I am the son of Gordon S. Buck, Sr.   My dad died in 2002 but left some interesting notes on his life and times.   During WWII, he was a radar technician and was setting up radar stations in and around Central America.  I’m attempting to fill in bits and pieces of his story and will appreciate any help that can be given.  Since I'm unsure about which section this message should be posted, I'll start here.
 
My dad was in the Army Air Corp Signal Air Warning Battalion.  Although it seems odd to me (I have no military background), he rarely mentioned any particular unit identification.  He did make a note about Company D of the 554th SAW.
 
He usually described the radar equipment as SCR-270 and said that the unit on Toboga was serial number 2.
 
Here is a timeline of his military duty during WWII.  Some of the dates are approximate but most are pretty firm.
 
 
9/16/41              Fort McClelland, GA            drafted                                             
9/20/41              Camp Wheeler, Macon, GA            basic training                                  
12/14/41            Drew Field, FL               assigned to the Air Corp              
12/26/41            Fort Monmouth, NJ               Electronics School             
           
4/1/42              Drew Field, FL               radar instructor                   
4/20/42            New Orleans, LA          to be shipped out                  
5/1/42              Panama                   arrive             
5/15/42           Taboga Island                                                          
10/15/42         Coiba Island        operate radar station            
                       
06/28/43            Fort Guliak, Panama            Advanced Radar School                       
08/01/43            Fort Guliak, Panama            promoted to assistant station chief  
08/15/43            Victoria, Panama           Radar post                                        
09/20/43            Ray Island, Bay of Panama            investigate accident            
10/01/43            Quito, Ecuador               install radar set                  
10/22/43            Galapagos               maintain radar set                    
12/25/43            Galapagos               Christmas dinner Menu  
           
08/15/44            Old French Canal       teach radar               
09/15/44            Cape Mala                Radar Site Commander             
12/25/44            Cape Mala                Christmas dinner            
                                               
4/15/45            Hunter Field, Panama            Left Panama to return to USA            
4/23/45            San Diego Naval Base                                      
5/1/45              Fort McPherson, GA                                         
7/15/45            Key Field, Meridian, MS            radar technician      
10/16/45            Drew Field, FL               Discharged from Army
 
Thanks in advance for any help,
 
Gordon Buck Jr.

These people were mentioned or listed by name in the military memoirs (WWII, Central America) of Gordon S. Buck Sr:
 
Felix Summa, Jules Dereaux – New Orleans prior to shipping out, 1942
Julian and Doris Harris – civilians working for the CZ Railroad
 
Members of the same unit at one time or another
Capt. Barker
Captain Rosenberg – doctor on Coiba
Lt. Wier, CO on Coiba
Lt. Bison
Lt. Gibbs
Lt. Welcker
Lt. Soloman
Sgt. Adrian Knight - "Noche", Cape Mala
Sgt. B.J. Smith
Buster Read
John E. Gooch
Albert Ragust, “The Great Ragu”, joined platoon in Victoria as radar operator
 
Last names only on back of photos
Walker                        Vickery
Bonput                        Rourke
Wisegayk                   Brockman
Raby                           Libbert
Jaffe                            Bogulaski
Doswell                      Gustavson                 
Hippelle                      Herzog
Krinkey                       Pugh
Pearson                     Stagman
Vilgilio                        Jones
Franklin                      Di Mascio
Jenkins                       Martin
Verbought                  Hahn
Cary                            Simpson
Holland                       Kirkhart
 
 

In 1943, the Galapagos Christmas dinner menu was:
 
Cream of tomato soup (with Cretons)
Stuffed olives
Ripe olives
Sliced pickles
Roast turkey with sage dressing
Giblet gravy
Cranberry sauce
Baked Virginia ham
Applesauce
Buttered asparagus
Buttered peas
Lemon Jello and carrot salad
Hot rolls with butter
Apple pie
Mince pie
Fruit cake
Iced cocoa
Coffee
 
The menu was signed by
 
E. E. Breisch, Captain
F. E. Kilday, Sergeant
Lucius G. Drafts, Lt. Colonel
 
 

Gordon (Jr)
http://www.hornerbuck.com

Although I have very little information on the unit, I can confirm that the 554th Signal Aircraft Warning Battalion was assigned to 6th Air Force with headquarters at Ft Sherman in the Canal Zone, It apparently trained at March Fld, CA under IV Fighter Cd before moving to the Caribbean.  Company D would have been one of the component companies of the battalion.

Bernie Shearon
Push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. Pull the stick back, the houses get smaller (unless you keep pulling -- then they get bigger again)

Thanks for the confirmation.  I did not know that the 554th was part of the 6th Air Force. 
 
