COMINT Memories of a U.S. Supreme Court Justice

By Honorable John Paul Stevens, Justice, U.S. Supreme Court

"On December 6, 1941, having completed the Navy’s restricted correspondence course in cryptography, I went to the Great Lakes, Naval Station, applied for a commission and passed the physical. I’m sure you know how the enemy responded the following day. A few weeks later my orders arrived and I spend most of 1942, working in OP-20-GT in the old Munitions Building on Constitution Avenue. (I never made it to the roof). I served under then LCDR Jeff Dennis, made a few “idents” (call sign identification) and a garble table for the enemy’s 3-kana calls. I spent ’43, ’44 and over half of ’45 at Pearl, and was returned to Washington shortly before VJ day. When I arrived at Pearl, the unit-then known as FRUPAC was still in the basement of Com-14, but some months later we became part of JICPOA up at Makalapa. On December 6, 1941, having completed the Navy’s restricted correspondence course in cryptography, I went to the Great Lakes, Naval Station, applied for a commission and passed the physical. I’m sure you know how the enemy responded the following day. A few weeks later my orders arrived and I spend most of 1942, working in OP-20-GT in the old Munitions Building on Constitution Avenue. (I never made it to the roof). I served under then LCDR Jeff Dennis, made a few “idents” (call sign identification) and a garble table for the enemy’s 3-kana calls. I spent ’43, ’44 and over half of ’45 at Pearl, and was returned to Washington shortly before VJ day. When I arrived at Pearl, the unit-then known as FRUPAC was still in the basement of Com-14, but some months later we became part of JICPOA up at Makalapa".