Oliver Bryk

Oliver Bryk provided the photo below and wrote:

I was at the Pic Center in 1953/54. As I remember it after more than 55 years, the 2nd Signal Photo Co consisted of the troops who had completed photo school at Ft. Monmouth and worked at the Pic Center where we also received additional training. Every morning we GIs would police the area and sidewalks around the barracks, an odd sight in the middle of Astoria. My fellow photographers and cinematographers were an interesting lot, educated, talented, and opinionated.

 As part of our continuing education we had to go out as documentary still photographers in New York when off duty, using Army issue 35mm cameras and film provided by the Pic Center. The supply sergeant would tell us in his gravelly voice, "now youse guys be sure to use plenty of fillum!" After developing and printing the results of our photojournalistic exploits we were subjected to merciless critiques by our fellow photographers. It was a valuable experience.

 In early 1954 a senior officer asked everyone to come and watch the televised Army-McCarthy hearings. When McCarthy badgered a decorated General our senior officer expressed his dismay at this treatment.

 When one of my colleagues, a New Yorker, was transferred to Alaska he offered to let me rent his apartment in Manhattan. I received permission to live off post, brought my pregnant wife to New York, and commuted by subway.

Our firstborn was delivered at St. Albans Naval Hospital in Queens in April of 1954. Not long after that I received PCS orders to the 497th Sig Photo at the USAREUR Pic Center in Kaiserslautern. Major Fenner was CO of the 497th.

"The captain in the photo from Ft. Monmouth was our instructor; he lost his right arm in Korea. I have never forgotten his class on using the 35mm Bell & Howell Eyemo in combat cinematography." 

Updated June 11, 2021.