Learning Morse Code

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“My knowledge of Morse code was basic – just dots and dashes. I didn't know what specific combinations meant and the only distress signal I recognized, was SOS: three dots, three dashes, three dots. That is the only thing I knew. But as far as all the alphabets, I had no idea. 

During testing, they showed us two similar signals and asked us to identify them as 'yes' or 'no' based on how alike they sounded. This went on for quite some time. … Ultimately, none of the other soldiers got picked for cadet training. Those with the highest scores were sent to radio operator school.  Those with popular scores were sent to gunnery schools or possibly any other area of service.

From Biloxi, Mississippi, I was told I was going to radio school. We went to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the wintertime. There, in classrooms, we started identifying dots and dashes. We began at four words per minute. They would send out dots and dashes. Well before that, we were told: three dashes would be an O, and an A would be a dot and a dash, and so on. But everything was very close, especially the dots. For example, H was four dots. Hearing three dots followed by four dots was very difficult to decipher. We started at four words per minute and gradually built our classroom speed to maybe 15, to 20 words per minute. There were three instructors and they were civilians and extremely good people. They wanted to impress this skill upon us. My understanding is that younger people pick up new skills more readily than someone, say, 30 years old. This holds true even today. So, after struggling at four words per minute, there's no way I thought I could ever do this. The goal was to reach 25 words per minute.”

Editor's note: World War II saw Sioux Falls, South Dakota, play a significant role in the U.S. Army Air Forces' (AAF) training efforts. Established in 1942 and operational until 1945, the AAF Technical School trained a substantial number of radio operator-mechanics (ROMs). These ROMs played a crucial role in ensuring clear and reliable communication between aircraft, ground control, and other military units during the war. The school's presence significantly impacted Sioux Falls, a previously agrarian community. The influx of trainees and staff, exceeding 45,000 at its peak, necessitated rapid urban development and positively impacted the local economy.