Today’s random object from the Random Object Randomogrifier is a World War II radioman. The significance of the World War II radioman is that it was the first time radio was portable in combat.
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This painted a huge target on their backs, as they were vital for medevac, artillery support, and calling for reinforcements. Taking out the radioman or destroying their radio was a major enemy goal, so they didn’t have a high life expectancy in battle.
This radioman would have been using an SCR300 radio around 1944. “SCR” stands for “Set Radio Complete.” In World War I, radios existed but weren’t mobile; they were trailer or vehicle-mounted and mainly used for Morse code. When Motorola built this backpack radio, the army was ecstatic and put it into operation immediately in 1944.
While one man is shown carrying and operating the radio, it should have been at least a two-man operation, with one person guarding and another managing the dials. These radiomen were almost always paired with officers, making them prime targets for enemy forces to break ranks by taking out leadership. These guys were incredibly brave, knowing they were in constant danger.
The SCR radio was later replaced by the PRC (portable radio communications), a nomenclature still used today. This radioman’s job and radio were top secret. Similarly, my military job involved top-secret, brand-new technology. Now, all that equipment, mine and his, is on display at the 45th Infantry Museum in Oklahoma City. The chat bot helping me research said, “From top secret to museum piece.”
I just never expected to be called a museum piece to my face by ChatGPT.
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