Ethiopia - United States Mapping Mission

Headquarters, 64th Engineer Battalion (Base Topographic)

U.S. Army Map Service/U.S. Army Topographic Command

Leghorn, Italy APO New York 09019

The 64th Engineer Battalion (Base Topographic), and U.S. Army Map Service Special Foreign Activity and later U.S. Army Topographic Command (TOPOCOM) Special Foreign Activity, directed mapping survey projects carried out by the U.S. Ethiopia Mapping Mission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; the Topographic Training Team, Tehran, Iran; and the 72d Engineer Detachment (Survey), Paynesville (near Monrovia) Liberia. Troops and equipment from Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 64th Engineer Battalion; 29th Engineer Company (Base Survey); 72d Engineer Detachment (Survey); and, 572d Engineer Platoon (Topographic Aviation) and later Aviation Detachment, Army Map Service, were allocated among the three projects based on their mission requirements. The battalion headquarters was a tenant unit located in the port area in Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, some eight miles south of Camp Darby, the headquarters of the 8th Logistical Command, Southern European Task Force (SETAF). Prior to its move to Italy in June 1966 the 64th Engineer Battalion was based at Wheelus Air Force Base, Libya, until it completed surveying and mapping that country. Battalion strength varied, averaging some 300 military and civilian personnel from 1967-1969. Although the battalion headquarters was located in Italy its operations were directed by Army Map Service/ TOPOCOM located in Bethesda, MD, outside Washington, DC. SETAF and the U.S. Army, Europe, were tasked to provide some logistical and aviation maintenance support, and the battalion and the three projects received the bulk of support directly from Army Map Service/TOPOCOM and local contracts . The battalion headquarters was small, some twenty military, two U.S civilian secretaries, and one Italian employee, serving as the link between the projects and Army Map Service/TOPOCOM.

Meeting in the Corps of Engineers Mediterranean Division's (MEDDIV) conference room, Camp Darby, Italy.(1969) Photo provided by Mrs. Don (Billie) Finney. Names provided by LTC (Ret.)Adrian Traas To view a larger photo CLICK HERE

Seated from left to right: Captain Foster--Battalion Budget Officer, LTC Don Finney--Battalion Aviation Officer.

Standing from left to right: MAJ Adrian Traas -- Battalion Executive Officer, Battalion Operations Officer (S3), and Battalion Supply Officer; COL Waddell -- Division Engineer; COL Geery -- OCE (Office of the Chief of Engineers); BG Starnes -- OCE (Office of the Chief of Engineers); LTC Stukhart -- Battalion Commanding Officer; MAJ John S. Bond --Commanding Officer in Liberia; LTC Everett A. Smith -- Commanding Officer in Iran; and MAJ Kenneth Thompson -- Commanding Officer in Ethiopia.

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(photo as yet unavailable) Robert Beaudet

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LTC Elbert D. Berry

PHOTO ALBUM

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COL Daniel Hritzko

(Obituary)

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LTC George Stukhart

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MAJ Adrian Traas arrived in Italy on 1 June 1968 and assumed duties as Executive Officer, Battalion Operations Officer (S3), and Battalion Supply Officer (S4). He assumed command of the Battalion on 3 May 1970 while also serving as Commanding Officer of Ethiopia-U.S. Mapping Mission since April 29, 1970. MAJ Traas closed out the Ethiopia-U.S. Mapping Mission in late July, returned to Leghorn, Italy in early August, wrapped up operations there and then reported to TOPOCOM in Washington for debriefing before moving on to his next assignment.