Submitted to the DSD Reunion Reflector July 9, 2018
My name is Marvin Mallon and I am 90 years old. That just possibly makes me the oldest living ex-DSD employee. Let me explain why I say that.
I got out of the Army in 1947 and knocked around L.A. for a few years before landing a job in 1950 at Hughes Aircraft in Culver City. I saw Howard walking the halls a few times. We all thought that was something special because he was a legend then.
In 1954, two top executives at Hughes named “Tex” Thornton and Roy Ash had a falling out with Howard and decided to quit and form their own company. They needed money, a company name, employees, contracts and a building to work in.
They obtained all the financing they required through their many contacts in Washington (Defense Secretary McNamara had worked for “Tex” many years before). For employees, they reached back to Hughes Aircraft and hired my boss who hired me and so I became the 28th employee of their new company.
For a company name they chose to buy a small firm in San Carlos, California that was incorporated saving them the trouble of having to go through that lengthy process. Charlie Litton owned the company and he was an inventor who was producing magnetrons and other microwave equipment. Thus the new venture became Litton Industries.
They then bought a sizable manufacturing building that also had executive offices at 336 N. Foothill Blvd in Beverly Hills that was previously owned by the Brother Sewing Machine Company. My first job was helping to clean out the machine parts that were left behind.
For their first military contracts, they were aided by their acquaintances in Washington and landed a contract building radar equipment for a Navy installation at Point Mugu, California. I’ve got a photo of me and others working at the drafting board with the radar scopes in the background.
A few years went by and Litton became big enough to split off into a few divisions. That was when Guidance and Control was born. I was shuffled off to Data Systems Division and we moved to the San Fernando Valley. By then we had contracts to build MTDS (Marine Tactical Data Systems). That was a bunch of heli-huts that could be airlifted to wherever they were needed. Later we got another contract called ATDS that I think was for the Army.
DSD moved around a lot. We were at Van Nuys and then shifted to Eton Street in Canoga Park and finally to the old Bunker-Ramo facility at the top of Fallbrook Blvd. I ended up as a Group Leader of the printed circuit design group and left Litton in 1967. I still have my pin with two rubies signifying 10 years of service. If I had stayed until 1969 I would have been given another ruby.
That’s my story and if I have a few facts wrong, forgive me. It’s been a long time since then and I’ll gladly stand corrected if any of you wish to contact me. I can be reached at mallon80@gmail.com. Â
Best regards,
Marvin Mallon
West Hills, CA
COMMENTS FROM REFLECTOR
In July 1962 I was hired into Pony Lee’s Communication Section as part of the staffing build up for the Marine Corps AOC program – the production version of the MTDS program. I remember Marv as the designer who laid out the circuit board that packaged my first circuit design at DSD. (Does anyone remember “stand up” components?) It was a pleasure reading Marv’s well crafted recollection of how Litton came into being and the subsequent birth of DSD. However, I’m disappointed that he neglected to share his secret to longevity 🙂
Dick [George]
Great story Marvin. You do have a few years on me but I am close enough. You left Litton in 1967, I started in 1967. Hired by Vic Walker. I got out of the Army in 1955 and went back to school. Finished in 1960 got a job with RCA.
Fran Jansen
I love hearing DSD folks tell their Litton story! I was hired by Litton Guidance & Control in 1962 by John Beakes-Director of Contracts. After 5 years at G&C contracts, I had an opportunity to join Tom Doherty and Ed Peyronnin in the rapidly growing and exciting Contracts department at DSD. Luckily, I had completed my Masters Degree in International Economics, and as such I handled new business contracts and the growing and challenging International business, eventually becoming Contract Manager for Business Development and International Contracts. For 25 years I worked with some great and savy folks inside and outside DSD, and was almost always excited about my career, finally retiring in July of 1993. I just had my 85th birthday, yet still reminisce often about those wonderful Litton years. I still keep busy, living in Palm Desert, CA.
Bob Parmett
I started in January 1961 at the Eton St. Facility. After two weeks to learn what flip-flop was, I was put in system test for serial #1 of ATDS(?). It bent on the Grumman E2 aircraft. I was assigned to the comm unit along with Jack Conway and Doug Sommerville. I think it was the “M” unit. Is that right Jack?
Ralph [Mauriello]
CB/ATDS was Carrier Based/Airborne Tactical Display System. The system flew in a Navy E2B aircraft. ATDS was the AF version and flew in Lockheed Constellations that had a large radome on top. The MTDS or Marine Tactical Display System consisted of the TAOC, Tactical Aircraft? (or Aiborne) Operations Center and the Tactical Aircraft Command Center. Taoc was transportable by helicopters or deuce and a half trucks and consisted of separate huts cabled together. I don’t know if a TACC was ever built, but was a large inflatable tent with a large projection screen that used glass slides to portray the area of interest. It was made by Fensky, Frederich and Miller. I worked at DSD (and GCS) from 1961 to 1965 and again from 1971 to 1976. I left to work for Tektronix in Oregon.
Dave Williams