Thomas Unthank's Account of the 18th.

Tom's account is given first as an e-mail and then a more detailed report that follows (EDITOR).

From:  

Thomas Unthank: tomunthank2@MSN.com

Sent: 

Tue 2/19/2008 11:02 AM

To:  

Yoho, Tim

Cc:  

 

Subject:  

Identification as serving in 18th Platoon/Company

 

To: Tim Yoho

My name is Thomas Unthank, and I was a Sp4, with photographer MOS, and one of the first members of 18th Platoon/Company to arrive. I served from March or April of 1962 until March 1963 when I completed my tour of duty in the Army.

My Address is:    Thomas Conard Unthank    
                        737 SW 17th Ave | Apartment 320
                        Portland, Oregon 97205-1817                    

I was there before the Platoon had any officers and we worked on organizing the unit with a major and Captain from HQ.

During this early period I and I believe four or five other enlisted personnel and a Captain spent a little over a month detached to the 1st Marine Division on Exercises in the Philippines providing PsyOps support.

The unit showed motion pictures in various villages as part of our training. We also delivered the Civil Government Magazine to villages throughout the Island, including several trips to the northern area of the island.

We had a Qhut outside the perimeter of the Compound next to the Enlisted Men's Club.

I will provide a more detailed account if you would like.

Thomas Unthank

 

Memories of the 18th. by Thomas Unthank


Yes, the 18th Platoon/Company was a mystery!
The 18th Psyops/Platoon/Company was organized with the 14th Psychological Operation Battalion in approximately  late March or April 1962. The majority of the initial members of unit, all spec 4’s met at the processing line at Oakland Army Terminal in early March 1962. It was here that I learned of the USBVA PAC from one of the Sergeants in the processing Line.

 We were flown as individuals on different flights to Okinawa and arrived over several weeks.  When I arrived at Naha Air Base I was taken to Fort Buckner Headquarters where they did not know where the 18th Psyops Platoon/Company was located. I remember the mention of the USBVA PAC and asked the phone operator to connect me. They sent a vehicle to pick me up and take me to the Headquarters and Headquarters Barracks.  Initially none of the Officers assigned to the unit had arrived, and we were supervised by a Major from the Headquarters and Headquarters Company.

I had been a photographer at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico from June 1960 until January 1962 when I received orders for the 18th Psyops Platoon/Company, detached to 1st Special Forces. 
The civilian manager (he may have been a reserve officer because the previous officer at the Lab had not been replaced with another officer) in charge of the Photo Lab at White Sands called me into his office in early December and told me he had volunteered me for a new unit being organized in Okinawa with chosen Signal Corp personnel  to support psychological operations.

In April 1962 I was picked to participate in training exercise along with four or five other enlisted personnel and a Captain from the Headquarters company. We were detached to the 1st Marine Division for over a month to participate in the 20th joint  SEATO training exercise: Tulungan which was held on the Philippines Island of Mindoro. The Tulungan was one of largest joint exercises of that period, it include approximately 37,000 troops, many ships, airplanes and helicopters.  We traveled on the APA 45 [ Henrico ] which was serving as the Flag / Command Ship during the exercises.  The Army team used one of the marine helicopters to demonstrate airborne loudspeakers deployment along with leaflet drops.  My duties on this exercise were to create the leaflets which were dropped.

The organization and mission of the 18th Psyops Platoon/Company was to be able to expand with resources from the other Psyops units for specific missions. The TO&E for the platoon/company called for twenty-five enlisted personnel, all specialist 4th class except for a Master Sergeant, thirty officers ranging from Lt thru Major. The unit was organized into seven film exhibition teams, and four publication teams.  The publication teams consisted of a writer MOS and a photographer MOS. The film exhibition teams consisted of film projection MOS and if I remember correctly additional writers. The majority of the initial members were from Signal Corp Units.  Our first official company commander was Capt. Robert Toye,  and the deputy commander was Lt. William Isenberg, both Military Police trained Officers. Several other officers were assigned to the Platoon/Company, but on a daily basis functioned as Officers within the Battalion.During the monthly Battalion Parades these officers if not assigned duty with one other companies were formed in to a Platoon of all Officers  and Match as the second Platoon under the 18th guidon.

The first several months were spend unpacking and making operation the projectors, studio tape recorders and other equipment including some ‘beach master” loudspeakers.  Interesting the platoon did not receive any cameras for the four photographers while I was stationed there.  We conducted training showing films to Okinawa natives in their villages. One of the films used was on the  “time and service in cattle” ( how to inseminate cattle), an important farm product on the island. To accompany this film I created a printed pamphlet which was printed at the 15th Psyops Printing Detachment.  My civilian training and experience had been in Graphic Design. Our working facility was an old Q hut on the Ocean front adjacent to the Enlisted Men’s Club, outside of the Main Compound.
Since there was no place for the Officers to have Coffee without going to the Compound on most days the Officers where the “guest” of the Enlisted Personnel at the Club.

In October 1962 we were restricted to the base and received verbal  orders to prepare for relocation and  to stand a Troop Organization and Equipment inspection of the teams equipment the next day. Later we learned of the “Cuban Missile Crisis” and understood why several members of the company spoke Spanish.
A major function of the members of the unit was to serve as escorts for the Foreign Officers that were visiting the Battalion and USBVA PAC for psychological operations training. Each of use was assigned to an officer and during breaks it was our responsibility to determine if the officers understood the pervious material presented and it they had any questions.  We also worked with American Officers that were being detached to Vietnam.

Another major component of our operations and training was the delivery of the Quarterly Civil Government Magazine to all the villages on the Island. When we worked the Northern end of the Island we were staying at the Officer’s Rest Camp for Rations and Quarters. This was very interesting because none of our officers were on these assignments.

The Platoon was always available for special assignment s within the Battalion. I conducted  a training session with members of several 1st Special Forces Teams at Kadana on the use of their team camera systems.

Another unusual thing about the 18th was its relation to the motor pool. With over forty vehicles assigned to the platoon we were a major user of the motor pool. This number of vehicles meant that Officers were assigned their own vehicles for motor pool maintenance, and it an officer’s vehicle did not pass inspections he become the motor pool office in addition to any other of his duties. Even though I did not drive I had to maintain one of the vehicles also.

Prepared by Thomas Unthank on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 in Portland, Oregon
Thomas Unthank
737 SW 17th Avenue Apartment 320
Portland, Oregon 97205-1817
Tomunthank2@msn.com

 

TIM YOHO

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