Texas Tower Documents & Photos


The following was sent by Charles "Chuck" Rowland, as part of a major "download" of photos, newsletters, insignia, etc. Many, many thanks!


Photo taken in June, 1956. TT-2 insignia over the entrance. Airman in the photo is the contributor, Tsgt. Chuck Rowland.

The following nine newsletters, from the Georges Shoal Tower (TT-2) probably provide a better look at life aboard the towers than anything I`ve ever seen. These newsletters were written by Airmen and Officers stationed aboard the tower, are filled with "dark humor", and many are marked as "official Class 1 Air Force newspaper[s]".

These were all hand-produced in VERY small quantities on the old pink-purple gelatin mimeograph machines. I copied the originals, and scanned the copies to reduce the amount of handling of the originals, and to try to get the type quality more readable. Probably half the documents are readable, the old type was very light and/or faded and just didn`t make it well. However, there`s enough here to make a professional historian`s mouth water.

These are presented as JPEG images of the actual documents.

Tower Topics, 27 January, 1956

Tower hit by ship

Tower Topics, 5 February

Notes about "Robot Brains" - SAGE

Tower Topics, 12 February, 1956

Writers Wanted

Tower Topics, 20 May, 1956

Mythical Open House - first "official" issue

Tower Topics, 17 June, 1956

Two articles on "Life on the Tower"

Tower Topics, 7 July, 1956

The Texas Tower tour

Tower Topics, 29 July, 1956

Briny Bedlam - great "black humor"

Tower Topics, 12 August, 1956

TT-3 going to sea

Tower Topics, 30 September, 1956

Replacements Arrive!

Some photos of landing aboard Texas Tower # 2: