SSgt. ED Krynski
(Ski)
Chief Radio Operator


Saturday evening a plane arrives at Rhein Main needing radio repair. From Base Maintenance they came to the 12th Sq. looking for a radio maintenance man like Brad Baldwin. There was no one around. They said " we'll take second choice, what about a radio operator, you got any who happen to be in the barracks on a Saturday evening"? Guess who was there, Ski and McDonald. They told us we should go and see what we could do.


We were the two worst guys that could do radio maintenance (Ski laughs like crazy) We knew where to set crystals, and set the R-13 radio and stuff like that. If it came in with something wrong______that's what they those guys with maintenance MOS's were for!!

We did go to try to find the problem they were having. I said "Mac, I don't know what the H___is wrong with this thing". Mac said "HIT IT, HIT IT!". I gave it a good rap and asked Mac, "how is it now?" He hollered "FINE, LETS GO!.
Note: everyone listening to the story breaks up laughing.

Ski continues.
You ever wonder why you could never find a radio operator on the flight line? We had a sign out board in the code room that was used by radio operators that they could understand, but impossible for others. Any one that was in the code room or flight room would sign out using "Q" signals. (radio language) So if you didn't understand "Q" signals you would have a hard time understanding where the guys were signed out too.

After leaving the Air Force I got a Masters Degree in educaton. I tought school in Minneapolis, Minn. for 31 years before retiring.

Note: Ski told this story outside on the balcony. It's a miracle no one fell off.