Mel Amick - K0SEX (SK)
Melvin D. Amick TSGT - U.S.A.F - Retired
Mel passed away on March 24, 2019
Entered Army National Guard - Nov. 1955 - Age 16
Entered U.S.A.F. - Nov.1956 with basic training at Lackland AFB, TX.
Assignments:
1957: Radio Operator School - Keesler, AFB MS
1958: Clark Airways, Philippines (Air to ground Voice/CW & Point to Point CW)
1958-1960: Geiger Field - Spokane WA (AIC MARS)
1960-1961: Adak Airways - Adak AK (Shift Supervisor)
1961-1964: Glasgow AFB - Glasgow, MT (Administrative Specialist Base Classified Dept.)
1964-1965: March AFB - Riverside CA (Classified Control, 15th AF DPL)
1965-1966: Udorn Thailand (NCOIC Tactical Communications)
1967-1968: Tinker AFB - Oklahoma City, OK (3rd MOB - Radio Operations Supervisor & NCOIC Radio Operations support of RB57 program, Mendoza Argentina
1968-1970: Anderson Airways - Guam (Shift Supervisor Airways & NCOIC MARS)
1970-1971: Offutt AFB - Omaha, NE (Shift Supervisor SAC Bravo Net Tactical Radio
1971-1972: NCO Communications Controller SAC Underground Command Post
1973: Airborne Command & Control Radio Operations Instructor, CW qualified & Communications Compartment Commander, SAC Airborne Command Post - Looking Glass., TDY - Utapao, Thailand for numerous Combat Lightning Missions over Vietnam.
After flying over 5,000 hours on Looking Glass, retired Dec. 1976.
Military decorations:
Air Medal, AF Commendation Medal x 2, Combat Crew Readiness, Army Good Conduct, AF good Conduct, Armed Forces Expeditionary, Republic of Vietnam Service, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, Vietnam Campaign, National Defense Service Medal, AF Longevity Service Award.
Other awards:
Original ships plaque from Missile Submarine Stonewall Jackson - Running phone patches for all crew members from home, while the submarine was stationed at Guam during 2 days of Christmas holiday 1969.
Article and picture in AF Times for communications support of Apollo 8 Moon Space Craft to Mission Control from Anderson Airways Guam -1968.
Missile Badge - Member of missile
launch team on Looking Glass.
Missile Launch Certificate for special Mission of Looking Glass, and launch of a specially equipped minute-man missile from Vandenberg AFB, CA.
ARRL Public Service Award for establishing emergency communications net on 40m during Rapid City SD., flood disaster in 1972, and handling health and welfare traffic for several days. ARRL Public Service Award For establishing emergency communications for Red Cross during Tornado activity in Omaha, NE., 1975.
Other accomplishments:
Built 500mw AM transmitter broadcast band with 200' wire antenna around Navy barracks on Adak, Alaska and broadcast music for about 1/4 mile to entertain troops from my barracks room. From my home HAM station on Guam, heard a distress call on 15m from the Columbia University Research Vessel (Robert Conrad). The Radioman died from a heart attack, and one of the crew started calling for help on the radio which had been left on a 15m frequency, I heard the call and coordinated rescue to retrieve the body, and provided daily weather information on a regular schedule until the vessel reached it’s destination in the Aleutians.
From home station on Guam, ran phone patch traffic for movie star Lee Marvin while he was filming on an island near Guam, and ran phone patch for Actress Connie Stevens from the MARS station during Bob Hope USO show.
After AF:
Director of Communications Columbia County, OR. (911 system - 5 years) 1979-1984.
State of Oregon Employment Division (Job Service Rep/Claims Taker) 1985-1994 Amalgamated Sugar Research - Twin Falls, ID - (Research Skid Operator), sugar production from sugar beets. 1995-1996.
Security Supervisor, Boise Paper Mill, St. Helens, OR. 1996-2010.