From Glen Kelly

Ran across your site while researching the USAF "Advanced Logistics Systems" project. This was a follow-on by the USAF to ComLogNet/DataCom/Autodin. And, like ComLogNet, even though the system worked it's design was way too costly and the USAF dropped it after building two sites. I worked on it in 1972 at Control Data in Sunnyvale, CA, and Write Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH.

 

While with WU I moved my family 6 times in the 6 years. From being a Shop Repairman in San Francisco to School in Cherry Hill, to Sacramento as Computer Center Technician, to Del City as Site Supervisor, to Camp Springs as Maintenance Supervisor, to Fredrick as Site Analyst and finally to NYC as Programmer Analyst. And, even when not moving the family, I was on the road probably 50% of the time; Syracuse, Little Rock, Okalahoma City, Sacramento, these I remember, and spent much time at the lab in NJ. Oh; and during a strike I was sent to Cleveland to be a wire chief. LOL

 

It was a wild and crazy time ... work work work work ... but it was really fun work. Should have paid WU to let me do it instead of the other way around. But, living in Garfield, NJ, commuting to NYC, I just couldn't take it. Born and raised in the rural country in CA, the big city was too much for me. I left WU in August of 1967 and went to work with Litton Industries in their communications department programming their corporate communications computer. That put me back into CA. Next I was involved in a start-up company, primarily doing consulting for Control Data Corp. Again; mostly communications projects. I programmed a communications system that allowed junk yard operators to sell parts from other junk yards (did this 3 times on different computers). Ended up working for a newspaper front-end company, Autologic in CA, for 28 years.

 

Now I'm retired, living in TX, and raising Scottish Highland cattle (see cows in movie Rob Roy).

 

I've attached scans of most of my WU mementos. Not much; no pictures (virtually everything I worked on was government classified systems--excepting the Securities Industries system 418-IIs in NJ--and I didn't carry a camera around).

 

Hope this hasn't put you to sleep. If you need any information re any of the systems I worked on--primarily Autodin--let me know. Heck; I still remember some signal names (ie: ROEOBTOBBB--Read Out Elementary Operation to Buffered B Bus) and instructions (4404--write a one to flip flop #4 = halt). But, other than a Raymond Barrett, I don't remember anyone by name (Pastille?). Oh so long ago; and oh so young!

 

Glen K.

 

PS: I also have a copy of a multiple choice (farce) test that had us rolling in the isles at the Fredrick, MD, Autodin site. As example,

 

(3) WHEN "GENERAL RESET" IS DEPRESSED:

      A. THE CDP WILL AUTOMATICALLY GO INTO A LOOP.

      B. THE ADP WILL BEGIN TO CYCLE THE COFFEE BREAK ROUTINE.

      C. HE WILL GIVE ALL THE TROOPS A HARD TIME UNTIL HE FEELS BETTER.

      D. TAPE STATION 19 WILL REWIND AT HIGH SPEED AND BREAK TAPE.

       E. THE INTERROGATING TYPEWRITER WILL PRINT OUT "AW NUTS".

 

Now that we are older and more 'sophisticated', these 25 questions don't seem all that funny--but back then; 1965'ish; it was very.

 

PPS: You folks can have this stuff if you want it for your museum. Not much here that would be of any interest to any that didn't live it, but other than the ID card, I have no use for it [the ID card is part of a menagerie of cards that depict my aging over the years and I wouldn't want to lose my earliest photo].