Camp Wallace from Guard Post entrance 1952

....In 1952 young A2C J.J O'Malley was stationed at Wallace Air Station (then Camp Wallace) not too long after it opened. At that time it was the Operating Location of the 854th AC&W Sq (formerly 622nd AC&W) whose main site was Lily Hill back at Clark. During this time the USAF military complement was 3 officers and 18 enlisted men.

....A PAF detachment was also there training with the USAF personnel. Living conditions at the time were rather primitive but it was a good time to be stationed there. The enlisted people lived in army-style field tents. As a matter of fact the entire camp consisted of tents...radar ops, maintenance, mess hall and everything.

....J.J O'Malley says "We had to draw our water from the VOA station there and truck to our water tower and off load it (over and over again, day in and day out). Ration runs to John Hay had to be made three times a week. We used a good old six-by-six from WWII days for the run up and down that mountain three times a week and could get hairy some times. We were always in danger of being hijacked and we had to notify Air Police at John Hay whenever we left either John Hay or Wallace so they could know when to expect us or know when we arrived back at Wallace"

....We really enjoyed the beach at Miramonte (I think that was the name of the former resort there where the PAF was also billeted. The eight 8 photographs of Camp Wallace were taken sometime in 1952 and gives some idea of what it was like back then.

Descriptions are as follows:

#l Camp Wallace from Guard Post (entrance), #2 Admin Hqs tent. #3 Enlisted Men's Club. # 4&5. Pinochle game at Enlisted Mam's Club. #6 Radio Vans. #7&8 Access road to and from the outside world (read Poro Point - 2 bars).