The Texas Towers.Com

From: bruce_e_Lawrence@msn.com

Mark:

I ran across your website and decided to send you my good TT2 pictures.  Are you the son or relative of Capt. Farmer who was a commander of TT2?  I served on TT2 from about Sept 1960 through April 1962.  Capt. Farmer was the commander when I came on board and Capt. Wilner(sp ?) when I got off.  Capt. Shaffren(sp ?) was the C & E officer.  I was in Comm. Maint..  The NCOIC was Fred Ashert (fast Freddie).  I watched him make the TT2 model.

Bruce Lawrence

A/2c TT2

	Yours truly during a winter boat detail.  Comm. Maint. personnel had to just stay on the weather deck with radio headphones on to talk to the AKL17.
	Yours truly again when I’m FIGMO with my FIGMO balloon. This was a big deal for all.  We went through a phase where everything was some kind of bug and a bug was drawn on it.  This balloon was my FIGMO bug.
	Yours truly again in the HP room.
	Same pool table shown in interior folder.  Again cant remember the name.  He was a good pool play and he and I played a lot.
	I believe his name is Ruitiger.  He is in FST2 maint.
	Fast Freddy.  T/Sgt Fred Ashert by the GKA5
	Sgt Brown.  He was our only ham.
	Londsberry (nicknamed roundsberry)on the right, forgot the name on the left.  There dressed up as the Cartwright’s of Ponderosa fame. Taken inside the laundry.
	Airman’s Lounger again after fixed up a bit.
	Flying banana interior
	Yours truly in flying banana
	The AT&T civilian supervisor.  He was a nice guy but I don’t recall the name.
	Self explanatory
	Self explanatory
	On the 4th of July, they made a barbeque out of a 55 gal oil drum, moved all the tables from the Chow Hall up onto the weather deck and had a steak barbeque.
	On the 4th of July, they made a barbeque out of a 55 gal oil drum, moved all the tables from the Chow Hall up onto the weather deck and had a steak barbeque.
	On the 4th of July, they made a barbeque out of a 55 gal oil drum, moved all the tables from the Chow Hall up onto the weather deck and had a steak barbeque.
	North door out to weather deck.  Comm Maint office and AT&T is to the left.  The door on the right leads down to the Chow Hall.  Can’t see it, but just to the left of the weather deck door is the door to the North crane room.
	Cummins diesel generators.  Can see White at far end.
	We had a distress call from a fishing boat.  A crew member had appendicitis and needed medial attention.  They couldn’t tie up to TT2, so they came in close, Sgt. Beavers dropped the doughnut on the deck with Chaney and someone else in it.  The boat crew literally poured the sick man into the doughnut and Beavers jerked it right back.  The operation was 5 –10 seconds.
	We had a distress call from a fishing boat.  A crew member had appendicitis and needed medial attention.  They couldn’t tie up to TT2, so they came in close, Sgt. Beavers dropped the doughnut on the deck with Chaney and someone else in it.  The boat crew literally poured the sick man into the doughnut and Beavers jerked it right back.  The operation was 5 –10 seconds.
	We had a distress call from a fishing boat.  A crew member had appendicitis and needed medial attention.  They couldn’t tie up to TT2, so they came in close, Sgt. Beavers dropped the doughnut on the deck with Chaney and someone else in it.  The boat crew literally poured the sick man into the doughnut and Beavers jerked it right back.  The operation was 5 –10 seconds.
	We had a distress call from a fishing boat.  A crew member had appendicitis and needed medial attention.  They couldn’t tie up to TT2, so they came in close, Sgt. Beavers dropped the doughnut on the deck with Chaney and someone else in it.  The boat crew literally poured the sick man into the doughnut and Beavers jerked it right back.  The operation was 5 –10 seconds.
	Several shots taken during a storm.  The quality is poor but that’s what it looked like.
	Several shots taken during a storm.  The quality is poor but that’s what it looked like.
	Several shots taken during a storm.  The quality is poor but that’s what it looked like.
	Several shots taken during a storm.  The quality is poor but that’s what it looked like.
	Several shots taken during a storm.  The quality is poor but that’s what it looked like.
	Several shots taken during a storm.  The quality is poor but that’s what it looked like.
	Several shots taken during a storm.  The quality is poor but that’s what it looked like.
	Self explanatory
	Shots of the new Sykorsky take during an open house at Otis.
	Shots of the new Sykorsky take during an open house at Otis.
	Shots of the new Sykorsky take during an open house at Otis.
