Ralph W. Simmons

I feel I was most fortunate to be part of the ASTP experience at the University of Iowa. It gave me the opportunity to begin a career in Electrical Engineering. On leaving Iowa after three semesters I was lucky; rather that going to Infantry training as some did in my group, I was sent to South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City. We spent a cold win-ter in that city. In May they ended the ASTP as we knew it and shipped us off to Camp Crowder, MO. I was assigned to the radio transmitter repair school.

November of that year we were formed into radio teletype teams, and shipped to Camp Stoneman, in California. There we boarded a not so luxurious Dutch ship, the Poelaulant. It took us 27 days to arrive at the eastern top of New Guinea at Milne Bay.

A radio teletype team consisted of two officers and 16 NCO's. There were seven transmitter operators, seven receiver operators, a transmitter repairman (ME) and one diesel repairman. In the next few months we moved up the New Guinea Coast. We were assigned to the Far East Headquarters and each time the Headquarters moved, we moved. Our last operation on New Guinea was at Hollandia. From there we moved to the Philippines adjacent to Clark Field. Most of our radio traffic was back to the States to WAR in Washington, DC. Although we trained on U. S. equipment, in the field we mostly operated Australian equipment. One interesting point was that as long as we were assigned to Far East Headquarters we were not allowed to fly. Every time we moved to a new location, we had to go by Navy Attack transports.

From our location at Clark Field we were assembling equipment for the invasion of China. Our radio equipment was to be placed on barges and pushed across the East China Sea.
However, when Truman dropped the nuclear bomb our assignment changed real fast.

For the first time we were allowed to fly. We flew to Japan by way of Okinawa. We set up shop in the San Shin Building next door to the DAi Ichi Building which was Gen-eral McArthur's Headquarters.
The General treated us like he was our father. When he found we were eating GI ra-tions on Sundays, he invited us over to his mess for chicken dinner every Sunday. He also invited us to watch the evening movie in his auditorium. He had one rule - - two seats down front were always reserved for the General and his son.

By November 1945 a replacement crew came in so I was shipped home via Seattle. Due to transportation delays I did not arrive in Pittsburgh, PA., until February. I imme-diately went out to the University of Pittsburgh to sign up to finish my Engineering de-gree. However, the Admissions Office said "NO WAY," Engineering is filled up. The only way to gain admission was thru the Dean of Engineering. So armed with my tran-scripts I went to see Dean Holbrook. When he saw my transcript from South Dakota School of Mines he got real interested. He had taught at South Dakota for several years. So he suggested we go to lunch and discuss mutual friends we had made at the school. It was obvious he enjoyed his teaching experience at the school. When we got back to his office he said, "Now what is this nonsense about not admitting you this February." He called Admissions Office, and I was in.

After graduation I went to work for West Penn Power Company designing high voltage substations. The last seventeen years I was Manager of Engineering. I retired in 1986. After retirement, Jean and I began to look for a retirement community, it took us four years to find what we feel is a perfect retirement community. This is St. Paul Homes in Greenville, PA. We built a two bedroom cottage, we just love it, every day seems like we are on vacation.

As I review my life to this point I feel so fortunate, and I owe my good fortune in some part to my participation in ASTP.