Final Chapter: 16th PsyOps Company Deragawa, Thailand/Cambodia 1970-1971

I was a member of the 16th PsyWar Company from 1961 to 1963 and spent the first year at Headquarters Battalion in Machinato..In 1962, the 16th moved to the Deragawa Transmitter site where I remained until 1963 when I returned to the States. My full account of activities with the 16th including TDY to korea and Taiwan is covered elsewhere.

Since beginning the 14th Bn Page I have tried to determine the fate of the 16th and had received only two accounts (Charlie Thrun and Leonard Sibel) covering a period from 1964-1966.. On 2/22/06 I heard from Jim D'Amato who served with the 16th during its last active role from 1970-1971. Scott Peacock (3/14/06) reported the 16th was in Thailand at least until 1973 if not longer. More about Scott at end of account.

My name and rank was Sp5 James D'Amato. I arrived at the 7th Psyop Grp on Okinawa in May of 1970 where I was sent to what I think they called the Psychedelic 16th out at Deragawa..My MOS was 32C20 Fixed Station Transmitter Repair. As you probably remember, Deragawa was a tropical paradise with the arch bridge over the fish pond, out in the boonies of Okinawa....It seemed that way to me being from New York City. (The bridge, fish pond, and paradise must have been added after my tour Ed).

After a few months we were fitted with jungle boots and fatigues and then our N.C.O. was sent to Nam for a few weeks.. It really sunk in what Combat Mobile Unit really meant when we packed up our transmitter (all four stages) and our Receiver (two stages), four 60 kw generators, our weapons and bid Sayonara to Okinawa. We were loaded onto C130's at Kadena and were flown to the Thai/Cambodian border.

Over a period of month, Jim and I corresponded about his tour. The summary of our discussion follows including pictures provided by him. Specific statements by Jim will be italicized.

Deragawa in 1970

Living Facilities

There were approximately 30 to 40 personnel living in the barracks or off base. The barracks still housed two men to a room as it did in 62-63. There appeared to be two major differences in the compound between the two time periods. One was the presence of a gate with Torii symbol and the other a fish pond with bridge. Jim said the pond and bridge were located a little to the right and straight ahead as one entered through the gate into the compound. He does not know who built it or when it was built.

• Fish Pond and Bridge
• View of Compound from Access Road
• View of Microwave Tower from a Distance
• Group Picnic in Front of Barracks

Jim included a few photos of himself and friends in and around compound and in nearby Tairagawa. One picture shows him in the EM club that our 62-63 group refurbished. The picture outside the Transmitter building shows portable generators and transmitter units in connex containers that were taken to Thailand/Cambodia with his company.

I was surprised to learn from Jim that the 50 kw transmitter was no longer present at the Deragawa site. He said he does not know what happened to the equipment but the building was used as a storage facility to house the laundry, food, weapons and most importantly spare parts for both the transmitter and receiver.

• Jim D'Amato in Deragawa Club
• Outside Transmitter Building
• On Duce and a Half
• D'Amato and Tom McDowell on the "Habu Trail" Outside the Compound
• Unknown with D'Amato and Old Sam Company Mascot on Monument Near Compound
• Three Jim's on Same Monument..Black, McPherson, and D'Amato
• Jim McPherson and Jim D'Amato at local Store
• D'Amato, Scott Peacock, Sgt Brummett, and Jim McPherson
• Tom McDowell at 16th Company Fair

The CO of the 16th was Capt. Charles Luke and the XO was Lt Cline. The only picture Jim had of them is in a poor quality shot from a Veritas. This picture was taken at Thailand/Cambodia border during the unit's operation in 1971.

Equipment and Function of Deragawa

Jim indicated he was a Fixed Station Transmitter Repairman with an MOS of 32C20. I was also a Transmitter Repairman but with an MOS of 272.1. We had both attended the radio school at Ft. Monmouth (at different times)...Comparing notes on our background, we came to the conclusion that the Army must have changed the MOS code for some reason but the MOS is the same.

The broadcast equipment at Deragawa included a mobile 50 kw transmitter in four stages. Each was located in a separate Shelter container. The broadcast studio was also in two shelter containers. Jim said there were four 60 kw generators to provide power for the equipment. He also indicated there were only four of these combat broadcast units in the Army: one in Vietnam, the second at Deragawa and later used in Thailand/cambodia, one at a Sacramento depot and a fourth at Ft. Bragg. Evidently the two 5 ton transmitter and studio vans of my time were no longer present and disposition is unknown.

