MARS

MARS is a military communications network manned by civilian amateurs. It provides training in military communications and serves as an emergency backup. Personal messages and phone patches are common. There are over 50 MARS stations in Vietnam, allowing servicemen to call home. Volunteer operators give their time and facilities to help servicemen connect with their loved ones. The calls are not secure and classified information should not be discussed. The operation boosts morale among American service people in Vietnam. Hello. Welcome to MARS. Not the planet, but a globe-spanning communications network that you probably haven't heard much about. We're in the headquarters station of that network right here in the concourse of the Pentagon in Washington, DC. MARS stands for Military Affiliate Radio System. As its name says, it's a military network, but it's manned on a voluntary basis by civilian amateurs. And, as they call themselves, more than 6,000 amateur stations plus service-operated MARS stations at Army, Navy, and Air Force installations all over the world make up the network. Its purpose is to promote interest and to provide training in military communications procedures and equipment, and to provide a network of thousands of stations to serve as an emergency communications backup. A convention of communications should be disrupted. Servicemen operating a military MARS station learn not only military communications procedures and methods, but they get into all phases of repair, maintenance, and modification as their time permits. This station is a central queueing point for thousands of messages each week. Many of them are personal messages from service people to their families. In addition to its role as an emergency network, MARS serves as a massive handler of personal communications through its amateur operators, both in and out of uniform, all over the world. Also, licensed operators in the services can use the headquarters equipment in their spare time as scheduled operations permit. Most of the communications traffic handled through here is in printed messages, but it's not unusual for a soldier in Vietnam to talk with his family here in the States by a combination of radio and telephone, known as the phone patch. This phone patching is something you have probably heard about. The volume of calls from Vietnam has skyrocketed to several hundred thousand a year through the MARS facilities. The story of that operation is a remarkable one. This is a MARS station in Vietnam. Not too long ago, there were none. Today, there are more than 50 of them scattered across the combat zone from the delta to the highlands, in the cities and in the backcountry, and recently, on hospital shifts as well. Each station serves men of all services. Anyone on duty in the area, whatever service arm you may belong to. To give you a feeling for how this unique and vital morale operation works, let's follow through with a typical call from the beginning. Morning, Sarge. Can I help you? Yes, I understand that I can call home from here. How does one go about that? Right, here at the MARS station, we contact the United States by amateur radio and the radio amateur there in the United States contacts your party by regular telephone lines to your home. He charges a collect and then we hook you up to the MARS station here. It's better if you ride home ahead of time so they will be sure and be home. That's right. We're going to talk to Daddy. Daddy, Daddy. Well, well. Well, he says here in his letter that we should be ready for his call on Thursday, the 17th. Isn't that wonderful? Oh, Mommy. Like a great many other MARS affiliates, Lenore Jensen regularly gives her evening time and the facilities of her excellent amateur rig for making it possible for American servicemen a long way from home to talk to their loved ones. A long way in this case means just about exactly halfway around the world, some 10,000 miles. Alpha Bravo Eight Alpha Charlie, Alpha Bravo Eight Alpha Charlie, this is Alpha Six November Alpha Zulu. Do you read? Over. Roger. Lima Charlie, loud and clear. Over. You're good here, too. Good signal. Nice sunny morning over there. Over. Hot. Is the moon out back in the world? Over. Yes, it is. How many listings do you have waiting? Over. As soon as you have time to run. Over. Okay. Give me the first list. It's typical of all the volunteer operators that they think nothing of giving of their time, their money, and themselves in this way. As they say, it's what they like to do. For Mike Webster and his family, the big moment is about to arrive. Morning, gentlemen. As you're making your calls this morning, please remember that the phone patch is not secure. Do not discuss any classified information, any troop movement, any troop strength, or any troop location. Also, please do not mention any casualty information and do not use any profanity. Operator, I have some calls from Vietnam. Yes, that's right. All collect from this number. Now, the first one is to San Diego area 714, person to person to Mrs. Mike Webster. Phone number 714. And the calling party is Mike Webster. Hello? Mrs. Webster, I have a collect call from Sergeant Webster. Would you accept charges? Yes, I'll accept the charges. Hello? Mrs. Webster, I'm a Mars operator near Los Angeles. We have a circuit set up so you can talk to your husband by radio. That's wonderful. Now, just to help you before we start, Mrs. Webster, remember this is a one-way street. We can only talk in one direction at a time. Now, when you talk, your husband can only listen. And when you want him to talk, you say over and I'll flip the switch so he can talk back to you. All right? Oh, yes. All right. Okay, now we're just about ready. Hello, Vietnam. This is Alpha Bravo 8 Alpha Charlie. This is Alpha 6 November Alpha Zulu. We're ready on that call to Mrs. Webster. Over. Hello, love. This is Mike. So good to hear from you. How are you? Over. Oh, this is just wonderful. Mike, well, it's just wonderful to hear your voice. Over. It's great to hear you too. How are the kids? Over. They're fine. They're right here by me and they're just fine. We had Bonnie's birthday party last week. Would you believe seven years old? Over. Oh, I wish I could have been there. Can I talk to her for a moment? Over. Here she is. Hello, Daddy. This is me. Over. Say, how's my girl? Say, did you get my present? Over. I got the doll and she's beautiful. Her name is Allison. Over. Well, that's a pretty name too. Look, honey, I've just got a couple more minutes, so let me talk to Mommy. Okay. Over. Mike, Junior's here too, dear. He'd like to just say hello. Over. Hi, Mike. How's my boy? Over. Hi, Daddy. I'm fine. Over. I'm fine. I'll see you in about two months. Maybe before you know it, okay? Over. Okay. Bye. Over. It won't be long now either. Over. Thank goodness for that. Let me know as soon as you know. Over. And I'll call you next month again. Over. Wonderful. Meantime, you know you're in our prayers every night. Over. Look, love, our time's up. You get to catch a big hug from me, okay? Over. I will. And thanks to everybody who had anything to do with making this possible. It just meant so much. Over. Goodbye, love. Over. See you soon. Okay, Vietnam, that was loud and clear. Now, stand by for Mrs. John Carter in San Francisco. This operation is no small factor in the high level of morale among American service people in Vietnam.