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The E-Mail Newsletter of the Army Security Agency Alpiners Reunion Group
Serving veterans of the SIS, ASA and INSCOM who were stationed in Germany or Austria
Volume 5 – Number 3
April 1, 2009
Ralph R, Thadeus, Editor
(Scheyern 53-56)
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ASMN
Supporting Member Noel Allard (Bad Aibling 58-60) finished reading James Bamford’s new book The Shadow Factory and sent us along his review. Here is what Noel has to say:
“Those of you who may have read previous books by this author will recognize his quest - to reveal the innermost secrets of NSA. This new book deals with the ultra secret NSA from 9/11 to its all-encompassing eavesdropping on America.
You may be well aware that NSA is the largest, most costly and most technologically advanced spy organization that the world has ever known. It is also currently also the most intrusive, secretly filtering millions of phone calls and e-mails every minute of the day and night - made by our own US citizens - in the USA.
NSA was listening in on the 9/11 hijackers plans, intercepting them from Yemen, England, and Germany, and finally within the USA. The top officials decided not to alert the FBI of the fact that the hijackers with well known ties to Osama Bin Laden, had entered the United States. Up to the time of 9/11, the NSA and related intelligence agencies were not allowed to tap the calls of US citizens, or others on US soil without a warrant. After 9/11 George W. Bush made an executive change to the situation which led to the warrantless eavesdropping program which unfortunately continues to this day. The author of this book, Bamford, relates the transformation to the post 9/11 situation and lays out for all to see, the huge secret locations, unbelievable hidden budgets, and coercion that are in place. He explains the tapping of cell phone, telegram and undersea fiber-optic cable by NSA, along with the forced cooperation of all the major telecom companies.
Despite the unconstitutional spying on US citizens, the staggering amount of data continues to fill the NSA data-banks at a rate that defies the imagination, a rate which if matched to written works, would more than fill all the pages of every book in the Library of Congress - each day. Not only is it accumulating, but it is now so overwhelming that there aren't enough analysts to deal with it, despite the fact that NSA employs over 40,000 persons.
The book is extremely interesting reading, especially for us guys who simply did our duty and intercepted small bursts of information from potential enemies. The book amazed me, and at the same time saddened me. The ASA which I have been so proud of having been a member, is only one of many agencies contributing to NSA's data bank. The situation is plainly out of control, and as the book mentions - if a dictator wanted to take control of the US government, there would be no possible way for any resistance to be organized because every cell-phone, telephone, e-mail, or whisper, is being monitored.
Scary. We all should read this book.”
Emmett C. Greenleaf (Bad Aibling 55-59) reminds us that if you Google “Army Security Agency, Europe” the first site listed has much ASA information but could use more and a lot of corrections. If you’re interest, check out the site and add your verifiable information.
Dennis Byrne (British DF Site at Hoeglin – 69) would like to contact Donna Baldwin who was at Bad Aibling during 1969. We don’t have any contact information on Baldwin so if anyone out there does have contact information, pass it along to me. Privacy will be maintained as are all cases of requested contacts.
The 328th Comm. Recon. will be holding a reunion in Cleveland, Ohio, from September 30th thru October 2nd, 2009.
NEW CONTACTS
Candice (nee Donnelly) Uhlir – HHC Augsburg 6/75-2/77. Candice was in the Data Processing Division.
Nelson “Chuck” Easterling – 318th ASA Bn. – Herzo 62-66. Chuck was a German Linguist and Traffic Analyst.
Howard Bradley – Herzo 56-59. Howard is very active in the Herzo Survivors Group.
LOST CONTACTS
Supporting Member Charles Babcock – Scheyern/Wels/BA 54-56 –cbabcock1@verizon.net
Joe M. Benavidez – Herzo 62-63 –pat_5pecos@hotmail.com
Larry Goodman – Herzo/Berlin 56-59 –larryjamrr@spamarrest.com
Val Ingrahm – Rotwesten 66-68 –ving@bellsouth.net
TAPS
Reg. S. Gagnon – Nottau 56 - passed away in October 2008 as reported by Al Lewis (BA/Nottau 55-56) and Chuck Edler (Scheyern/Wels/BA 55-57).
Maj. Gen. George A. Godding as reported by Mike Bigelow, INSCOM History Office.
(On December 6, 2008) retired Maj. Gen. George A. Godding died at the age of 88. Before retiring in 1975, he had served more than 32 years in the U.S. Army. He was part of the first generation of professional intelligence officers who spent their careers in either staff or operational intelligence assignments.
Godding’s career, however, did not begin as an intelligence officer. During World War II, he served as an infantry officer. After graduating from Officer Candidate School in 1942, he landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 with the 3rd Battalion, 359th Infantry of the 90th Division. He served as the battalion’s S-3, executive officer, and finally its commander, until he was wounded shortly before the war ended. For his service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
After a brief break in service and a short stint in the Pacific, Godding, as he put it, “got into the intelligence business.” In mid-1949, he joined the U.S. Army Security Agency, the Army’s largest intelligence organization that had been established in 1947. For the rest of his career, he would be indelibly linked with ASA and Army Intelligence.
In the 1950s, Godding served as operations officer at the ASA Headquarters at Arlington Hall Station, Va., and later in ASA-Europe. As a colonel, he also commanded the 507th ASA Group of more than 3,000 men from July 1956 to July 1959. Subsequently, he returned to Arlington Hall and served as ASA’s chief of staff until mid-1960.
Godding’s service in the 1960s and early 1970s reflects both the Army’s and ASA’s involvement in Vietnam. Twice he served as the chief of ASA-Pacific. In between he served as the chief of production for the J-2 of the Military Assistance Command-Vietnam. As a major general, subsequently, Godding served as the G-2 for U.S. Army Pacific from1969 to 1972, and then as the J-2 for MACV from 1972 to 1973.
In 1973, Godding assumed command of ASA. Throughout the next two and a half years, he emphasized direct support tactical signal intelligence and security while maintaining the strategic effort. He pushed for the divisional support companies to directly assist the Army’s divisions and worked to educate the tactical commanders on the capabilities and limitations of ASA assets.
Godding retired two years before INSCOM was established. After serving as a warfighter on the ground, Godding served in a progression of intelligence assignments that required both technical expertise and active leadership. Yet despite reaching the highest echelons of the Army’s intelligence system, he continually pushed intelligence down to support the tactical commander. Godding’s death marks a continued passing of a generation that shaped today’s Army.