Lou Tardona Jr CTTC(SS) Aug 1973 - Feb 1994


So as a Senior in High School my dad and I talked about my future because back in the day at 18 you were considered a grown up and needed to fend for yourself unless you went to college.  My dad said you have three options, College (although I don’t know how we will pay for it), The Sheriff’s Office (My dad was a Sergeant Deputy Sheriff so I had a in), and last but not least, join the military (he was specific – the Navy).  I didn’t want to go to school anymore, definitely didn’t want to be a Sheriff Deputy.  So I opted for Navy much to the chagrin of my mother.   I was 17 at the time so I needed parental consent which was not coming from my mother, but my dad signed for me.  Was probably part of the reason they divorced (just kidding). 

 

Anyway I shipped off to Boot Camp as part of an all Cincinnati area company sponsored by the Cincinnati Reds.  We enlisted at Riverfront Stadium in Center Field and the Admiral for Recruit Command administered the Oath of Enlistment. 

 

My test scores allowed me to just about everything except Nuclear Power (okay by me).  I opted for the “SROB” package which included RM, CT, and a few other ratings that I don’t really remember.  I figured I would be an RM because I knew that stood for Radio Men, and the recruiter could speak to what they did.  Didn’t figure I’d be a CT because my recruiter didn’t know more than the name “Communications Technician” he  “All I know is it required some kind of Special Top Secret Clearance”.  

 

Well in boot camp all of the “SROB” candidates were taken to a room and taught 3 or 4 letters in Morse Code, then allowed to practice hearing and writing down the letter, for maybe a half hour or so.  Then we were given a test.  I actually “Aced” the test, maybe because of my music background or something like that.  When we were done, I was told “You need to be a CT”.

 

So I was designated a CTR/T.  Went to Pensacola and started “A” School.

 

In A school we were in a room with a system we called “Ralph” (I think it was called MCT-4 for Morse Code Trainer Version 4).  There were about 30 or so stations and we sat at a station and learned to Copy Morse Code using a Keyboard to type out what we heard.  My Instructor was CTRC Roger Gordon (who I am still in touch with 49 years later).  After completing the 18 Groups Per Minute (18 GPM) required, we were send to see the Course Manager (CTRCS Attenwiler) to determine whether we would be “R” or “T” Branchers.

 

When I went to see him he said “Seaman Apprentice Tardona, today is your lucky day.  He continued, I have the same number of people in “R” Branch School that I have in “T” Branch school.  So I am going to let you pick your poison”.  I asked which rating copies the most Morse Code.  He said “R” Branch.  I picked “T”.

 

When I got to “T” Branch Advanced I met my new instructor CTRC Bill Craig (also still in touch with him).  He welcomed me and let me know that one of the requirements of graduating from Advanced T branch school was to copy Morse Code at 13 GPM.  I said no problem (I had just passed 18’s in Basic School).  He said great and handed me a pencil which he called a “Stick”.  I said what is this for.  He said to copy code.  I said “No Keyboard”.  Needless to say I needed to relearn Morse Code.

 

When Graduated Advanced “A” School, it was time to go see CTRCS Attenwiler again.  When I did he told me that my Interim Clearance had been approved, but I had no orders yet.  He said I can either put you in X Division where you will be sweeping, mopping and waxing floors, standing roving patrol watches, and any other menial task they could find, OR I can send you to an “C” School.  I said “C” School sounds GREAT.

 

He then asked me which “C” School I thought I would like to go to.  I knew nothing about any of them, but my choices were Wideband, FlexCop, or ELINT.  I asked “Which copies Morse Code the Least” He said ELINT.

Thus I became an ELINT’er. 


The rest is as they say: History.