Ethiopia - United States Mapping Mission

The S-3 section of the Ethiopia-United States Mapping Mission was the "Control Center." Although under the command of the 64th Engineer Battalion, all decisions and plans regarding operation of the Mapping Mission were made by the unit's Commanding Officer and S-3's Officer In Charge.

During most of 1967, until around the end of March 1968 the OIC of S-3 was CW2 David B. Huffine.

S-3 guided and scheduled all aspects of the field party operations throughout Ethiopia. The field parties ran levels, established bench marks to guide the Ethiopian government with points of elevation, should the country decide to build any structures, bridges, etc in any given area.

Along with the levels, field party classification personnel worked with aerial photos, most of which were taken in the earlier years of the Mapping Mission by the USAF, and they would identify different parts of the photos.

The purpose of the Mapping Mission was to eventually produce various scale maps of the country for use by the Ethiopian government, from small scale to large city-scale maps.

Also working in the S-3 offices upstairs in the HQ building was the personnel in the Computing section, who basically checked field notes and level lines.

S-3 also had a drafting section, and during 1966-68 Kassa Berhane was the local Ethiopian draftsman working with S-3.

Army Map Service (AMS) civilian personnel worked with S-3 and had an office on the same floor, but they were not connected in any way with the military. Their main purpose was teaching the Ethiopians about mapping.

When necessary, the other sections of the Mapping Mission (S-1/Personnel, Motor Pool, Supply, Resupply, Flight Line) would coordinate with S-3 regarding any field operations.

(Written and submitted by Don Molinelli -- minor edits by Lee Miller)

CWO Huffine 1967/68.

-------------------

CW2 Martin.

-------------------

CPT. EARL PRECHTEL S-3 1969 - 1970 AKA "Il Conte" (The Count) Aside from his S-3 duties, CPT. Prechtel was charged with rebuilding the L'American Club which burned down on St. Valentines Day 1967. Earl's car.

SSG White 1967/68

-------------------

Ato Kassa Berhane was an Ethiopian civilian Topographer with Mapping Mission. Seen here on the left with Mr. Huffine. The person in the background is unknown to the editor at this time.

-------------------

Glenn Fillion Ethi-US MM 1969-1970

-------------------

SP5 John Godwin

-------------------

SP5 Dan Himick 1969 - 1970 Arrived Addis with Dennis Keeffer (see below). (Photo and additional information as yet unavailable).

-------------------

Dennis J. Keeffer 1969 - 1970 (Photo as yet unavailable) "I arrived in Addis in Aug 1969 and left Jul 1970. I was a Sp4 when I arrived and a Sp5 when I left. They found out I could type so instead of sending me out to a Field Party I was kept at Hq as a Company Clerk and also administered a $5K cash fund to support the Field Party's when they needed things. In addition, I was a MA at the L'American club and ran the projector for the movies in the old Chow Hall. I came to E-USMM from the 524th Topo at Ft Hood, Dan Himick and I arrived together and had both spent just over a month with the 524th before being sent there. After leaving Addis he and I both ended up back at Belvoir as instructors in the Topo Survey course. Army ETS was 11 Feb 1971. Subsequently I graduated from Weber State College in Ogden, Utah where I was in Air Force ROTC. I was active duty Air Force from 7/1975 to 8/1995, retiring as a Lt Col specializing in Signals Intelligence."

-------------------

SP5 Don Molinelli. All of these photos (and many more throughout this Web site) were provided by Don Molinelli and were either taken by him or by Bob Ross. Thanks Mo!