Bob Craig of Plainsboro was instrumental in the beginnings of modern communications technologies for the Department of Defense. “We helped build the AT&T of South Vietnam from almost nothing,” said Craig, who was headquartered in Saigon in 1965. “There was no strategic way for our forces to communicate, no radio towers, not a thing. We began with a rudimentary system and went on to build a first rate network with a tower infrastructure, TV, microwave, switching facilities, and support technologies. It was very effectual until the war’s end.”
Craig, born and raised in Los Angeles, California, graduated from the University of Arizona with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College with a master’s degree in military arts and science.
As an Army Colonel in South Vietnam, Craig helped construct communications infrastructure crucial to executing the war. He then went on to serve in command and control communications for U.S. and NATO forces in Germany.
In Europe, Craig commanded a signal group of 2,300 men in southern Germany, whose purpose was to provide command and control communications operations for U.S. and NATO forces. After serving in Germany, in the early 1970s he was selected by the Assistant Secretary of the Army to manage the Department of Defense’s telecommunications program, where the fundamentals for many of today’s military and private sector communications technologies started.
“We began building future communications capabilities that would be used by all branches of the services and eventually the private sector, including automated switching, wireless networks, mobile communications, and integrated communications for land, sea and air,” said Craig.
After 27 years of active duty Craig retired from the Army in 1978 and was a developer and manager of global networks for Chase Manhattan Bank in the World Trade Center from 1978 to 1991. He was then president of Craig Associates, a communications consulting firm for the aerospace industry, located in Eatontown until 2006.
In 2006 he retired and moved to Princeton Windrows with his wife of 57 years, Charlotte Marie Craig.,who teaches in Rutgers University’s department of Germanic languages and literatures.
“Communications is so much a part of our everyday lives, especially, when I think about where we were in this regard when I was in Vietnam, Craig said. “A lot of the communications technologies we enjoy now were in the early stages of taking root during that period.”
— Lynn Miller
Veteran’s Day Events
Veterans Day Ceremony, Plainsboro Township, Veteran’s Monument, Municipal Center. Friday, November 11, 10 a.m. Wreath laying at memorial site to recognize Plainsboro residents serving in all 20th and 21st century armed conflicts, including World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam Conflict, Operation Desert Storm, and the recent Gulf War. 609-799-0909.
Veterans Day Ceremonies, West Windsor Township, All Wars Memorial, Post and Clarksville roads. Friday, November 11, 11 a.m. The annual ceremonies in remembrance of West Windsor residents who fought in World War II at the Dutch Neck monument followed by ceremonies at town hall conducted by the West Windsor Township Council, American Legion Post 76, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars 925. Police Honor Guard performs. Refreshments. 609-799-2400.
Veteran’s Day Ceremony, Hopewell Valley Veterans Association, Alliger Park, 203 Washington Crossing Pennington Road, Titusville. Saturday, November 5, 11 a.m. www.hopewellvalleyveterans.org.
Veterans Day Ceremony, Spirit of Princeton, Nassau and Mercer streets. Friday, November 11, 11 a.m. 609-306-9000.
Veterans Day Observance, South Brunswick, South Brunswick Municipal Building, 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction. Friday, November 11, 11 a.m. Ceremony at the monument in front of the building. Veterans from American Legion Post and VFW Post 9111 present ceremonial wreaths for all branches. Refreshments. 732-305-7079. www.aginginplacepartnership.org.
