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Show Theyve Got Hers Hn by Margaret VanNoy Profiles Writer Call the public affairs office at Dug-waProving Ground and a voice may answer, "Whitaker shaking. Call public affairs at Tooele Anny Depot and you will likely hear "Whitaker speaking. It is not a coincidence. Dick and y Kathy Moore Whitaker are the only married public affairs duo in the United States Army. The marriage of the Whitakers is not only a marriage of public affairs but a joining of two people with similar backgrounds, similar tastes and similar goals in short two people who seemed destined to meet. They spent weekends, hiking the country or rafting down one of Utahs scenic rivers getting acquainted with each other and falling more and more under the spell of Western lore. summers Landmark Days saw the two combining efforts with video tapes of the two military installations for Dick Whitaker, also a native of Pennsylvania, came in May 77 to the same spot for Dugway after being stationed at Baltimore, Maryland, for five years. Only The Beginning These are only the beginning of the parallels in the lives of the two public af- fairs officers. Actually the two met for the first time for about 20 minutes when Dick stopped at Aberdeen for a meeting with his new boss in TECOM headquarters. At that meeting Kathy mentioned that she was leaving for an assignment in Tooele. After his arrival here, Dick called Kathy for a date to his "Hail and Farewell celebration (a welcoming and send-of- f party for incoming and outgoing personnel). At the last minute, he lost his nerve and his secretary picked up the phone and made the date for him. That broke the ice, and Kathy, in turn, invited Dick to her Hail and Farewell. Great Deal In Common The couple found they had a great deal in common in addition to their jobs. Both were fond of outdoor life and activities such as hiking, camping, and backpacking; both had an interest in history, and both had fallen in love with the little town of Ophir. pened far in the past. He would call late at night or early in the morning with questions, which didn't give us the time to do all the necessary research. By the time we came up with the answers, they had lost their timeliness. She also mentioned incidents like the one in which a newsman got angry with her because she couldn't answer his questions. He reported on television that she had refused to talk with him. Call Back Dick pointed out that it is only almut 25 percent of the time that he has to hang up and call the media back. There are times when we dont know all the implications of the matter at hand. We are part of a larger army, and often we dont know how something will affect the whole army. I dont think we are trying to deliberately withhold information. Good or bad publicity, he pointed out, can definitely affect the disposition of Congressional funds. Looking back at the Van Atta incident, Kathy said the (rest way to avoid a duplication is to start with an aggressive public affairs program and keep the public abreast of what is going on. The harm in that incident was to the depot, also to the community as well as harm to the morale of the country. If it happens again, we will work through it, display. It was during this project that the romance jelled. Dick had seen an ad for a house in Ophir and suggested they go look at it with the view of buying it. A Proposal "That sounds like a proposal, -- Kathy Moore, Isom in Pennsylvania, came to TAD in April 1977 as public affairs officer after training for three years at Aberdeen, Maryland. MaUdhuumg JJolb said Kathy. It was. They looked at the house, but because of its condition, they weren't sure whether they wanted it or not. Stopping at the little country store, they listened to Minnie Jacksons tales about the history and people of Ophir. That did it. They bought the house and a marriage license. "Some people get married because theyre having a liaby, said Dick, but w'e got married because were having a house. The house in Ophir is a definite part of the story of Dick and Kathy Whitaker. It sits at the foot of a spectacular sheer rock chif. Within easy hiking distances are visible evidences of history - the history of a once booming mining town. The Whitakers are refinishing the house to reflect their talents and personalities. There is room for Kathys baby grand piano in front of a rock fireplace. A sliding glass door is filled with a view of the nearby cliff. One wall is filled with shelves which holds books on history and tales of the west. In such surroundings it seems only natural to find the rest of the family: Kathys daughter Tosha, two cats, a dog named Shotzie, parakeets, hamsters, a lizard and several sea nine-year-o- ld