAGE System (IBM Q7) computer system. I was one of the very few people in the country who was fully qualified on ever aspect of the system (They divided the system into about 6 or 7 knowledge areas, such as "Main Computer," "Memory", "Input/Output", "Displays", "Computer Entry Punch, "Plug-able Unit Lab," etc. I was stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Gt Falls, Montana for much of the 1970's - long enough to get qualified in every part of the system. This system had hundreds of thousands of vacuum tubes, and the "big" memory was a whopping 256k (yes, I said "k"). The memory was actually the original "Ferrite Core" type (little magnetic doughnuts). I actually have a piece of the original core memory from the SAGE system I worked on from after they decommissioned SAGE)
Enjoy:
Where was your dad stationed?
I just got the records but I always wondered why we never stayed any where, we did colorado I was a baby, we did wisconsin and minnesota we did Rome new york and new mexico and arizona.he did a stint in thailand also. and of course germany which is where I was born.
Sorry for your loss, and thanks for your dad’s service. Mine was on the other end, flying Voodoos and Delta Darts & Daggers for NORAD from mid-50s to early 60s. Kings of the orange flight suit!
Colonel, USAFR
I’m a 407L FACP guy (TPS-43). I’m sorry for your loss and may your father rest peacefully. I didn’t get the chance to work the line.
So back in the day what were u told about releasing info on sage. My dad never said a word. He was no fake though I do have documentation now. Jees now!!! he coulda said something!!
I know there were SAGE systems in both Arizona and Rome. He could have been with SAGE at both of those locations.
He got a letter of commendation from Cecil P lessig, does that ring a bell?
It was not a secret that I worked on the SAGE System, but I wasn’t able to discuss any of the operational stuff, like the night I was present in 1975 when “UFOs” buzzed our state - see the article in the Pictures link I posted earlier. I was on duty when that happened and the incident was eventually declassified and appeared in an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries.” Yes, something was there, and no I have no idea what it was (what “they” were - there was more than one)
Well, not exactly SAGE...LOL!
My Dad was a nuc wpns tech and spent some time at Cheyenne Mountain and what was then Ent AFB (now the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Oh heck yes! He was one of the early Commanders at the SAGE system I worked at in Montana (before my time - it was the 29th Air Division on the Air Defense Command before it became the 24th NORAD Region). BG Cecil P. Lessig
All my letters of commendation were from MG Don D. Pittman!
29th Air Division of the Air Defense Command
Operated a SAGE terminal during an exercise in Virginia in the 74-75 time frame. We used it to flight follow aircraft participating in the exercise. I think it was Ft Lee, VA the only thing I remember other than the NORAD site was the Army Quartermaster School. Don’t know if it is true but they told us they didn’t need to heat the bldg with all those tubes going 24/7.
Sorry about your Dad.
OK so I’ll stop bothering you now, thanks for your time.
No bother at all - happy to reminisce! Recently I met up with a guy who was my "NCO In Charge" of the Maintenance shop when I worked there. Had not seen him in over 30 years! He was a Master Sgt when I was an airman. Anyway, he had retired to Gt Falls Montana and was there in the area when they finally decommissioned SAGE. They called him and another old-retiree to attend the decommissioning ceremony and he was allowed to flip the switch that put the 24th SAGE system to sleep forever. Kinda sad, really. He still has the plastic "DANGER" cover that covered the "Master Switch" on the computers.
Ok, if he was in the 29th then being in Minnesota makes sense (Duluth). The 29th Air Defense Division included Malmstrom, where I worked too. Was your dad in Maintenance like me, or was he an operator?
God bless you!
Well whatever it means for that time frame my “old man” was a chief tactical switchboard operator, I guess you had some comm issues on 23 august 1960 which he addressed and made folks pleased.
Ok, he worked in the comm-switching area, which is where all the inputs from the radar sites came into the building (via what are essentially low-speed modems). This guys were in a separate part of the building from the rest of us maintenance pukes. By the way, I forgot to say sorry for your loss.
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