date: 03 jan 2010
recorded in IWM USS Indy Radio rm exhibit

William (bill) Stephens
USN rm1st class 1942-1945

Carmel, IN.

Bill Started and ended the US Navy career at Seatle WA. 
discharged after WWII ended..1945!. and returned home to Indianapolis IN.
_Bill was from Indy and joined the navy when he received his draft papers.
_He drove a delivery truck in Indianapolis before he enlisted in the Navy; 
part of his daily job was to type out delivery orders.

_enlistment was at Butler field house where he 1st saw young men sending messages
via light signals. When he arrived at Seattle he was recruited into the radioman job 
for his ability to type. His favorite Typewriter was the "Underwood" it never jammed!.

1st station :Estoria  OR USN air Transmitter station.
_ learned code there . 20 wpm cw speed.
_had large transmitting field.4-300ft towers & 1-100ft twr.
adjacent to air base(sea side). on the coast.
_Transmitter similar to the shipboard , but fixed frequencies, switched.
_ 15 radiomen  per watch at the station
_Transmitter station had 2 chiefs & 6 (strikers). RM's couple of RT's

2nd station...Kodiak Alaska; large radio central.(6mos)
_ some of the longest CW radio reception was Kodak to the eastern US.
or 1000 miles!

3rd station ..out Island in the aleutian islands called "shoeligands".
_sand point station, radio range station, radio shack for all the 
aleutian islands. job to send hourly info broadcasts in coded groups.
"no plain " language!. (only towards end of war).

4th station..Dutch Harbor,in the aleutian islands ;Radio central was
 in a concrete tunnel.."bill would get claustrophobic!".
Japaneese did bomb the station before he was there.. 
blew up the wodden radio shack..

Best USN remembered moment... "When WWII ended"!!!
Worst times...little sleep, no darkness because of stations local.!

Couldn't recall any Women radio operators in the Navy during his  time.

_Returned to Indianapolis after the WAR, worked for a small radio repair shop; later
 starting his own radio repair shop, adding TV repair and sales to his business 
by 1985, when he sold it and retired.
_Bill never got a ham ticket, did complete his Privite Pilot License in 1950, loves to fly!
_Fovorite Aircraft is "ULTRALIGHTS"
_ he is on his 89th year..Birthday in November.

Mr. William (bill) Stephens is an honorary USS Indy radio room Plank member...

by Chuck Crist-w9ih