According to Jim, the 50 kw moble broadcast unit was used at Deragawa to broadcast music with Sp4 Scott Peacock as the DJ. The signal was heard into Japan. After the unit deployed to Thailand, there was no transmitting equipment remaining at Deragawa.

16th Deployment To Thailand/Cambodia Border

In 1970, the 16th was deployed to the Thailand Cambodia border to set up a broadcast station reportedly to replace one destroyed by the North Vietnamese. The six connex containers housing the transmitter and studio along with four 60 kw generators were loaded aboard C130's at kadena and transported to the Thai border. D'Amato said all personnel of the 16th with the exception of short timers were included.

According to D'Amato, the connex vans were choppered in as Army Engineers prepared the site. Personnel were set up in large camp tents.

Broadcasts originating from our sister site in Vietnam were received and rebroadcast throughout Laos and Cambodia. The transmitter may have been Gates (my question to Jim),.. I seem to recall the two PA tubes were as big as a pot belly stove had Gates on them. We had a 150 ft tower. The coax cable from the transmitter to the tower was 10 to 12" in diameter! I guess when your pushing 50 KW, size does matter. Changing the beacon bulb on the top of the tower was a S.O.B.

I think the worse things that happened were 1) We had a dust off when a Jolly Green came in from Laos to evac Dave Hoffaber who had been injured in a jeep accident. The wind from the large chopper blew over all our tents and we were coughing dust for a week..2) We had the worst monsoon in history according to a village man who was in his 90's. we had to shut down operations because the rain and wind came down with such force and the water was rising at such a rapid rate it was going to shut down the transmitter. Our generators were submerged in a few feet of water and once again our tents were blown over and flooded...3) Snakes, Snakes, and more Snakes of all poisonous varieties...need I say more?

• Site Preparation By Army Engineers
• View of Finished Site With Equipment
• Four Connex Transmitter Components
• Jim D'Amato in Front of Shelter Units
• Jim inside One Unit with Unknown
• Generators From a Distance
• Closer View of Generators
• "Camp Swampy" After the Typhoon
• Scott Peacock, Jim D'Amato, and Dave Hoffenber
• Dave Hoffenber in States with Wife After Jeep Accident
• Jim D'Amato, Tom McDowell, Dave Hoffenber, Scott Peacock
• Jim D'Amato and Scott McPherson in Satahip Thailand
• Jim D'Amato Near A Bunker
• The "Little Out House"

MARS Phone Patches To States

When asked about an Amateur Radio station used to make telephone calls to the states, Jim did not remember one. Mike Johnson who served in the 7th reported that a Major Gantt had set up this service for the men in the 16th. Perhaps others know more details about this station.

Fate of 16th and Deragawa

Jim said Deragawa was occupied by the 18th Det when he returned in Feb of 1971 for his E5 test He returned to the Thailand deployment and stayed until Dec 71 when he was reassigned to the 1st PsyOp at Ft Bragg.

Scott Peacock who was a PsyOp Information Specialist said in an e-mail of 3/20/06 that he served with the 16th in Thailand until 1973. He did not know how long the 16th remained in Thailand or what happened to Deragawa site. Scott returned to the states in 73 and received a degree in Sociology from University of Utah in 76. He went through the ROTC program while completing his degree and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the Signal Corp. He remained in the Army for an additional 17 years and retired as a Major.

The fate of Deragawa is therefore not known from 1971 to 74 when the 7th was retired to the reserve Army. Did the 18th Det and or the 16th Company remain until 74? Hopefully someone will supply this last piece in the history of Deragawa.

The 16th Company and individuals who served in the Thai/Cambodian deployment were awarded the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon. Jim D'Amato missed the presentation of this ribbon when he was reassigned to the 1st PsyOp at Ft Bragg. After 35 years he is attempting to obtain this award.

Jim D'Amato's Present Bio

Jim presently lives in the town of LaGrange near Poughkeepsie N.Y...He is still involved in electronics including electronic security, CCTV, Card Access, Burglar and Fire Alarms as well as E.A.S. He also has a Private Investigators License. He commutes 75 miles every day to N.Y.C.

James D'Amato

56 Cramer Road Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12603