Russell L. Scheu, a Merrill, Wisconsin native, discusses his career in the Air Force working in cryptography maintenance, including service during the Cold War and the Vietnam War with the 11th Detachment, 619th Tactical Control Squadron. Scheu talks about crypto maintenance school at Lackland Air Force Base (Texas): training with classified equipment, being investigated through a background check, not being allowed to take notes or have homework, and seeing classmates arrested for spying or breaking security rules. He states training under high security was stressful and had a high washout rate. Scheu talks about the changes in coding machine capabilities and the increase in secure communications over time. Assigned to a radar unit in Antigo (Wisconsin), he addresses having his radar skills tested by B-52 bombers flying Strategic Air Command missions. He touches on the policy that allowed women on the base and pulling a prank on his chief of maintenance. While stationed in Antigo, Scheu met and married a local woman and, while on his honeymoon, he received orders to go overseas. He talks about having difficulty getting paid while his orders were being changed. Scheu recalls arriving at Tan Son Nhut Airbase (Vietnam) in full dress blues, having women enter the showers to do laundry, and spending several days trying to track down his unit. Assigned to Det. 11, 619 Tac Control Squadron on Hon Tre Island, he discusses sharing facilities with the Army, lack of fresh food, water and sanitation facilities, and filling sandbags during his down time. Scheu describes his crypto maintenance duties maintaining cryptography and other communications, repairing smaller units' cryptography equipment, and using a telephone line to call in codes when the radar was down. He tells of coming under ground fire while on a transport plane. Scheu tells of being prepared to destroy code equipment if the base was under attack to prevent it falling into enemy hands, and he analyzes the policy that code workers were to be killed or kill themselves rather then being taken prisoner as well as and the bounty offered by the NVA for communications prisoners. He details a combat situation when he was on guard duty and his base was attacked by the North Vietnamese: taking cover behind sandbags, waiting for backup, and running low on ammunition. Scheu recalls an instance when the base was attacked and the Air Force personnel had the only weapons because the Army personnel had locked their ammunition up and didn't have the keys. He mentions that men who caught venereal diseases had to stay in Vietnam past their year-long commitment. He describes his relationship with "Mama-san," the unit's Vietnamese cleaning lady, stealing concertina wire and other equipment from the Army on the mainland, and the psychological effects of his living situation. Scheu talks about writing letters home, sharing food received in packages, and getting a Red Cross telegram saying that his wife had given birth. He touches on entertainment shows for the soldiers and sneaking supplies out to give to Mama-san. He talks about supplementing rations by stealing food from the Army, use of marijuana by soldiers, and waste of equipment so that the unit wouldn't get in trouble for having too much during inspections. Scheu mentions people mailing radios or weapons home and the difficulty of successfully mailing camera film. He analyzes why the airmen in his unit didn't form close friendships, why he did not go on R&R, and difficulty of returning home and readjusting. He reflects that combat "was worse after it was all over than when it was happening." Stationed in Kunsan (Korea) in the mid 1970s, Scheu touches on learning about Korean culture, problems on the base with alcohol, the friendliness of Korean civilians, and government-sanctioned brothels. He talks about military personnel who had "long-term" girls, preventative measures against venereal diseases, strip clubs near the base, and men getting in trouble with their families because they were spending all their money on alcohol and women. Scheu addresses how the Air Force handled servicemen who wanted to marry prostitutes. He speaks about a year at Eglin Air Force Base (Florida) securing communications for test programs, being Com Sec Officer at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport with units of the National Guard and Reserves, and accumulating leave time. Stationed in Turkey, he details bringing his family, wearing gas masks and charcoal suits during drills, and learning Turkish customs. Scheu refers to the poverty his family witnessed, barring his door during a coup, checking his car for bombs before driving, and wearing civilian clothes off base. He tells of his van getting hijacked by Turkish troops, emphasizes he was "nobody because you're in their country," and reflects on the way women were treated as property. Scheu tells of buying carpets in the country, sterilizing food and water, difficulty dealing with the heat while wearing modest clothing, forming close relationships with other American families on the base, and dealing with customs taxes. He reports Turkey was the first place he worked with women communications personnel. Assigned to Castle Air Force Base (California), he talks about working as a Record Com Superintendent and being responsible for all the classified documents and equipment on base. Scheu explains why he could not be promoted past master sergeant and feeling burned out by responsibilities in California. He mentions working in England. Scheu touches on using the GI Bill to attend school and settling into a civilian career as a veteran service officer.
