In 1949, four officers and eight enlisted service members designed a new type of ground directed bombing radar system that changed the face of modern warfare.
Retired Lt. Col. Robert Harris was one four officers responsible for the ingenuity of the system, and on Nov. 15 he visited Marine Air Support Squadron 3 to get a glimpse of the new era of aviation support technology.
Retired Lt. Col John Wetter and retired Capt. Tim Allen, along with Harris, took a tour of the squadron. Wetter and Harris served with MASS-3 during Vietnam and used the system Harris helped develop.
“I think it’s good for the Marines to see who their forefathers were, said Col. Jeff Davis, the Marine Air Control Group 38 commanding officer. “It’s great for the Marines here to see where they came from.”
During the tour, the veterans viewed high-tech equipment Marines now use to accomplish the same mission they did back then.
“It’s just awesome, what we did back in ‘68 is light-years away from what they’re doing now,” said Allen.
Even though the equipment has changed, the MASS role remains the same.
“We are the hyphen in Marine Air-Ground Task Force,” said Col. Davis. “We are what link the air and ground together.”
Throughout the tour the veterans regaled the Marines with stories from Korea and Vietnam.
“It was a good opportunity for the Marines here to build off their experiences in Korea and Vietnam and see the differences and similarities of the technology and tactics used back then and some of which we still use today,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Logan, the MASS-3 commanding officer.
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