AB8AAR -

1st Cavalry Division Cavaliar 1971

MARS Station Operator Has The Net Open 

FSB Mace – As the building of the perimeter and construction of better roads and housing facilities get underway, there is another small construction site underway.  It consists of noting but one hootch and a booth. 

The man works diligently, and unnoticed and appears to be just building another hootch and trying to better his living conditions somewhat.  Though partly true, Spec 4 Jim Gantz was preparing to put his MARS station into operation. 

Known as one of the luxuries in Vietnam, the MARS Station serving the 1st Air Cav’s various firebases and rear areas helps bring home a little bit closer. 

“They get priority,” said Gantz referring to the boony-humping Skytrooper.  “Usually each person is limited to one call a week”, but when a grunt unit comes here we try and give them at least two calls because they never know when they’ll get another opportunity.” 

There are seven networks (MARS) in Vietnam and each network has numerous stations.  The headquarters is located at USARV which gives out various frequencies on which each station will operate.  The Army has some 47 MARS stations in operation at this time. 

All the individual is required to do is to sign a roster at the station he wishes to call from and the operator of the station does the rest.  After a party is reached back in the “World”, they a given a briefing on how to talk on a MARS line and the conversation gets underway with the typical “OVER”. 

The cost is extremely moderate, averaging about two dollars for three minutes depending on the hookup distance between the station in the States relaying the call and the location of the party called.