| The following article was printed in the base newspaper at McAndrew AFB in 1953 |
| Long Lines Crews Responsible for Maintenance Of Communication Lines By A/1C Richard A. McDaniel |
| The loggers who work "deep in the heart" of the North Woods have nothing on the men of the Long Line crews of the 1st Communications Squadron. These men work, eat , sleep and play in the middle of nowhere - a section of Newfoundland accessible only by railroad. The Mission of the Long Lines is the upkeep of the communication lines, some 239 miles of wire, which are the responsibility of the Airforce. The summer task of the Long Lines is the maintenance of 36 miles of communication lines running between Claren- ville and Terra Nova, Newfoundland. The 1953 work season was marked with the opening of two work camps and the season will continue until November depending on weather conditions. Since there are no roads anywhere near these camps, the camp sites were selected on the basis of being close to the railroad, water facilities and suitable terrain for a railroad siding. The Railroad plays the major part - in fact, the only part - in the Long Lines transportation system. Speeders, commonly known as "put ons," pull trailers, carrying men and supplies to the work areas. The speeders use the Canadian National Railways lines and must regulate their operating schedule with the railroad. In addition to the men who actually work in the upkeep of the Long Lines, there are other men in the camps that form an integral part of the organization. Cooks Prepare their meals on gasoline field ranges and can be expected to serve meals at any hour of the day, when the linesmen return from their job. Purifying water, spraying the camp site to rid the area of mosquitoes, and treatment of bumps and bruises are some of the duties of the medic on the job at the camp. Power generators, water pumps and maintenance of the speeders is the responsibility of the camp mechanic, while the camp |
| supply man has the job of co-ordinating the supply needs and requesting the delivery of the supplies by a certain date. But The linesmen is the mainstay of the entire operation. The linesmen are composed of seven man crews, each led by a crew chief. The men dig holes for the new poles which are installed along the communication lines. Jack hammers as well as manual labor are employed in digging the holes. Conditions vary where these poles are located. One day the linesmen will erect a pole in solid granite, while the next day they will put one up in waste-deep mud. When Conditions won't permit digging of a hole, alternate plans of operation are put into effect. If the granite can't be removed by either jack hammer or just plain muscles, rock cribs are constructed to hold up the poles. A rock crib is built from short poles, placed around the bottom of the pole and then filled with rocks. As for the campers themselves they live in Jamesway huts. The structures, made of spun glass insulation covering a wooden frame, measure 16 by 16 by 8, have wooden floors and house an average of four to five men. Each Hut is equipped with electricity, an oil heating stove, wash basins for shaving and single folding beds. Shower units with hot water and washing machines are in separate buildings. Each camp also has three squad tents. One tent doubles as a dinning hall and movie theater, the second serves as the kitchen and the third as the supply tent. Fishing and movies are about the most popular off-duty pasttimes. An average of three films weekly are shown. Commanding the 1st. Communications Construction Squadron is Major Vincent R. Biondino, and the Adjutant is 1st Lt. Philip B. Meyer. 1st Lt. William H. Davision,Jr, is Flight Commander of Camp No.1, while CWO Cleveland B. Dennis,Jr, commands Camp No.2 |
| Photographs from the news article. |
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