MEMORIES FROM JAPAN Southern Japan Radar Group 610618

MEMORIES FROM JAPAN Southern Japan Radar Group 610/618 th ACW Squadrons Hqs Itazuke, Miho, and Hanshin 527 th. ACWGp, ADCC, 43 rd Air Div

SOUTHERN JAPAN RADAR GROUP 610 TH-618 TH-850 TH AC&W Sq 527 TH AC&W Gp- ITAZUKE JAPAN

The War is Over-- 1945 • The first planning for providing the Air Defense of the Japanese nation begins:

Early Years of the 610 th ACWSq This was the Call Sign of Det 3 Saitozaki-

1945 -48 Chief Controller -610 th. ACWSq The Lt was one of the first controllers to arrive at Saitozaki and get things started

Early Years of the 610 th at Saitozaki

Early years 610 th ACWSq

Early years 610 Hq-Saitozaki Glen Olin(Glen was also at Det 3 and Det 11

Shikanoshima/Saitozaki It was one of the first operational sites in Southern Japan

Det 3 -Saitozaki Barracks

Itazuke Units

Itazuke Units -527 th ACW Group Hqs

Itazuke- ADCC

Main St- Itazuke AB, Japan

Itazuke AB, Japan Some of the first interceptor’s we used were the P-51, F-80, F 84 and the F 86

68 th Fighter Interceptor Group Itazuke AB This is an F-94 which had its own radar

Det 7 -Moriyama (Kyushu, Japan)

Det 7 - Volleyball

Det 7 was near -Miho Air Base

Miho Air Base. Location of 618 th ACWSq Hq after is moved from Hanshin

Det 9 -Koshikishima – an island site off of southern Kyushu

Det 9

Det 9 - This LSM supported most of our sites with food and other supplies

Det 11 -Nomaki (Kyushu)

Det 11 - Nomaki

Det 11 (Started as DF station-Radar added later as was the Coast Guard Loran )

Det 13 -Takhatayama (Kyushu)

Det-13 (one of the last Detachments added to the 610 th ACWSq)

Det 13 Home Sweet Home

Det 13 - H-21 Chopper

Det 15 -Early years 1949 –Fukushima (Kyushu)

Det 15 –from L 20 in 1957

Det 15 -Base Operations (The strip was about 2 miles from the site)

Det 15 - We had a good beach and the LSM made use of it It beached itself during high tide and left at the next high tide

Det 17 - Mishima –another island site off of Honshu

Det 17

Det 17 - The Japanese Air Force assumes command By 1959/1960 all of our sites reverted to Japanese Control

Det 19 -Unishima – another island site off of Kyushu located just south of Pusan, Korea

Det 19 -CPS 5 Radar Ant.

Det 19 - Writing a letter home while enjoying the view

Det 19 -LSM 335 with supplies

Det 19 Looking from Tsushima (it really shows how small Unishima was

Det 19 Barracks and supply tents

Det 21 - (Tsushima-Kyushu) Southern tip of island It had a short life was only operational for Korean war only-

Det 21

Det 21

Det 25 -Nomosaki (Kyushu)

Det 25 (IDs Unknown)

Det 25 That’s Mrs Huston (someone who really looked after us)

Det 43 -Suburiyama (Kyushu)

Det 43

Det 43 -Part of the freeway to town

Det 43 -Mess Hall

Det 43 Unloading H 21 Chopper

All of the sites were turned over to JASDF (1959 -60) This is my own part in this part of our history (Det 15 Fukueshima. June 1959)

Japanese Air Force Assumes Command • What ever happened to all the radar sites • Many are still active today and are performing the same mission that we had so many years ago. Created by John Rosso (President: Southern Japan Radar Group)