Ethiopia - United States Mapping Mission

* The 29th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) was deactivated July 10, 2007. Read more.

The HQ building held the offices of the Commanding Officer, Aviation Officer, Adjutant, First Sergeant, Army Map Service (AMS), Personnel (S-1), Operations (S-3) and the Ethiopian Liaison Office, as well as a mail room, arms room, photographic dark room and telephone switchboard.

Sketch of the HQ building was sent in by Adrian Traas and was drawn by him in 1970 while he was in Ethiopia as the last director of Ethiopia-United States Mapping Mission.
Click photo to enlarge.

MM HQ and facilities.

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Aerial view of MM HQ and facilities.

LTC William H. Sherman (Photo as yet unavailable) was the first Director and Commanding Officer of Ethiopia-United States Mapping Mission. Prior to his assignment as Director of E-USMM he sewSpecial Assistant to the Army Map Service Commanding Officer.

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Maj. Richard Ellas (Need more information)

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Maj. Graves (Photo and information as yet unavailable)

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Lt. William DeLeo 1966 (approx.) Information incomplete. (Photo and information as yet unavailable).

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1LT James Richardson 1966 - 1967 Information incomplete. (Photo and information as yet unavailable)

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Maj. William (Bill) J. McMullin Commanding Officer Ethiopia-United States Mapping Mission 1967-1968

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Maj. Dorough (Picture and information as yet unavailable)

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LTC. KENNETH THOMPSON

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LTC. Don E. Finney was primarily the Battalion Aviation Officer but also served as Commanding Officer of Mapping Mission for a period of time.

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CPT. James T. Campbell served as commanding officer after LTC Finney's departure and before the arrival of LTC. Talbort.

Since LTC. Talbort arrived in country unaccompanied, Mrs. Joyce Campbell served as Unoffical Hostess during LTC Talbort's tour.

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LTC. Kenneth B. Talbert (Picture as yet unavailable)

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Maj. Adrian Traas was the last Commanding Officer of Ethiopia-United States Mapping Mission. Major Traas was sent down from HQ at Leghorn, Italy to take over the Mission and close it out after LTC Talbert departed. A few days later he inherited the battalion when the battalion CO departed. LTC Traas (Ret.) writes: "The closeout was quite a challenge, but we had good people. There were a few mishaps, a few sort of amusing, but everything worked out... I left Ethiopia in late July."

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LTC. Don E. Finney -- Battalion Aviation Officer - Master Army Aviator

Obituary

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LT. BILL SCHOONMAKER arrived in January 1968 as a grass green 2LT. MAJ Dorough, the CO at that time, assigned me as the S-3 because I had a civil engineering degree, specializing in mapping and surveying. Mr. Huffine was due to rotate out in about a month so we had a little overlap. SSG Lamb was the Ops Sergeant until SSG Hattori arrived in about April 68. Bob St. Martin, DOD civilian, came to give us technical advise that summer. I continued as S-3 through 1968. Early in 69, we sent Denver Party into the Ogaden Desert. The Ethiopian Army insisted on sending a platoon with Denver for protection so I was asked to command Denver Party as a counterpart to the Ethiopian LT. Great experience in the desert. Then in July 1969, I rotated home. I believe 1LT Earl Prectel replaced me as S-3.

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CPT. JOHN VRANISH S-1 1967 - 1969 (photo and information as yet unavailable)

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CPT. EARL PRECHTEL S-3 1968 - July 1970

Earl writes: "I was formally carried as the Assistant S-3 for 1968-1969, though most of 1969 was spent in the field with Drifter, and later Dugout parties until I was recalled to replace the departing CPT Gary Martoni, who had taken over S-1 from CPT Vranish on his departure. I remained as S-1 in 1970 to the very last."

New paragraph

Note: Operations Sergeants and First Sergeants listed by date in country.

(photo as yet unavailable)

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MSGT (E8) Robert (Bob) Jones (Photo as yet unavailable)

MSGT Jones spent nine months in Libya where he was a survey crew chief running triangulation along the Libyan-Tunisian border, and later headed up field classification work in the desert. He went to the Ethi-US Mapping Mission on 14 March 1964 and initially helped continue the construction of the mess hall, motor pool, and barracks. He was the acting Opns Sgt for a while and spent a great deal of time coordinating the work and resupplying the level crews in the field.

Obituary/Death Notice

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MSgt. Farrell was First Sergeant of Ethiopia-U.S. Mapping Mission in 1966/67. (More information to follow).

OBITUARY

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MSGT Astor Cornett served as acting 1st SGT until the arrival of MSGT Harris.

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MSGT Tom Harris - First Sergeant

During my first Tour I was in charge of the Field Party that put the Vertical & Horizontal control on all of the picture paints for the 1st map sheet of Ethiopia, matted and framed it for the presentation and presented it to His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I.

On my second Tour I replaced Sgt. Harris as 1st Sgt, and after a couple of months, my wife was sent to Walter Reed Hospital and I was to be transferred back to the States with our five children. At the time, I was in the process of rebuilding the Club that had burned down.

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SGT. Schopal (Need more information-Photo as yet unavailable)

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Saba Zemichael at the Switchboard.

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Fantu

(Please help with correct spellings)

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* Many dates of duty are estimates. Please advise with correct information leemiller@ethi-usmappingmission.com.