I spent a lot of time in this blockhouse either providing weather briefings to the wing commander's staff or sitting on the battle staff during exercises.

They typically called exercises before 6:00 AM.  When this happened I had a half hour to get to base ops, pick up my briefing slides and then get to the blockhouse prepared to provide a weather briefing for the exercise.  This was a very difficult schedule for me to keep.  I managed to become friends with several of the junior officers who manned the air defense command center, and they would give me a call if they saw the Wing Operations Officer in the blockhouse during the early morning.  That usually gave me enough time to get the base operations and prepare my briefing before the alarm went off.

On one occasion I forgot to wait for the exercise alarm and arrived in the battle staff room just as the Ops Officer had turned on the alarm.  We all got a lecture on taking the exercises seriously that morning, and I always waited for the siren to go off before heading to the blockhouse thereafter.

Here is another picture from Bud.  This of an SA-16 on take-off using their RATO or JATO bottles.  This picture is quite interesting to me as one of my Okinawa roommates, Larry, was an HU-16 Navigator.  I assume the difference in the aircraft designation is due to changes in USAF nomenclature between the 50's and the 60's.  All of the rescue aircraft in the mid-60's used the "HU" designation.  The SA/HU-16 is the Grumman Albatross seaplane adapted by the USAF for search and rescue missions.

The use of JATO (Jet Assisted Take-Off) or RATO (Rocket Assisted Take-Off) in this instance was undoubtedly for training purposes as the HU-16 did not require additional power for the Naha AB runway.  JATO was used primarily for take off from sea.  I do remember that the HU-16 pilots did like these training take-offs as it gave them an opportunity to assert their jet qualifications at the Officer's Club bar.

Bud and I got into a little discussion about whether the proper term is RATO or JATO.  It seems the terms were used interchangeably, both in the military and industry, although I conceded to Bud that they should be called RATO bottles as they were solid fuel rockets not jet engines.

Below are pictures provided by Steve Achtly from his tour on Naha in 1961-63.

Here is an aerial view of Okinawa from just off the southern end of the island.  Naha AB can be clearly seen on the point of land furthest to the left.

The main gate to Naha AB

Below are some pictures Steve provided taken in and around Naha City in 1962.