Building #100…most of us worked in this building. It was in much better shape then. In the photo there appear to be more “spooks” dwelling there now than when we were the "spooks".
The first day I went to Building 100, it was with Ron Heruth, Harry Horn and Lonnie Lawson. We did not know what to expect, there was a building with no windows, a double fence around it, with two big dogs running around in side the fence (they were not the tail wagging variety and who fed them?) and a MP standing outside the guardhouse. We showed him our badge and went in without any problem. As we entered the door on the right was a little room with a coffee pot and kitchen equipment and on the left was the office of Major James Openshaw, Operations Officer. I decided right then that was a place to avoid. The floors really shined, somewhere in the back ground I heard the sound of a buffer running. I did not realize I would log in many hours on that buffer.
When we arrived at our work room there was a “Green Door”. I was sure this was a joke. We rang the bell and an eye peered out, I started to say “We were sent by Joe,” but the door did open. I will not dwell on the equipment, it may have been declassified or may be not so I will land on the side of caution. I will say this it was “high tech” for the 1950’s, it was also noisy, hot and not very colorful.
I always enjoyed working evenings and nights. Someone would come by the “Green Door” and take an order for a snack. Someone made the best “Tuna Fish Sandwiches” and I always got one. The coffee was the best! On the down side we had to go pick up the sandwiches and coffee, no room service. I think the ComCenter got into more trouble going to get those sandwiches because the “Green Door” was a safe type door and none of us “Had the need to know the combination, therefore none of us had it” and we managed to get locked out of the ComCenter on several occasions. The only way we could get back in was to call CWO Armstrong to come out and let us in. Generally it did not make his day, he would stay ill for several days.
When the Russians launched the “Sputnik” in October 1957, someone made the decision that we could see the Sputnik, at night, as it circled earth. So we took shifts setting on top of Building 100, in the snow, looking at the night sky. I don’t remember anyone ever saying they saw it. I know I did not see anything because I had my head inside a vent pipe to keep warm.
Many are the memories of life in Building 100 and I hope you have remembered a few of your own. I will never forget the time I spent there, the people I spent it with and the work we did. We had fun and still did a good job. I am very proud of the work we did, I am proud to be "1 in 10" but most of all I am proud to be Army Security Agency.
