Marine Corps Interrogator Translator Teams Association

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MCITTA History Project- 1st and 3rd Mar Div Command Chronologies (CCs), 1965-1971.
(If interested contact me:  Jeff Smith)

            As the MCITTA Historian I have undertaken the task of creating an ITT/IT database based on information culled from Vietnam era divisional command chronologies (CCs) and other supporting documents.  Additionally, I have put together a questionnaire (Copy of Questionnaire) that individual ITT/IT Marines are invited to complete.  The questionnaire is for all ITT/IT Marines, not just for Viet Nam era Marines. My concept is to create a history of ITT/IT contributions during the Viet Nam years based on the CCs and other documentation from that time period.  At the same time, I will continue to collect all types of information on ITT/IT activities during the life span of the 0251 MOS. In time, when I have enough primary and secondary source info, it will be put into a narrative history of the ITT/IT and the Marines who served in them. In order to complete this goal I'm asking all former interrogator/translators, both enlisted and officer, or anyone who may have been associated with an ITT/IT regardless of MOS, for help in gathering data. 

            This would include, for starters, answering the questions in the questionnaire.  Completed questionnaires should be sent to me at wvhistory@ne.rr.com, or Warren Smith, 186 Partridgeberry Lane, Swanzey, NH 03446.  An important part of completing the questionnaire is to attach orders, rosters, unit diaries or any type of photo (attach an explanation of what the photo shows) or document you may have that has info about any period of ITT activity. School and Unit rosters are particularly valuable.  Any documentation that outlines the creation of 0251 MOS and ITT/IT's
would be extremely valuable. So please take some time and complete the questionnaire. If you email me I will send you a questionnaire along with my own answers to the questions. Mine is very personal in nature! I did mine in narrative form because I felt more comfortable with this format.  However, the important thing is to complete it in a way you feel comfortable.

            Chip Reid, a former interrogator with the 15th ITT in Viet Nam 68-69, made it possible for me to access 1st and 3rd Mar Div CCs. He has been doing research on Navy gunboats during WWII.  He does it at the National Archives.  He volunteered to look for ITT related materials in the National Archives.  He has sent me a large amount of 1965-1971 documents, the majority of them command chronologies which are full of interesting information.  The 3 3^rd Mar Div CCs have a large amount of information in them about individual, by name interrogators.  For example, I happened to read a CC for the month of August 1969.  My name and the notation that I had returned to CONUS is in the 3rdMa Div, August 1969 CC. There are many, many other individual interrogators mentioned within the 3^rd Mar Div CCs. Unfortunately, so far in the 1^st Mar Div CCs, I’ve only been able to find a list of ITT/IT commanders in the monthly summaries. But, there are thousands of pages remaining to look through.

            My next task is to peruse the 3^rd Mar Div CCs, 1965-1971, for any and all notations concerning ITT/IT activities. The info will be plugged into an excel worksheet database.  From that database a chronological historical narrative summary of that time period will be created. After that I’ll try to see if I can find more info than I’ve found so far in the 1^st Mar Div CCs.  At the same time I’ll be collecting individual completed questionnaires with the goal of creating an “oral” history section of the completed MCITTA History Project.  Additionally, unit data found in the questionnaires will be added to the excel worksheet database

            If anyone has any kind of documentation they would like to have included in the final product, please send it to me (copies only, not your original).  If anyone has access to any HQ Company, HQ Battalion personnel documents, unit rosters or diaries for example, please let me know. All items received will be listed and the individual who sent it will be noted. If anyone has any questions concerning the project please email or mail them to me.

Warren Smith

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