	Shots of the new Sykorsky take during an open house at Otis.
	Self explanatory
	Self explanatory
	Self explanatory
	Self explanatory
	AKL17 From TT2
	Self explanatory
	The NCOIC was Fred Ashert (fast Freddie).  I watched him make the TT2 model.
	The NCOIC was Fred Ashert (fast Freddie).  I watched him make the TT2 model.
	The NCOIC was Fred Ashert (fast Freddie).  I watched him make the TT2 model.
	North door out to weather deck.  Comm Maint office and AT&T is to the left.  The door on the right leads down to the Chow Hall.  Can’t see it, but just to the left of the weather deck door is the door to the North crane room.
	Cummins diesel generators.  Can see White at far end.
	Machine shop in diesel area.
	Chow Hall. Shows cartoon of Beatle Bailey giving Sarg. a ride in a side care over RR tracks.  Can’t remember any names.
	More internal phone equipment.
	Tropospheric scatter receivers.
	TT2 internal phone equipment maintained by civilians from AT&T.
	One of two chillers for the air conditioning
	One of two evaporators for making fresh water.  They came off a ship and were always breaking down.
	Gym
	Other Airman’s Lounge.
	Pool table on main deck.  Shot is taken in opposite direction of 6.
	Outside the HF room.  The Standby/On the Air sign was built by me.
	Center of TT2 on the main deck looking towards state rooms
	Airman’s Lounge.  We had two.  I don’t remember if this was the first or second.
	One of the tropospheric Scatter transmitters.
	Wood shop.  This is the ShopSmith that Sgt. Bowers cut his arm on the table saw and had to be medivacted out.
	Ceramic shop.
	The main power distribution panel in the diesel area.
	Diesel engine of one of the generators.  We had two 250 KW White generators and eight 150 KW Cummins generators.  I think this is the White but not sure.
	The worlds largest fog horns.  I was on TT2 when they blew for 38 days straight.
	Flag on top of the elevator.  Can see the ‘Can Do’ slogan.
	Dive boat going in the water.  You can see one of the two big Ingersal Rand air compressors for sand blasting.
	Getting ready for the chopper.
	Doing work on the doughnut.  Chaney is the big guy with his back towards the camera.  Boy could he drink!  He and the one in the middle were the closest things we had to boatswains on the tower. They did all the nautical stuff. They cycled out of an AFB in Florida, I believe it was Egland (sp).but I’m not sure.
	The boat used by the divers when inspecting the caissons.
	Weather deck when they were sand blasting TT2 before re-painting it.
	The flying bridge.  Picture take from center of TT2 where one drops down onto the flying bridge.  It gets its name because it can rotate around the underside of the tower.
	Underside of TT2 where a caisson attaches to the TT2 proper
	Weather deck when they were sand blasting TT2 before re-painting it.
	C caisson
	The North boat davit.  Picture taken from crane room.
	We had to evacuate TT2 and all that remained was a diesel mechanic (Sgt. Douglas) and the crane operator (a civilian).  They were removed via a boatswains chair.
	Various photos of the doughnut in action.  It beats any thrill ride!  Shortly before I got on the TT2 in 1960, due to poor crane maint. the doughnut fell with four people, two were never found and two had their back screwed up.
	Various photos of the doughnut in action.  It beats any thrill ride!  Shortly before I got on the TT2 in 1960, due to poor crane maint. the doughnut fell with four people, two were never found and two had their back screwed up.
	Various photos of the doughnut in action.  It beats any thrill ride!  Shortly before I got on the TT2 in 1960, due to poor crane maint. the doughnut fell with four people, two were never found and two had their back screwed up.
	Various photos of the doughnut in action.  It beats any thrill ride!  Shortly before I got on the TT2 in 1960, due to poor crane maint. the doughnut fell with four people, two were never found and two had their back screwed up.
	HF room, with the BC610 transmitter in center.  The hams used it.
	The UHF room with the GRT3 & R390 transmitters and receivers.  The gray units are the antenna couplers.
	The 99C transmitter (right) in the HF room.  Used to communicate with the AKL17.  On the left is the VLF transmitter for the chopper beacon.  It sent out T T B in Morse code.
	Your guess
	Comm Maint office with the card tester for the GKA5
	GKA4 (left cabinet)– was later removed and replaced with the GKA5.  I think the cabinet with the meters was called the GKA1 but it was in integral part of the GKA4.  Test equip on the right.
	The MARS station in the High Frequency room
