DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
(U) Learning from the Masters
FROM:
(S//SI) Missile Proliferation (S2G22)
Run Date: 05/11/2005
(U) How a young Airman was trained by some of the Agency's best linguists,
such as Norman Wild (pictured)...
out.
(S//SI) In 1972, just after completing Air Force basic training, I had the
extremely good fortune to be first assigned to NSA prior to overseas
deployment. I was placed in the old B-Group, Asian Communist Air / Air
Defense Forces, which I think was designated B34 at the time. The office
designators must seem kind of quaint today, but at that time the bulk of
agency manpower and resources was detailed against the Red Menace, and, of
course, military support. I could not have had a better assignment, as it turned
(U) I was given a desk next to one of the premier agency linguists, Norman Wild . The qualities
and talents that earned him Agency "Hall of Fame" status were lavished on one lowly Air Force
two-striper. I marveled how he was able to lead me through particularly knotty graphic
Vietnamese exchanges with humor, grace and a spirit of partnership.
(S//SI) Having all the reason in the world to be condescending or supercilious, (he taught
himself Cambodian over the course of a few weekends), Norm instead would give me useful
insights (such as that Vietnamese technical status reports were like a patient describing a
medical condition to a doctor); commentary on the relative importance of seemingly
inconsequential information ("Its all part of a big mosaic picture"); and comedy ("Jeez, I think
this guy bought the same car I did" -- this last over a transcript concerning the vehicle status
report of a North Vietnamese radar company). The person least impressed with Norm's abilities
was Norm himself.
(S//SI) In addition to Norm, I was privileged to work with
(another preeminent
linguist, the translator for South Vietnam's equivalent of DIRNSA and once cut off with the
Marines at Khe Sanh),
(a master of Vietnamese air defense operations and a nearly
identical twin of the bandleader Spike Jones) and Lt. Col.
who (although I did not know
it at the time) was a planner of the famous Son Tay prison raid and who figured prominently in a
book on that subject. These people had a tremendous impact on me. They were doing incredibly
complex, incredibly important work, and making it look easy. I had intended to pursue a postmilitary career in academia, but these thoughts were receding rapidly.
(U//FOUO) When I returned from my deployment to Viet Nam, my coworkers in B34 helped me
apply for employment at NSA and convert to civilian status. I knew then that I was among
friends... I was home.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108