I was doing a bit of a clear-out over the past weekend, digging through old boxes and trying to consolidate all the flotsam and jetsam accumulated during my 26 years in the Navy.

I recall accumulating a set of 10-points and, at the time, thinking that they would make a wonderful (if not useful) souvenir that would bring me a smile long after my SOSUS days were behind me. Well, after this weekend I realized that I must have had that same thought at least five more times, because when the dust settled I had recovered six pair of 10-points from five different boxes!

My gluttony led me to wonder, What IS the average number of "souvenirs" that currently reside in the homes of former OTs? How do I compare to my brothers and sisters, is six sets a bit over the top, or did I not dig deep enough? Does someone out there who only has two pair of 10-points want me to send them a couple more?

So, how many pair of 10-points do you have, and what is your most unusual bit of SOSUS memorabilia?

Just wondering,

Paul

I had several pairs of really nice ones over the years...always made sure I had my name scratched on them...but they all disappeared anyway. would love to have a pair if you want to part with one (see if any have my name in them!!).

Would also like uic patches from lewes, hatteras, arg, kef, barbers pt, NOPF ford Island and ****eck, and Brawdy....if anyone has any spares...

Sadly, most of my "collectables have disappeared with all the moves and 2 divorces.

Like Greg, most of the items I collected over the years can no longer be found. Got a couple of plaques and so forth but I still have my biggest collectible from Arg. Joan and I found her on my second John's run. Next two biggest collectibles I guess would be Rhian from Brawdy and "lil' John from Cosl. Have a nice day Frog

Paul,

Sounds like you're a hoarder. I went through my stuff last month and I've got nothing from the OT (or STG) rate except plaques and nametags. However, I'm working at CUS as a contractor, so I have access to 10 points and freq scales all day long.

JC

I haven't inventoried my stuff in a long time but I know I have various coffee cups with OT2 Scott through LT Scott on them. (Arg, COSL, Kef, CVB) I also have a Zippo lighter with the Arg crest, my name and "1970-1973" on it. My only set of 10 points is in my shadowbox. I need to break all that stuff out soon.......

Hi Paul.

I sure would like a set of 10 - Points to add to my shadow box. Please contact me if you are willing to part with a set.

Thanks.

Hi Paul,
I still have the cork from the bottle of champagne Cmdr Lapp opened the moment the switch was thrown shutting down Punta Borinquen/Ramey in 75.

The oddest thing I have is a slide rule that I don't know how to use that has a scale taped to the back. I have several Venus Uniques and cups from most commands and a couple plaques. At least one pair of ten points in my shadow box and many small calucators that don't work anymore. TOM

I have a plaque and coffee cup from every duty station I ever served at - all stored in boxs in my garage. My three favorite pieces of SOSUS memorabilia would be #1 - A working actuator with carbon dust intact from Keflavik's main array beams 7 and 8; #2 - "Excalibur" the metal straight edge from the back-lit plotting tables build by George Widenor and Gary Peterson in the late 1970s; and #3 - The black and white, plastic "Analysis" sign from the door into PA/QA at NAVFAC Kef.

Add to all of this stuff Kathy's 29 year collection - we could open a museum!

- Jim

I used a RTSP hand-held scale as a straight edge the other day at work. Please forgive me. I probably have 6-8 sets of 10 points in my desk. Hard to use them on CRT's.

In about '79, I traded George a brand new set of 10 points for a few FQQ-1 (I think) grams from Arg. Stan was saving them for me in his safe. Gotta get to CUS.

George....still haven't them wider than 505 have you?

Nick

Nick:
I have a nice (like new) pair of 10-points that have NEVER been fully extended, so they are still smooth and "tight". Perhaps that is the pair I got from you - don't remember. I traded a very nice pair for an air force survival parka prior to my last Kef winter. Turns out that was a great trade, since I'm pretty sure that the parka may well have saved my life the night Gary and I were stranded in my truck in huge drifts on Nav Fac road off the end of the main runway.

I do claim to be the proud owner of three "unused" Venus Uniques.

