mobile1968

AB8AU / AB8AZ

Mobile Unit

Old Reliables - 9^th Infantry Division / 9^th Signal Battalion

US Army MARS

(Military Affiliate Radio System)

Vietnam 1968

The AB8AU/AB8AZ mobile unit traveled throughout the 9^th Infantry Division theatre of operation. It was comprised of a converted surplus Dodge M43 army ambulance containing Collins™ shortwave radio equipment and towed a trailer containing a 10KW diesel generator. It supplied telephone communications for soldiers who were located in the smaller front line field and artillery camps, who did not have regular access to Bearcat or Dong Tam. It would setup portable temporary operations at a remote field camp until everyone had the opportunity to make a phone call home. Then the mobile unit would break down and drive to the next field camp and start the process all over again.

AB8AU / AB8AZ mobile unit

Dodge M43 converted old medical ambulance

I spent most of my time in-country at Camp Dong Tam, however I did travel 5-10 days each month with the mobile MARS unit. The mobile MARS unit went to just about all the places, big and small, where the 9^th Infantry Division was located. Some places the mobile MARS unit traveled to were in very remote dangerous hostile locations. Many times the MARS mobile unit needed APC (armored personnel carrier) escorts in order to safely get in/out of these locations.

The First Phone Patch for Mobile Unit

After the Dodge M43 ambulance was refitted with the MARS radio equipment, the “first” phone patch was run for 9^th Infantry Division Major General O’Connor. (two stars)

Here I am, SP4 Tom Boza (WA8NSH), demonstrating the mobile unit operation to 9^th Infantry Division Commanding Officer, Major General George G. O'Connor. The demonstration allowed Major General George G. O'Connor to make a phone patch (telephone call) to his wife in Hawaii on 20.813 MHz USB.

To set the history record correct, there is an error in the book “MARS: Calling Back to the World From Vietnam,” by Paul Scipione. Paul shows the above picture in his book and has MSGT Harry Chichester’s name listed. This is incorrect.

All the pictures of me running the phone patch for the Major General we taken by US Army Press Corp.

SP4 Tom Boza (me) at radio, Major General George G. O’Connor looking for his wife’s phone number, and Captain Moss looking into the radio van to make sure everything was going OK for the General. Being just a PFC and having all this brass around, “Was I ever nervous !!!!”

Inside the MARS Mobile Unit

Inside the AB8AU / AB8AZ mobile unit

Equipment	Collins KWM-2A with 30L-1 HF RF Amplifier
Antenna	20.813 MHz 3 element mono-band yagi on a 30 feet push-up mast
Power	5KW 120 VAC gasoline generator pulled behind the mobile unit on a 10 foot trailer.