Ethiopia - United States Mapping Mission

Headquarters, 64th Engineer Battalion (Base Topographic)

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

Livorno (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.

Photo taken in the Corps of Engineers Mediterranean Division conference room Livorno (Leghorn), Italy on 23 February 1969.

Photo provided by Mrs. LTC Don Finney.

Names provided by Mrs. Billy Finney and LTC Adrian Traas (Ret.)

From left to right standing: Maj Adrian Traas, battalion XO; Col Edward L. Waddell, MedDiv Engineer; Col Billy B. Geery OCE (office of the Chief of Engineers); Brig Gen William L. Starnes (OCE); LT Col George Stukhart, Jr., CO 64th; Lt Col John S. Bond, CO 72d Engineer Detachment (Survey) in Liberia; Lt Col Everett A. Smith, CO Topographic Training Team in Iran; and Lt Col Kenneth R. Thompson, CO Ethiopia U.S. Mapping Mission in Ethiopia.

Seated from left to right: Capt Garry D. Foster, battalion budget officer, adjutant, and HQ detachment CO; and, Lt Col Don E. Finney, battalion aviation officer stationed in Ethiopia.

CLICK HERE to enlarge photo.

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Photo taken during visit by Maj Traas, XO of 64th, to TOPOCOM HQ in Bethesda, MD in January 1969. Maj John D. Canatsey, formerly operations officer of the Topographic Training Team in Iran was appointed battalion plans and operations officer/liaison officer with duty station at TOPOCOM in January 1968.

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(photo as yet unavailable) Robert Beaudet

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LTC Elbert D. Berry

PHOTO ALBUM

LTC Don Finney Battlion Aviation Officer 1968-1970

Obituary

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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).

LTC Traas assumed command of the battalion on 3 May 1970, and also served as Mission Head and Commanding Officer of Ethiopia-U.S. Mapping Mission from April 29, 1970 until 'Close Out' of that Mission on 28 July 1970. He returned to Leghorn, Italy to wrap up operations there and then reported to TOPOCOM in Washington for debriefing before moving on to his next assignment.