I wish I could have kept my "bucket of grams" from Kef. Imagine the fun of slowly unrolling those babies!!! Just the thought warms the heart.

Captain Jim and all others who replied to Paul's post - nearly every one of you has outdone me on the quantity and variety of SOSUS/IUSS memorabilia. I can only claim a couple of plaques, several awards/certificates, etc. Never kept ANY of the job-related stuff.(always observed strict adherence to anything even remotely classified). So, Paul, if you are looking to part with one of those 10-point divider sets, feel free to send me a pair to:
Irving DeMatties, 85 Nicole Dr.,Queensbury, NY 12804.
It is worth mentioning, however, that I am the sole, proud owner of the VERY FIRST Ocean Systems Chief Petty Officer uniform insiginia (gold/silver). This is because I was the first CPO rated under the newly-created OT rating - in October of 1970.
I took the ST exam, but was selected as the first of those PO1's to be promoted to CPO within the OT rating. The OT rating was so new that there were no OT rate insignia to be had, period !!
I was at NAVFAC Adak (second tour) at the time, so I sent an exact drawing of the approved insignia to a uniform shop in San Francisco - and they hand embroidered a true gold/silver OT CPO insignia for me. I think it cost around $20 at the time. The main thing was, I was able to have it on my dress blues, following my CPO initiation and pinning ceremony.
I will never forget the day I received my CPO promotion certificate at the next command personnel inspection in November of 1970. I was then, and still am, proud to be the first OTC to be rated. That CPO insignia and uniform is slated to be placed in the museum in Whitehall, NY (originally, Skeenesborough) when I receive my final orders and depart this earth. Whitehall is considered the birthplace of the U.S. Navy and that is where I had my retirement ceremony in July 1981.
That is my plan at the moment, unless Captain Jim starts that museum he alluded to...........then I might consider having it go there, if he were willing !!
Best Regards to all...........Irv (Dee)

Irv (Dee?)-

That is a great story! I've actually wondered how it worked for people who got advanced when the OT rating was created! To be the very first OT Chief is a pretty cool thing.

And a timely post as well, as the newest Chiefs got pinned today. Including my younger brother, Robert, who is now a Chief Hospital Corpsman!

I was a maintence instructor as an ET1 behind the "Green Doors". Made ETC and was initiated by Chiefs Tibble, Dannels, Kosowski and that was "fun". I hope Dannels
motor scooter never runs again. Then came the OT rating and the OPS crew put me thru A school so I could pass the OTC exam and I did. I really believe that if I had not passed the ETC exam I never would have been able to convert to OT. Best move I ever made.
Marshall

Marshall,
I say BZ to you for getting through your initiation with Jim Tribble (may he rest in peace). I do recall he did a little golfing while in Bermuda and after a few rounds he bent up his clubs and threw them out in his yard bag and ALL. He was quite the Master Chief from the OLD OLD Navy.
Chuck

Zeke,
Congratulations to the HMC, nice to see that he stuck it out. I hope he invited more guests to his pinning than you did!!

Zeb

Good post, Zeke! I have several boxes from various moves in my garage that haven't been unsealed in 20 years, and I know there are a few sets of ten-points. I also have the requisite collection of patches, UIMs, plaques, coffee cups and what not.

I also have every nametag from every command I was ever stationed at, starting with NAVFAC Bermuda. I always thought that saving those would serve some purpose, but for now they just sit in a drawer in my closet. I also have a few nametags of other people (Denise L'Allier-Pray, Chuck Bloemker). Not sure why I have those!?

And then there are the UNCLAS 8x10 photographs; to me those are the most valuable!

I know I have at least one set of those extra-large super-badass FTA ten-points. I remember one time I was doing a Mobile Training Team trip to Whidbey Island in the early 90s and Tom Yorty and I got hung up at Sea-Tac airport security because we had twenty sets of those in our carry on luggage. After much explaining, they let us through, but from that point on, we always mailed those ahead.

