Cuban Missile Crisis Duty

Contributed by Jerry Alexander

I was given the crew for the Palacios site, Landers had Delmita and Russell had Riviera. We were issued cots, sleeping bags, C rations, colemen stoves and an M1 carbine with 2 clips of ammo. The facilities people brought us an outhouse. We were able to use the locker room at the high school to shower at night (we were given a key by the principal). I`m sure that Palacios was the coldest. The November wind from the bay would cut right through you. Inside the heat from the vacuum tubes kept us warm enough. Guard duty was done in shifts. Two of us were radar techs and we stayed pretty busy when problems came up. Most of the time it was boring. We had books and played cards. We got to know each other pretty well. When we were finally called back to Rockport the barracks looked like a five star hotel to me.