I was stationed at Gunter AFB (Montgomery Air Defense Sector (MOADS) in Montgomery Alabama when I received a transfer to the 640th AC&W Squadron at Stephenville in Newfoundland. We eventually departed McGuire AFB in New Jersey on a USAF C-118, the equivalent of a DC-7, and arrived at Harmon Air Force Base in February 1962
I was met by SSgt. Ben Hight and stayed with Ben and his wife at his home in Port-au-Port for three days before I was able to proceed to Pinetree. This was due to one of the many blizzards which we seemed to get during the winter months. When the road had finally been cleared, I proceeded up the mountain, checked in and went to work in Operations.
Back then, if you wanted to bring your family, you needed to find your own housing. I bought an old trailer for $1,500 and went back to the States in March/April 1962 to pick up my wife and son. I managed to catch a flight on a KC-97 tanker from Harmon AFB to McGuire and continued from there to pick up my family
Some of my memories, first and foremost, are of the weather. It was not uncommon for blizzards to last three or more days, and then it could take up to as long as a week just to dig ourselves out. One February, we received 248 inches of snow. That was fun. There were a few times when the weather made it difficult to get to the site. Pinetree had two trackmasters that either came to town to pick up staff or simply picked you up at the bottom of the mountain. One blizzard, Harmon AFB was totally shut down and nothing was moving. The Base Commander called Pinetree for assistance. While we had two "trackmasters" at Pinetree, the base didn’t have any of these machines. The trackmaster was a very large snowmobile, more the size of a tank. I recall that these machines could hold about 15-20 people. The call came to the NCO Club - where everyone hung out during a blizzard. Two airmen jumped at the chance, and they took the trackmasters to aid "The Big Base". They worked all night in the worst weather you ever saw. They made runs taking women to the hospital as well as taking food and supplies to those who were stuck in quarters. I don’t remember who they were let alone everything that they did, but what those guys accomplished was heroic. They didn’t even get a "thank you" from the SAC Base Commander.
We were there during the Cuban Crisis, and President Kennedy was killed while we were having a squadron party. The NCO club had slot machines to keep people active. As far as the town of Stephenville was concerned, I just loved the people. It was like going back in time 50 years.
I formed the first (Yank) Ice Hockey team ever in Newfoundland in 1963. We got lots of good press from this. We had seven guys on the team but only three of us had any hockey experience. For our first game, the Pinetree Commander brought down the Air Force Medics and the meat wagon. We ending up not needing them. We played against the RCMP for our first game and only lost 11-1 - which was not all that bad for us.
We eventually left Pinetree driving our new VW as a family (which now included our daughter) in August 1964. The return trip also included a diamond ring for my wife and lots of Crown Royal. As luck would have it, we returned to Montgomery Air Defense Sector (MOADS) in Montgomery Alabama. After a short period of time, HQ 14th AF was activated and I was assigned as the NCO i/c Training.
In June 1968, I received a call saying I had been assigned to Stephenville again. Going back to Pinetree was a real treat. I drove an old pick-up truck (known as the Yellow Bird) and as I entered Stephenville, one of the civilians that worked on the Mountain saw me, and it was like a homecoming. I can’t remember his name, but he lived in Port-au-Port, and he had me come to his house for Moose Steak his wife was fixing. They called several people and we had a party.
I got up to Pinetree just before midnight. The AP gate guard asked where I had been as they had expected me all day. I found the CQ at the NCO Club, found my room, and unpacked. This trip, I found Pinetree cut down to a complement of 65 officers and men. At first, I was the Crew Chief of "D" Crew (4 man crews) and when the only controller we had discovered he was the only person left to control the fighters, I was made weapons controller tech and assigned a day shift in the Operations Office. When the controller was off the mountain, I was authorized to control the fighters or any other aircraft needing assistance.
I went home to Montgomery for Christmas leave (December 1968), got sick, went to the hospital, and four months later I was given a medical retirement. After working for the State of Alabama for over 20 years I have now retired with my wife of 38 years, one block from the beach in Panama City Beach Florida.
This detail was submitted by Richard (Dick) Ahlgren in August 1998 for use on the Pinetree Line web site.