EASLEY — During the Cold War, there was an elite group of servicemen designated with one task: intercept and decode the enemy’s transmissions.

Less than one half of one percent of all military personnel were selected for the job but at least two of them were from Easley.

The United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) was first implemented in 1948 and was in operation until the late 1970’s when the program was re-branded as the “Electronic Security Command.” Since then, it has been renamed an additional five times and is currently known simply as the “Twenty-fifth Air Force.”

Paul Smith, Adjunct for Easley American Legion Post 52, was selected for the Security Service in 1963.

“There were three types of interception: there was teletype, which was the precursor to what nowadays is a fax machine, there was Morse intercept and there was the linguist,” said Smith. “Morse was actually considered to be the most secure way to send messages, next to the WWII Wind Talkers. In fact, they send it different today, but they still use Morse code.”

Smith learned Morse code in the service.

“They taught it to us,” he said. “There was about 25 of us in the class and we graduated in October of 1963.”

According to Smith, the selection process for the Security Service was extensive.

“They did full background checks on every aspect of your life. I know that when I was being checked out by the FBI, they knew about the time when I was about 11 or 12-years-old and wrote my name in the street with cigarette lighter fluid and set it on fire,” laughed Smith. “They asked me about that and I thought, ‘What am I getting myself into?’”

After graduation, Smith was shipped off to Brindisi, Italy.

“My job was the Yugoslavians, he said. “We knew when we had an important message. Sometimes it could be no more than weather conditions, but when they would change frequencies, you knew you would be onto something. You became familiar with the ‘tone’ of the sender and I could recognize them as easily as I can recognize the voice of a person I’m talking to.

“It was strange. Because you weren’t allowed to tell anyone what you did, your friends ended up being other guys in the (Security) Service,” he added. “The only place you could talk about work was in the compound, which was heavily secured.”

Joe Jones, also from Easley, joined the Security Service in 1957.

“None of this was declassified until 1997,” said Jones. “My family knew I was in the Air Force, but not what I did.”

Like Smith, Jones was a “ditty-bopper.” He was stationed in Japan.

“They called all the Morse code interceptors ‘ditty-boppers,’” said Jones. “We were a rowdy bunch. We weren’t on the main base at any location, we were kept separate. Those guys (regular Air Force) would get so mad because if the main base went on alert, we didn’t take part. They’d be all busy running around and we’d be cutting through the base on our way into town.

“We were the eyes and ears of the country,” said Jones, “and no one even knew we existed. We copied the Russians.”

To “copy” meant to intercept and transcribe the Morse messages pulled from the enemy’s frequencies.

“I think some of the most memorable messages came in around when Gary Powers was shot down in an U2 Spy plane, ” said Jones. “Yeah … Things got pretty interesting then.”

Gary Powers was an American CIA pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down in 1960 while flying a reconnaissance mission over Soviet airspace.

Powers’ capture and subsequent interrogation and imprisonment for espionage at the hands of the Russians was a major embarrassment for the United States who had previously claimed that Powers was flying a “weather plane” that had accidentally entered Russian airspace after the pilot “had difficulties with his oxygen equipment.”

Powers served time in the Vladimir Central Prison before being exchanged in 1962 on the Glienicke Bridge in Berlin for a captured KGB colonel, Vilyam Fisher.

“It was an interesting life,” said Smith. “If there was going to be a raid, we were the first ones to go. Our COs (commanding officers) would say that if we couldn’t be choppered out or whatever, we were still the first ones to go.”

Smith dramatically drew a finger across his throat.

“They didn’t want us interrogated,” he said. “We couldn’t be captured. You know, I’m still not entirely sure if he (the CO) was joking or not.”

Fifty years later and after the ‘97 declassification, Smith and Jones are free to discuss their memories and experiences of their time in the Security Service, but old habits die hard.

“We were told for so long never to say anything about it,” said Smith. “It becomes a hard habit to break. To this day, I’m hesitant to go into details because of where I was and who I was copying.”

To Joe Jones and Paul Smith, for your service to your country:

– —- / .—. .- ..- .-.. / … — .. – …. / .- -. -.. / .—- —- . / .—- —- -. . … —..— / – …. .- -. -.- / -.— —- ..- / ..-. —- .-. / -.— —- ..- .-. / … . .-. …- .. -.-…-.-.-

Morse code interceptors were called ditty-boppers, said Joe Jones. “We were a rowdy bunch. We weren’t on the main base at any location, we were kept separate. Those guys (regular Air Force) would get so mad because if the main base went on alert, we didn’t take part. They’d be all busy running around and we’d be cutting through the base on our way into town.”
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_usafss1.jpgMorse code interceptors were called ditty-boppers, said Joe Jones. “We were a rowdy bunch. We weren’t on the main base at any location, we were kept separate. Those guys (regular Air Force) would get so mad because if the main base went on alert, we didn’t take part. They’d be all busy running around and we’d be cutting through the base on our way into town.” Courtesy photos

Paul Smith of Easley said there were three types of interception: teletype, which was the precursor to what nowadays is a fax machine, Morse intercept and the linguist. Morse was actually considered to be the most secure way to send messages, next to the WWII Wind Talkers.
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_usafss3.jpgPaul Smith of Easley said there were three types of interception: teletype, which was the precursor to what nowadays is a fax machine, Morse intercept and the linguist. Morse was actually considered to be the most secure way to send messages, next to the WWII Wind Talkers. Courtesy photos

The United States Air Force Security Service was first implemented in 1948 and was in operation until the late 1970’s when the program was re-branded as the “Electronic Security Command.” Since then, it has been renamed an additional five times and is currently known simply as the “Twenty-fifth Air Force.”
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_usafsspatch2.jpgThe United States Air Force Security Service was first implemented in 1948 and was in operation until the late 1970’s when the program was re-branded as the “Electronic Security Command.” Since then, it has been renamed an additional five times and is currently known simply as the “Twenty-fifth Air Force.” Courtesy photos
They called us ‘ditty-boppers’

By Kasie Strickland

kstrickland@civitasmedia.com

Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.