AFRTS The Early Years
WOG, AFSA, AFRS

Under the auspices of Special Services, limited AM Radio broadcast service began at Radio Marina on March 6, 1948. Robert Spencer Lane is fondly remembered by several as having been an extremely talented individual and the original driving force behind the station. The original call letters were W O G. It is reasoned that this was an unofficial designation that next became AFSA. Hank Padva was one of the early staff members and remembers that when he arrived in April 1950 the call letters were WOG but agrees that the change to AFSA occurred soon after his arrival. Bill Cross (who was not assigned to the station but spent some off-duty time there) arrived at Radio Marina in January 1951 and thinks the call letters were then AFRS.

I have corresponded with Col. Don Davis, Post Commander at the time of the origin of radio service. Col. Davis recalls having enjoyed the popular shows such as "The Shadow".

Other than Spence Lane and Hank Padva, other early broadcasters recalled by Allen Elgin, who was stationed at Radio Marina from April '49 to August '51, were Jimmy Dodson, Al Walker and Donald L. Jones. For reasons yet to be established, there was a temporary studio "parked" by the PX. One of the PX employees, Anna Marie, did a recorded music program until the studios were relocated to the second floor of the PX. Bill Cross remembers the studios were in the "trailer" when he arrived.

Ty Curtis arrived on December 31, 1952. He was the Troop Information and Education NCOIC. Among his several duties was the University of Maryland Overseas Program, as well as developing the daily mimeo "newspaper". Ty also taped the news every afternoon for replay in the evening over the radio station. He writes, "I'd go down to the PX and agonize over hearing my voice." Ty also developed the photographic darkrooms for the troops.

The booklet, A History of Kagnew Station and American Forces in Eritrea, published under the supervision of the Commander of the United States Army Garrison, states, "Kagnew's AM radio station started out with Special Services July 1, 1951 and then moved to a more well-appointed studio (soundproofed with heavy cloth) above the Finance Office in December". As we KNOW the radio broadcast service began in 1948, it may be that the "new" AFRS facility went on the air from its "new" studios in 1951. Joe Nix has informed me that this new facility was reached by an outside stairway from the headquarters 'inner courtyard'. It remained in that location until 1956 when it was relocated to Tract E and the TV building.

Disc jockeys in the '54 era included Ray Healey and Bob Anthony. Joe Nix, who wrote for the post papers in the fall of '54, hosted a late night 'jazz hour'. The NCOIC was Sgt. Murphy. In '54, and subsequently, the station was under the guidance of Major John M. Merritt's S-3 group. A photo (offline) of some of that group includes the radio station personnel.