monsters. The Whitakers love affair with Ophir spills out in many directions, and they plan to use their communications know-hoin producing a film and a book about that mountain hamlet. Dicks involvement with communica- w V J "y nr y Isnt it funny how we can . tions began 18 years ago when he got into radio and television broadcasting. Unable to settle down in one place, he kicked around, getting a good view of this country as well as Alaska and Cana-- i da. He returned to Pennsylvania in 72, the year Hurricane Agnes struck that state. The radio station he was working for was wiped out. He got involved in federal disaster assistance and ended the United States Corps of En- said. Shop Talk Of course, conversation at the Whitaker dinner table is often shop talk. His background is electronics - television and radio. Hers is more in the prep media. She knows the regulations. He helps her with video taping and setting up sound systems or slide presentations. She keeps him from rushing into things prevented by regulations. The two lean on each others strong Kathys army career started after her graduation from the University of Utah. She had always wanted to write, and with a degree in literature she applied for civil service work indicating that she wanted to live and work in the west. She was sent to Aberdeen, Maryland for training in public relations. A Challenge likes her work. Public affairs is Kathy a challenge which brings something new every day. She likes working in broadcasting and television. She does a five minute show every Tuesday and Thursday for local radio station KDYL as well as television and radio spots with the Salt Lake media, whenever a story breaks about the Depot. Being a public affairs officer for both Dugway and TAD involves press releases, photographing activities on the The post, publishing a newspaper Deseret Sampler and TAD Crier respectively. Part of the job involves keeping the Commanding Officer abreast of what is going on in the community and the state. When Col. Charles H. Bay met with Senator Jake Cam recently, Dick had to fill the colonel in on Senator Garns WHAT DID she say to that? trying not to laugh. She asked me if I would like her to tell me what it was that Timmy threw at Scott first. She said it was a word she couldnt say over the phone. I began to laugh. ITS IDEALLY not funny, she about that Jimmy Smith down the street, I said to my husband as soon as he came in the door after YOU MEAN Ex-be- st Juniors best friend! hemently. Oh, come on, now, I said my ve- hus- band said, sneaking a piece1 of stuffed celery from the dinner ta- ble. JIMMY and Junior had a fight. It seems to me those two are always having fights, he said matter of factly. He picked up the evening paper. Jimmys been picking on Jun- friend. I asked, Public relations people have to have a thorough knowledge of everything that is going on now as well as the past and how it will affect their installation. A commanding officer may have a certain mission or a project in mind. Its up to the public affairs officer to know what its impact will be. friend? MITZI JONES and I have had a quarrel, she said. Im never going to speak to her again! But Jean, I said, I thought she was your best friend. Furthermore, I thought Timmy and Scott were buddies too. "Not anymore, she sniffled. Timmy came home yesterday covered with mud. I called Mitzi and told her what I thought of a boy who would throw mud at his best said, and began to cry in earnest. Im not laughing at you, I said, Its just that your little episode takes me back twenty years or more. I could tell you what to do, but you wouldnt believe it. Instead let me tell you what happened to Hes just looking project was guarded. out for the state of Utah, they said. Their job so far has been in keeping Colonel Bay, and Colonel Jerry K. Pat- terson abreast of the issue as far as Tooele is concerned. Its a difficult time. Were working for the Army, the commander and the government. Nobody wants to hurt in Utah. The toughest part of his job according to Dick is to listen to the media and any-Ixx- ly others pan government workers when what they are saying is not true. In spite of the problems, both public affairs officers love their work. They love Utah and most of their present plans for the future involve staying right here, contributing their talents to the community as well as to their posts. The two parallel paths have converged and the road ahead looks good for Whitaker and Whitaker. Another aspect of public affairs is dealing with a new commander every two years. Two men performing the same mission may have completely different ways of going about it. The Whitakers count themselves fortunate to work for two of the finest officers in the army. .They