Dick Matlack and I bonded right away. My assignment was Motor Transport Officer. Later we discovered the reason - - we were brother Masons.

The radar unit of one of the gun batteries was positioned on higher ground west of the coastal highway. Often there was a visitor just offshore late afternoon in the form of a German plane, presumably on a reconnaissance mission. The radar crew promptly notified the Battery Commander who would call an alert. On several nights the radar crew was responsible for multiple alerts which didn't seem reasonable activity for a reconnaissance aircraft. The newly assigned Radar Officer was asked to investigate the cause for the radar crew to report "phantom" aircraft. Dick Matlack's civilian job had been with Bell Laboratories, the research an development arm of AT&T. His assessment was that the radar crew was not reporting "phantoms" but was identifying vehicles traveling along the coastal highway. Dick stored this interesting capability in his mind for later use.

Fast forward to Fall of 1944. The 214th had moved from Corsica to Southern France, convoyed up the Rhone River valley and joined the XV Corps of the 7th Army to provide protection from high altitude aircraft in division forward areas. At this point the front had fairly well stabilized. The German Air Force had very little high altitude capability. Dick proposed that an SCR 584 be deployed in a forward position sufficient to permit electronic surveillance of enemy movement of vehicles and tied in with communications to nearby artillery units in order to bring fire to bear on any enemy preparations for attack. Approval was granted, Dick took a radar unit consisting of the truck-tractor and semi-trailer along with the 21/2 - ton truck and power plant up muddy roads which, at times, were little more than trails, to the point where the radar dish could obtain line-of-sight to the enemy. The unit had to go into position well after dark and vacate the position before dawn, the results were well worth the effort. In one instance it was reported that the radar team was able to pick up returns from the steel helmets of enemy troops as they massed for an impending attack.

The performance of the radar unit was sufficiently well regarded that an additional radar crew was brought up from Southern France. At first, they weren't to well pleased to leave the French Riviera for the French-German border but when they saw the results that could be obtained, they became enthusiastic supporters of the effort.

Many of us in the 214th believed that the expertise of someone like Dick Matlack was required to accomplish what we did because it required an engineer knowledgeable in the technique of adjusting the SCR 584 radar unit to detect targets on the ground though normal ground clutter. I later learned that his great accomplishment was officially recognized by the award of the Legion of Merit which was highly appropriate.

Dick and I remained in touch with each other over the years as he returned to Bell Labs and I remained in the Army. After we each retired we continued in contact until he was called home by his Maker. I treasure his friendship and the times we spent together both in the Army and after retirement. In the hearts of those who knew him Dick Matlack will always be a true hero.

James Quinnelly, 33°