I've still got my Section 3 pewter mug from my 1st tour at Brawdy, a pewter mug from my last tour at Brawdy in '94, 2 JMF commissioning mugs, my Plankowner certificate from JMF, and a zippo lighter from a UK submarine. In my shadowbox I have a pair of the metal (not plastic) 10 points, a freq scale, a set of UK submarine dolphins (courtesy of Jason McLaughlin), and a RAF AE patch from Al Thomas.

I'm asumming that "10 points" is a tool that helped in identfing harmonics on a gram. When I left sosus in Dec 72 I don't recall having such devises to seperate the targets except for one own peepers. Sounds like I missed out on a great idea! Midway 70, Adak 71, Cape Hatteras 72.

There 10 points around. I got my first set around 69 or 70 as a JEZ operator on P2s. Still have a couple of sets floating around somewhere, not sure with all the moves, 2 devorces, and 3 floods.

I've found a couple things that I haven't seen mentioned yet,,,,I've got a triangle aluminium ingot from the aluminum refinery in Kef, 3- 18th birthday ball badges from Kef in 1984, a heart shaped reflector that the kids were given to wear on their coats in Kef in the dark wintes, a Bless ID card from 1977-1979 signed by Capt Dick Porter , a Realm of the Arctic Circle card from 14 March 1979, a set of 2-points, a circular slide rule and the infamous pocket gram

and many, many memories of the times that me, Christy and Donovan had to clean up after you.

No comment needed...you old geezer

Paul,
Two things that I have that is probably one of a kind items is 1. A 1979 Wind breaker with the name "NAVFAC Eleuthera 1979 Fishing Tournment" printed in gold on the front. and 2. a series of about 6-8 NAVY Watch LOGS, of all incidents and routine issues that occurred on a daily basis 6-8 different years in and around WWII from what was then
Naval Station Bermuda(WEST END). Every time we move I hear "Why don't you throw those out?"
When they took down the old Building in BDA I checked it out just in time. Some one else was with me and also perserved a bit of History. Right LT
Chuck

I don't have any ten-point dividers or any other "U. S. Government property" in my IUSS memorabilia. I do still have in my desk drawer my Pickett 6" slide rule that I used on watches and my old Navy work jacket with a NAVFACKEF patch on it.

Hanging above my desk is the beautiful large "Icelandic Domain" certificate for service in Iceland signed by Capt. J. C. Payne and my NAVFACKEF Sailor of the Quarter plaque. The plaque has a plaster, hand-painted NAVFACKEF emblem on it and I think it was made either by ST1 Maultsby or ST1 Hammond (their rate at the time.) Somehow I've managed to hang on to it for forty years without it cracking. I also have a chunk of lava rock from "the Site."

Keflavik was my first duty station out of FSS and it definitely was "IUSS finishing school" as Randy Scott calls it. Great memories and an incredible naval experience. It's an honor to have been part of the team.

Bill Turner
former OT2
KEF 69-70
COSL 70-72

Paul, I must say you pick a good subject. My favorite artifact from my OT life would be a old DSA cut with no freq marks of a type 1 N. and type 2 N. given to me by Frank Corso. I was sad to hear he took his life,
but glad to have meet him. I also have a Christmas card that Todd Snarr gave me of the Adak Forrest with Christmas lights on the trees. I know now that everything now is on a computer screens, but it was nice to remember standing a mid-watch and stamping and cutting the beams,. Those were the days.

Good to look back in the old dusty boxes now and then. A nautical slide rule (circular) and a tablet of maneuvering boards. Once had a ten points that I found in a junk store in Fortuna. Hmm, wonder where that came from? Store owner hand no clue what it was. Large caliber (undetermined) bullet from the western shore of Ford Island at extreme low tide. Lots of memories.

Thanks Paul, I received the 10-points 9-26-2011.

dave

Paul, if you (or anyone else) has another spare ten points you would like to part with, I am interested in having one. I remember using them at Pt. Sur and Adak in the early 70s. Might be a good conversation piece hanging on my office wall. Please email me for address.