SP/4 Jeffrey Haerle was a Morse Intercept Operator (as I was) for the Army Security Agency (ASA) The ASA was the Army’s signal intelligence (SIGINT) component. The specific job of the the Morse Intercept Operator in Vietnam was to search for, and copy, the messages sent in morse code, via the shortwave radio band, by enemy forces in order to derive intelligence information and in some cases, to assist in the use of radio direction finding to locate the enemy. Although hardly used today, during the 60s and 70s, morse code was one of the primary means of communication used by the NVA and Viet Cong.

After serving a year in 1967/1968 at the ASA installation located at Phu Bai, Republic of Vietnam, I was sent to the ASA Field Station on Okinawa where I met Jeff. After a few months there, Jeff requested to go to Vietnam on TDY (temporary duty) status. His request was granted and Jeff was sent to a tactical unit located in Tay Ninh Province. On the night of May 13, 1968 while performing his job on Nui Ba Den mountain, he was killed in action when the Viet Cong (South Vietnamese communist guerillas) launched a rocket into his unit location. He was 21 years old.

Although not a “combat arms” soldier, Jeff performed the ultimate sacrifice for his country.