A while ago Art was reading the newspaper and called my attention to a news article titled Secret At Sea about tracking information from spy satellites.
When Art and I first met, he was an Air Force officer working at Kaena Point.
When I'd ask what he did, he said he worked for the Air Force, but wouldn't give me any specifics no matter how much I questioned him.
He finally said it was secret and couldn't divulge any information. Well, that only made me more curious, but he never told me anything. I finally gave up... for a while.
He left the Air Force just before we married so I figured he'd finally tell me something. For goodness sakes! If you can't trust your wife, who can you trust? But nope, nothing doing. His lips were sealed.
Eventually a book titled Secret Sentries in Space by Plilip J. Klass came out that revealed everything about the spy satellites.
Art was pretty astonished at all the information that became pubic knowledge and told me about his mission there. He had lots of stories about seeing giant water spouts and whales, about tracking spy satellites, carrying secret information handcuffed to his wrist as a courier, etc. Pretty exciting stuff for a young guy.
Let me just tell you one thing, if you want anything kept secret, you can tell Art. I guarantee he won't tell.
When Art and I first met, he was an Air Force officer working at Kaena Point.
When I'd ask what he did, he said he worked for the Air Force, but wouldn't give me any specifics no matter how much I questioned him.
He finally said it was secret and couldn't divulge any information. Well, that only made me more curious, but he never told me anything. I finally gave up... for a while.
He left the Air Force just before we married so I figured he'd finally tell me something. For goodness sakes! If you can't trust your wife, who can you trust? But nope, nothing doing. His lips were sealed.
Eventually a book titled Secret Sentries in Space by Plilip J. Klass came out that revealed everything about the spy satellites.
Let me just tell you one thing, if you want anything kept secret, you can tell Art. I guarantee he won't tell.
It is a rare quality. Definitely show integrity!
ReplyDeleteAlways knew he was a trust worthy guy :)
ReplyDeleteMy guy is the same: he wouldn't tell anybody anything, and then he married me! What a study in contrasts. :-)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Art felt a little betrayed that the secrets he had kept so well for so long had become public knowledge.
ReplyDeleteHow funny about "waiting for the book to come out."
ReplyDeletewow, thats amazing and I'm glad the book came out so he could tell you his wonderful past!
ReplyDeleteLike Jeanie, I was thinking how Art must have felt when what he had guarded so faithfully, even from you, became public knowledge. But at least you now get to know all the fun facts.
ReplyDeleteHe says it didn't bother him too much because it was just a matter of time before the public would find out.
DeleteGood for Art. My Aunt was in the OSS and died this past year without spilling any secrets, no matter how hard we begged. Ron too took his orders for remaining quiet seriously and this month is the 38th year of his retirement from the Navy. He never shared a thing...other than all the humorous stories. I, on the other hand, tell my secrets to everyone who happens by.
ReplyDeleteIt's really comforting to know we have people in the force who are able to keep secrets safe.
Deletesounds like his career there would make an exciting book...lol!
ReplyDeleteThey did make a movie sort of about what the government was doing. It was called Ice Station Zebra.
DeleteA trustworthy guy he is and I agree with Dixie Poets, sounds as though it would indeed make an exciting book!! Ah, men! The secret ones!! Hope you both have a great weekend -- and if you do, you can tell us about it!!!
ReplyDeleteAside from that movie, I'm sure there have been tons of books written about similar projects. There was a lot of spying during the Cold War.
DeleteI think NOTHING is staying secret in America anymore.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing for you, Kay, that that book came out otherwise Art would still be sitting on the secrets.
Heaven knows what else he's keeping secret. LOL. He wouldn't even tell me who he voted for in a crucial election before we were married. I forget which. But then... one night he was asleep and actually mumbling something. So I asked him who he voted for and he told me. I couldn't believe it! He couldn't believe it. One of my friends said later that of all the things I could have asked, why would I ask that?!? I guess it was because that's the only harmless secret I thought he had. He never fell for this again.
DeleteUh oh. Didn't his security clearance include questioning about his sleep habits? hehe
DeleteNope, they just did a truly thorough background check. They had to do one for Jon too when he worked as a firefighter at Los Alamos. Our neighbors were questioned about him too. It's good to know they are careful.
DeleteGood for Art, I can't believe a book like that could be published.
ReplyDeleteTop top secret stuff. And it's still going on, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteOh definitely.
DeleteI was wondering why nothing among the visitor information mentions that point! Did he hula with aliens? I think I'd rather do that than have a secret locked onto my wrist. Mahalo for his time in the military. DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteHe said the worst thing about being a courier was using the bathroom. I'll leave that to your imagination.
