email from Richard D Hofler

Yaak River near the site at spring flood level
.

Hensley Hill taken from the Yaak River Valley, about two miles south of the cantonment area.

Cantonment area following a rather heavy snowfall.

The smokestack in the left background is for the steam and electrical power generating plant. The 680th was completely independent of the outside world. We generated our own electricity with some huge diesel generators, had oil fired water boilers for steam generation, and, of course, had our own telephone system. We did have a trunk line to Sandpoint, Idaho, for long distance calls to home, etc. We also had a radio circuit to the local police in both Libby and Troy, Montana

Here is a picture of the Squadron MARS station.

The MARS equipment was also available to us amateur radio operators when it was not scheduled for MARS use.

I was W7BTE, which license I got while I was at the 680th. When I came back home after I got out of the AF, I was issued W4AVN, which I currently hold.

The last one is a picture taken from atop Hensley Hill, looking into the Yaak River Valley. The river is visible in the middle background
.

The Chow hall with the mess sergeant outside taking a break. The dog is "Winarski," a "multi-cultural" mascot.

Airman Hofler and his roommate, Airman Davis. Airman Davis was the first black airman to be assigned to the 680th. Up until that time the local civilian population had been successful in putting enough pressure on Headquarters, Ninth Air Division, Geiger Field, in Spokane to prevent the assignment of blacks to the 680th. Our last Division Commander, Colonel Thing, a Korean Ace, finally said "To Hell with those people. Ike says the services are integrated, and so it will be even at the 680th." We all held the Colonel in very high esteem.

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