are super commanders, Dick gineers. work. borhood. she explained. The Whitakers comment on the present seeming stalemate Irctween Governor Matheson and the armys Weteye Nine-year-ol- d Youve got to do something Jus Talkin homework, "Shop talk at the Whitakers revolves around plans for a film and book about Tosha enjoys be ing able to have her cats, dog, and other little Ophir. animals around her. al- ways solve everyone elses problems, but never our own? A case in point is my young friend, Jean. She came to visit for a minute while she was in the neigh- The most important part of our job to be a liaison Irctween the post and the media. We want to do whatever we can to help. We cant do much if we are not given an opportunity to do our is T .L: ior. JUNIOR CAN take care of himself. Seems to me hes a couple of inches taller and several pounds heavier. His calmness irritated me. This was a real battle, I said, sniffing a little, thinking of my poor woimded darling. My hpsband opened the paper. 1 ' u7LJid!53j The grandeur of Ophirs canyon walls looks down on the Whitakers house which played a decisive part in their story. points, and daily phone calls are frequent. Kathy was quick to point out that there is no competition between the two installations. Working together has advantages. The landmark Days display is an example of what teaming up can do. Problems Problems and the unexpected come with the job of public affairs officer. Once an entire contingent of Salt Lake news media people got lost on the way to Tooele when a guide took them to the wrong gate. Often newspaper and radio people will report being at Tooele Army Depot when they are really at Dugway Proving Ground or vice versa. For that reason Kathy uses her maiden name at the office. It has taken me three years to straighten some of the media out. Two Whitakers would add to the confusion, views. We do what we can to let the community understand better. she said. she explained. ! One of the toughest periods for Kathy was when the depot came under fire via the investigative reporting of Dale Van Atta for The Deseret News. He had an advantage on us, Kathy He had spent six months researchsome of which had hap- incidents, ing said. Never was a real honest-to-goodne- ss boy who didnt have a battle once in a while. Boys will be boys, you know. BUT HE bit Junior on the leg. ' Look, you can see the teeth marks. Im surprised it didnt bring blood. he said, sitting What? straight up as though hed been stuck by a pin. Bit him! Thats a horse of a different color! For the first time, he looked at Junior who was lying on the couch, looking, I thought, somewhat pale. WHY ON earth did Jimmy bite you? demanded his father. What were you doing? Nothing dad. Absolutely nothing. I was just sitting there, doing nothing at all. My poor baby, I said soothingly. WHY THAT boy ought to be locked up, shouted the man of the house. Hes no better than a mad dog. Big bully! I added. Pop, yesterday you told me I ought to have a few manners, like Public opinion important to a post. is vital. Public relations if really handled right are extremely Jimmy Smith, piped up Junior. WELL, THAT was before I knew what a little monster he really is. Why his parents ought to be ashamed of themselves, letting that great big bully run around picking on little kids. He was steaming. But pop, a minute ago you said. . . began Junior. Quiet! Ive got a good mind to call his dad and give him a piece of my mind about that menace hes raising. THE PHONE rang. It was Jimmys father. Say, listen, he said, and we could all hear him loud and clear. What are you going to do about that boy of yours? What am I going to do about MY boy? sputtered my husband, Do you know what your son did to my boy? No! shouted Mr. Smith, but I know what your juvenile delinquent did to my little Jimmy. Why do you let that kid go around picking on little boys? MY HUSBAND choked. Picking on little kids! He was just sitting there, and your. . . your. . . Thats right, yelled Mr. Smith, he was just sitting, sitting on my boys head, that is. Oh, well, now Jim, said my husband after a pause, Lets talk this over. He glared at Junior. JUNIOR suddenly looking much better, jumped up and ed for the door. head- Furthermore, said Mr. Smith, it s odd that he could even bite, since Junior had just knocked his teeth loose. I just paid $150 to have them tightened. Now, Jim, my husband said sheepishly. Boys will be boys, you know. THE SPUTTERING finally subsided on the other side of the line, and all was peaceful by the time my husband hung up the receiver. Where is that boy? he said, looking around. Ive got a few things to say to him. We found Junior down the street playing with Jimmy Smith. Boys will be boys, you know! |