DeletePrince Charles was asked what is it like to be the Prince of Wales. He said it means he uses the bathroom at every opportunity he gets.
DeleteWow, your systen juust cannot handle the apostrophe. Instead it gave me the ' secret code. Don't tell Art.
DeleteWhat's going on. I wrote down the secret code for an apostrophe and what does it give me? A dinky little apostrophe just hanging out there all by itself. Go figure. I'm going to eat some tako poke. Henry No More Apostrophes
DeleteHmmmm... Let's see what happens when I do an apostrophe.
DeleteHank's getting frustrated, but let's hope the tako poke will cheer him up.
OK...I'm going to publish and let's see what'll happen.
It worked. It must have trouble only when it's in the name.
DeleteTHE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AT WORK! EVIDENCE PROVES THE POINT. From Hank the next day, all cheered up from the tako poke (sort of like mildly spicy octopus salad, Mainlanders) Yum. I don't think I described it quite accurately.
DeleteThe tako (octopus) is cooked though. It's not raw, at least the ones I've had. Hmmm... now you're making me want to go out and get some. I love it too!
DeleteWe are so lucky to have honorable officers like that! Thanks, Art
ReplyDeleteAloha
Art is truly an admirable man, one who took his oath to serve his country to heart!
ReplyDeleteHe really is a "by the books" sort of guy. He's a stickler for rules.
DeleteAnother reliable secret holder is Mrs. Oshiro on my street. She was on a high-profile murder jury everyone was interested in. But she told no one anything, least of all her husband.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the laugh, Hank! Your names are killing me.
DeleteMaybe Art could patent a set of wrist cuffs to keep people from dropping their cell phones in the toilet! DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteI just told him. He laughed. He can't understand how cellphones end up in the toilet anyway.
Deletehe sure can keep a secret.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. One of my co-workers here used to work there and offered to take me there recently. At my last place of employment on the mainland, there were pictures in one of our main hallways of former co-workers at the top, so hopefully I'll have a chance to get up there and get a picture taken. Then I can send it to them and have it put on the wall!
ReplyDeleteCan anyone go up there now? Art didn't think it was allowed. If it is, I'd love to see it too.
DeleteNo, not anyone can go up there Kay. Art is correct. Still the same procedures in place for access!
DeleteOh shucks! I'd have enjoyed seeing it and Art would probably like seeing his old stomping grounds.
DeleteI love that photo of Art with his back to the camera....it adds a comic strip quality to your post.
ReplyDeleteGood for Art that he stood by his government secrets...even though it eventually became public knowledge.
L...w
Other than that, we have no secrets from each other. I think.
DeleteI am curious. I'm wondering how you are at keeping secrets, since you worked so hard to get Art to spill the beans.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'm pretty good at keeping secrets, but I would prefer not knowing one.
DeleteOk, this has been fun. Now, I need to know about Mr. Chapin's secret tako poke!? I know what ahi poke is. Does this mean some folks like to eat tiny octopus raw, seasoned in a variety of ways like ahi poke? DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteThis made me smile. My husband has been involved in 'stuff' he can't tell me about all our married life. Only now, as secrets are publicly revealed, can he start to fill me in on his work.
ReplyDeleteOut of the AF before you married? And here's me thinking you were a military wife and that's how you ended up in Illinois.
ReplyDeleteAs for secrets, David held a Top Secret clearance all his adult life and I have never gotten anything out of him, even though most of the Cold War stuff is out there in print. He did admit the other night he had seen some of the testing at the 'not-so-secret' site in New Mexico. Dianne
After he left the Air Force as a Captain and went back to get his Masters, he joined the Public Health Service with a raise in rank to a Major. That's when we moved to Chicago where he was on loan to the Environmental Protection Agency. It's complicated.
DeleteIt is easier to keep secrets when one maintains a cover so that no one suspects that one has secrets to keep. And...publicity doesn't free one from the oath to uphold secrets. Cop Car
ReplyDeleteLook at that beautiful site too. My G was an Army officer who fired missiles at bad guys via IBM punch cards. Practicing, he said. It's amazing what's tucked into those dusty corners.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a funny person. I love it.
ReplyDeleteMy family friend has dementia. Many of her great memories involve her father's spy work. She remembers, at a party having to leave to go in a car, with her dad, underground.
I really believe in the spy work they do. If you have nothing to worry about, you need not fear them revealing what one does. Besides that, if your post something, anyone can access it and you need to realize that.
Believe me, everything I've posted here is quite well known now. There's even an exhibit about it at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I sure wouldn't divulge anything that shouldn't be out there.
Delete