In another section of his notes, my dad said that, on arriving in Panama, he was part of the first platoon formed in the 516th Signal Air Warning Battalion. 
 
I'm certain that my dad did not go from California to the Caribbean; in fact, he did not have any training in California.  His route was from Drew Field, Florida to a troop ship in New Orleans and then to Panama.  Perhaps he was reassigned later?
 
 
 
 

Gordon (Jr)
http://www.hornerbuck.com

Gordon,
 
Its Fort Gulick not Guliak.
 
Carlos

Its Fort Gulick not Guliak.

 
Thanks.  My bad - a transcription error.  Perhaps now my Google searches will be more successful!
 
 

Gordon (Jr)
http://www.hornerbuck.com

Gordon, unfortunately I can add nothing to your quest.  However, I wanted to comment that your string has been the first time here or anyplace that I've seen that mentioned  'Rey Island, Panama'.  My dad was on the USAAF Crash Boat P-258 that operated off Rey Island.  Dad did mention there was a Radar Unit on the Island, but other than the Crash Boat Crew and a Medic, that was about it.  The Island had an emergency runway which is probably the boat was there.  Have you ever found a map on the web that actually identifies Rey Island?  I can only find Del Rey Island but no idea if that is the same Island with a new name or a different one.   Interesting, when dad first arrived in Panama he was to be sent to Galapegos....but that's another story.  Dad was a trained Radio Operator/Radio Mechanic but the boat already had a Radio Operator so they made him the Engineer...go figure!
 
Larry
Son of Cpl Charles Caldwell, Engineer Crewman, USAAF Crash Boat P-258, Rey Island, Panama (Pacific side)

Gordon, I thought that you might like to see a map of the
airfield on Baltra Island in the Galaporos Islands. This was the site of the primary 6th Air Force activities in the island group.

Hope that this is of interest. Steve

Attached Image(s)

My dad wrote this about Ray/Rey Island:
 
While we were at headquarters there was an accident happened on the radar on Ray Island, about 50 miles in the Bay of Panama.  I was assigned to an inspection team to go investigate.  We boarded a P.T. boat and took off.  That was the roughest ride I have ever had. The water was choppy and we had to stand up all the way.  By the time we got there the bottom of my feet were sore.  The accident was that while the radar chief was doing some maintenance on the antenna someone, either purposely or accidentally, turned the antenna drive power on and knocked the chief off the 100-foot tower.  He landed headfirst; needless to say, he was dead.  I stayed there a couple of days then flew back on a Navy Duck.  I turned in my report and that was the last I heard of it.  
 
 
 

Gordon (Jr)
http://www.hornerbuck.com

Thanks for the map.  I've been trying to learn about the base in Galapagos.  My dad talked about Galapagos quite a bit but only wrote a little. 

Gordon (Jr)
http://www.hornerbuck.com

Gordon....do you hold a copy of the investigation that was done on Rey Island?  Do you have any particulars regarding the identify of the airman who was killed?  Maybe there is a way to track down the report if enuff info from your records is available.  I'm just curious since it has to do with Rey Island, although my dad was not there at the time of the incident.  I did receive some general info a couple years ago from the Skipper of the Crash Boat on Rey that included a Thanksgiving menu and a poem he wrote about Rey Island that he says was published in Stars and Stripes that I can post here if you want.  LMK....
 
Larry
 
Son of Cpl Charles Caldwell, Engineer Crewman, USAAF Crash Boat P-258, Rey Island, Panama (Pacific side)

Sorry, that single paragraph is all the information I have about the accident, the investigation, Ray/Rey Island, etc.   I don't recall my dad ever naming names or further elaborating on that incident.

Gordon (Jr)
http://www.hornerbuck.com

1943 i was on a little island 75 miles below the equador. or supplies were dropped by plane. i ate rations on christmast day. ww2 was hell. charles b. imperio

charles b. imperio

i served all over the place in radar, but i think  554thsignal aw. attached to armys 6th air force, was at Albrook field , at Balboa, panama canal zone. in 1945 i got discharged right out of the jungles on points & was flew back to usa,. i worked on the 270s &  271s all through the war.

thanks for the email. 1 am 82 yrs old now & i thought i would never find the 554th signal aw. we only worked 30 men to a station. charles

gorden. you must have been on the big island. at galapagos. i was 75 miles below it. but in 1944 i flew out of it. to get discharged. flew to panama , miami fla. & ft. mead MD. charles b. imperio

charles b. imperio

gordan , 1945 i was on a radar station on the atlantic side of panama. got sick & was in the fort gulick hospital for a week, & then went back up in the jungles. charles b. imperio

charles b. imperio

gordon. i enjoy the email. i live up in the mountians in the state of west virginia.charles