	One morning I found this chopper on the weather deck.  It had blown its engine while landing.  They had to send out a replacement as well as test pilots to test the new engine.
	One morning I found this chopper on the weather deck.  It had blown its engine while landing.  They had to send out a replacement as well as test pilots to test the new engine.
	One morning I found this chopper on the weather deck.  It had blown its engine while landing.  They had to send out a replacement as well as test pilots to test the new engine.
	Chopper ops on TT2
	Chopper ops on TT2
	Chopper ops on TT2
	Just four pictures around the water in Cape Cod.
	Just four pictures around the water in Cape Cod.
	Just four pictures around the water in Cape Cod.
	Just four pictures around the water in Cape Cod.
	Barge dropping aggregate around the caissons.  I was down on the flying bridge with Capt. Shaffron when the barge broke loose from the tender and drifted about 100 ft. into a caisson.  The whole tower shook.  He and I both thought we were goners and couldn’t escape in time so we just watched the show.  We compared notes afterwards.  There may be some duplicates here because I had to play with the scanned frame.
	Barge dropping aggregate around the caissons.  I was down on the flying bridge with Capt. Shaffron when the barge broke loose from the tender and drifted about 100 ft. into a caisson.  The whole tower shook.  He and I both thought we were goners and couldn’t escape in time so we just watched the show.  We compared notes afterwards.  There may be some duplicates here because I had to play with the scanned frame.
	Barge dropping aggregate around the caissons.  I was down on the flying bridge with Capt. Shaffron when the barge broke loose from the tender and drifted about 100 ft. into a caisson.  The whole tower shook.  He and I both thought we were goners and couldn’t escape in time so we just watched the show.  We compared notes afterwards.  There may be some duplicates here because I had to play with the scanned frame.
	Barge dropping aggregate around the caissons.  I was down on the flying bridge with Capt. Shaffron when the barge broke loose from the tender and drifted about 100 ft. into a caisson.  The whole tower shook.  He and I both thought we were goners and couldn’t escape in time so we just watched the show.  We compared notes afterwards.  There may be some duplicates here because I had to play with the scanned frame.
	Barge dropping aggregate around the caissons.  I was down on the flying bridge with Capt. Shaffron when the barge broke loose from the tender and drifted about 100 ft. into a caisson.  The whole tower shook.  He and I both thought we were goners and couldn’t escape in time so we just watched the show.  We compared notes afterwards.  There may be some duplicates here because I had to play with the scanned frame.
	Barge dropping aggregate around the caissons.  I was down on the flying bridge with Capt. Shaffron when the barge broke loose from the tender and drifted about 100 ft. into a caisson.  The whole tower shook.  He and I both thought we were goners and couldn’t escape in time so we just watched the show.  We compared notes afterwards.  There may be some duplicates here because I had to play with the scanned frame.
	Barge dropping aggregate around the caissons.  I was down on the flying bridge with Capt. Shaffron when the barge broke loose from the tender and drifted about 100 ft. into a caisson.  The whole tower shook.  He and I both thought we were goners and couldn’t escape in time so we just watched the show.  We compared notes afterwards.  There may be some duplicates here because I had to play with the scanned frame.
	Two shots of the barracks for tower personnel when on shore.
	Two shots of the barracks for tower personnel when on shore.
	TT2 as seen from chopper after ray domes were painted
	TT2 as seen from chopper after ray domes were painted
	TT2 as seen from chopper after ray domes were painted
	TT2 as seen from chopper after ray domes were painted
	In the process of tying up to the caissons.
	In the process of tying up to the caissons.
	AKL 17 Seen From TT2
	AKL 17 Seen From TT2
	Doughnut being lowered to deck.
	AKL 17 Seen From TT2
	Snow covered deck on way to TT2
	TT2 From AKL 17
	The Ajax can made in honor of Capt. Ajax (Capt. Wilner). When Capt. Farmer left TT2, the place was filthy and Capt. Wilner wanted it cleaned up.  He would say, “just sprinkle a   little Ajax on it and rum”.  He got the nickname Capt. Ajax.  He was very proud of this can and posed with its maker.  He wanted the picture put in the AF Times, but they refused.
	The Wilcox 99C again with its front door open.
	GKA5