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AS I REMEMBER TOM MAGRANN

By John Mullany

Early Days

I first met Tom when he arrived in Norway, in 1955, as an employee of Philco G. & I. Division. Our friendship was immediate as we had so many things in common. We both were  blue collar Irish from Philadelphia , products of the depression , WW II, the GI bill , Philadelphia Wireless Institute and employment in the then burgeoning Television repair business. To understand our early childhoods see “Cinderella Man”. Our Hero’s were Jimmy Braddock, Tommy Loughran, Billy Conn, Lefty Grove, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmy Foxx and others of that era. Also, the neighborhoods depicted in the movie were very similar to ours in Philadelphia. We were truly “Kindred Spirits” and remained so throughout our lives.

Midnight Sun Picnic

Our families had many good times in Norway as we traveled from Stavanger at the southern tip of Norway to Tromso at the northern tip of Norway One of the most memorable events being a Fourth of July picnic in Harstad. There was 24hrs of sunlight on that date in Norway so we partied all night. We had several galvanized tubs full of ice and assorted beverages available. I remember Mary Jane daring me to dance in the cold water, whereupon you’re Dad and I took off our shoes and socks and commenced trying to outdo each other in the tubs to the amusement of all. We were will supplied with booze and food that we secured from the American Embassy at a very modest cost. The party was held in a Chalet Hotel well outside of town. There were about 15 Tech Reps, with assorted wives and children in attendance. A good time was had by all. Patricia and Tommy may have vague memories of this event.

Midnight Fishing in Bodo

Our two families were staying at a small Boarding House in Bodo well above the Artic Circle. The owner of the establishment suggested we might like to go fishing at midnight for fun. Mary Jane laughed and said I can’t fish, however away we went in a small boat with the sun shining brightly and plenty of food and cold Norwegian beer. We caught plenty of fish but the big event was Mary Jane pulling up her line with two fish on the hooks. We all laughed, Mary Jane the loudest. Upon returning to the Hotel, the owner prepared the catch and we ate fish for the next week.

A Leader is Recognized

Philco had about 15 Field Engineers working on the Norwegian Project as we neared task completion. It was a well-recognized fact in the field that Tom Magrann was an outstanding all around performer. Wherever there was major trouble on the system, Tom showed up and solved the problem. We had many Philco people with more experience and better academic credentials than Tom. Art Zabello, Wayne Hess, Frank Byrnes, Bill Sullivan, Arnold Oxencroug to name a few. It turns out Tom Magrann was a born leader; the kind who would lead by example, and never loose his cool. Having served in the Marine Corps in WWII, I recognized these traits in Tom. Add to this the fact that he was a “straight shooter always”, not only that he was very well liked by all associated with the Project both Norwegian and American personnel.

The Road to Morocco

As the Norwegian Project was completed, five Field Engineers were selected to move on to Morocco. Tom and I went first via Paris to Casablanca. My wife Marcella, very much pregnant, and my son John, accompanied Mary Jane, Patricia and Tommy via the same air route two weeks later. We all considered this a great adventure, as we knew nothing about Morocco except Bing Crosby and Bob Hope movies. Tom secured housing for his family in Casablanca and I took an apartment in the Hotel Marmora in Port Lyautey.

Countrywide Turmoil

When we arrived in Morocco, we were briefed by the American Military that things were in turmoil regarding Moroccan Independence from France. We were also informed that the French Foreign Legion had recently killed a hundred insurgents on the outskirts of Port Lyautey. We were issued American Flag decals for our rental vehicles and told to stop at all roadblocks. The Moroccans liked Americans but hated the French. Trouble was how do you tell a Frenchman from an American?

The Task at Hand

This turned out to be a very easy assignment. There were three SAC bases, Sidi Slimane, Nouasseur (Casablanca), and Ben Guerir (Marrakech). These locations were linked together by five Microwave sites. Dick La Ferle came over from the states to manage the Philco team and he turned out to be just the man for the job.

Godparents for a Blessed Event

On Nov. 1, 1956, Marcella Mullany delivered a baby girl, at the Port Lyautey, Naval Hospital. A week later the infant Denise, was Baptized in the Catholic Church, where we were proud to have Tom and Mary Jane as Godparents.

Post Morocco Events

As the Philco project neared completion, Tom and I gathered our families and traveled to Tangier, boarded a Ferry to Gibraltar and Algeciria Spain where Mary Jane, Patricia , Tommy Magrann and Marcella, Johnnie, and 3 month old Denise Mullany boarded a Ship to the states while Tom and I returned to Morocco for the completion of our work assignment.

Friends for over Fifty Years

I am proud to say Tom Magrann and I were friends for over Fifty years and he was as nice a person as you would ever want to meet. We were definitely on the same wavelength whatever that means. Truly Kindred Spirits. We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.

To me that was Thomas Magrann. DOMINUS VOBISCUM OLD FRIEND.

Sincerely ; John Mullany