371st Radio Research Company

• Origins: The 371st Radio Research Company (RRC) was a U.S. Army signals intelligence unit, originally activated during the Vietnam War to provide electronic warfare and communications intelligence. • Vietnam Era: The unit was deployed to Vietnam in the late 1960s, based primarily at Long Binh Post, a major U.S. military base near Saigon. • Mission: The 371st RRC specialized in intercepting enemy radio communications, direction finding, and supporting combat units with real-time intelligence on Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army movements. • Nickname: Members were often known as “Ditty Boppers,” a slang term for Morse code operators and signals intelligence personnel. • Technological Edge: The company used advanced (for the era) equipment such as the AN/PRD-1 and AN/PRD-4 direction-finding sets, as well as cryptographic and traffic analysis tools. • Covert Operations: The 371st RRC often operated in small, discreet teams, sometimes accompanying Special Forces or conducting “search and fix” missions to locate enemy transmitters. • Support for Major Offensives: The unit played a key intelligence-gathering role during major operations like the Tet Offensive, providing early warning and battlefield awareness. • Casualties and Valor: Despite generally not being front-line troops, several members of the 371st RRC were killed or wounded in action, receiving commendations for bravery under fire. • Legacy: The 371st RRC’s lineage and traditions were carried on by successor units in the U.S. Army’s modern Military Intelligence Corps. • Veterans’ Associations: After the war, former members formed active veterans groups and websites to preserve their history, share stories, and honor their fallen comrades.