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2012, The Turing Year

During 2012 the Turing Centenary Advisory Committee (TCAC) is pleased to join the celebrations in the honor of Alan Turing's birth. During his relatively brief life Turing made a unique impact on the history of computing, computer science, artificial intelligence, developmental biology, cryptology and the mathematical theory of computability.

The Turing Year is coordinated by the TCAC , representing a range of expertise and organizational involvement in the 2012 celebrations. On this web page appear the many related events being organized throughout the world. See the article in the Princton Alumni Weekly by W. Barksdale Maynard on Alan Turing titled Daybreak of the Digital Age - The world celebrates the man who imagined the computer.

(Update 4/19/12) GCHQ has released two mathematical papers written by cryptographer Alan Turing after keeping the works secret for over half a century.

(Update 4/26/12) Princeton University is hosting a Turing Centennial Celebration May 10-12. They are bringing together leading computer scientists from around the world who have followed in Turing's footsteps to offer their perspectives on the impact of Turing's work. On Friday, May 11 at 8:00 pm, the Producer's cut of the movie Breaking the Code will be shown. Jack Emery, the movie's producer will introduce the film and take questions after. The film will be shown after the Centennial dinner --viewing location will soon be set. Additional details on the May 10-12 event can be found on the Princeton Web Site. 

(Update 5/9/12) The Museum of Science and Industry is paying tribute to Turing by a mass experiment to grow 3,000 sunflowers. Why? Turing noticed that the Fibonacci sequence often occurred in sunflower seed heads. He hoped that by studying the plant it might help us understand how plants grow, but died before he could finish his work.

(Update 10/6/12) The Performance Workshop Theatre in Baltimore is presenting a production of "Breaking the Code", Hugh Whitemore's play about math geneus Alan Turing. You can check the Baltimore Sun article for more information. The play will be presented until October 28.

June 29, 2012, Eagle Alliance 11th Annual Tim Sheahan Memorial Golf Tournament (CRYPTOCUP)

     Eagle Alliance sponsored its 11th Annual Tim Sheahan Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation, Inc. on the South West Course at Compass Pointe in Pasadena, MD.  This tournament is named and dedicated to the memory of Tim Sheahan, Eagle Alliance's first Account Executive and a key contributor to the award and success of the GROUNDBREAKER Program.

     Despite the extreme temperatures of over 100 degrees, 140 players gathered at the Compass Pointe Golf Courses to enjoy a day of fun and competition. Volunteers ensured that everyone checked in and received their goody bags, manned 4 beverage stations and photographed the event.

     A putting contest was held before tee-off with a $250 gift certificate to the Pro Shop going to Kelly Taylor of Eagle Alliance.

     Following the tournament, golfers enjoyed a BBQ lunch while winners accepted their awards and raffle prizes that were donated by Dell and Hewlett Packard were given out. The golf winners were: 

  • First place: Danny Gilliam, Fred Karlosky, Chuck Kennedy and Jack Russell of Intelligent Decisions, Inc.
  • Second place: Chris Mills, Dave D’Angelo, Tom Powderly and Bob Lewis of CyberCore and CSC.
  • Third place: Pat Furey, Mark Guthrie, Gene Golla and Andy Powderly of Lexmark and CyberCore.
  • Other contests were held during play and the winners were:
  • Longest Drive – Ladies: Tammy Marks
  • Longest Drive - Mens: Adrian Stewart
  • Closest to the Pin: Chris Wilcox, Dave Perodin, Carl Deputy, Mel Tuckfield
       

     The tournament closed with a presentation by Eagle Alliance VP and General Manager, Mr. Mike Haley, of a $35,000 check to NCMF President, Mr. Eugene Becker.


      Special thanks is due the EA Event Coordinator, Stephanie Agostinelli, CSC, for her tireless efforts in recruiting sponsors for the benefit and canvassing local merchants for donations. Many golfers expressed their appreciation for her skill in making the tournament a success. Thanks are also due to NCMF members, John Garcia, who photographed the event for the Foundation and to General Billy Bingham who, while unable to play, made a special trip to greet the golfers at tee-off to thank them for their support.
      The NCMF hosted a ceremony and reception in August to honor the Eagle Alliance organizers, the first place team and the volunteers. At that time a new panel was installed on the NCMF Exhibit Wall in the museum lobby in recognition of the winning team and Eagle Alliance’s support to the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation. Thank you Eagle Alliance!
     The Eagle Alliance volunteers that contributed so much to the success of the event were:  Angie Boiko, Erika Clevenger, Charlie Emory, Donna Sypniewski, Jim Taylor, Eric Ullom, Debbie Frese, Dawn Pruss, Susan Shapero, Cornell Gray, Tabitha Turner, and, most importantly, Stephanie Agostinelli.

     Pictured below are photos from the ceremony and rececption:

  

Gene Becker and Mike Haley

Pictured above from left to right are:  Jim Taylor, Susan Shapero (HP), Charlie Emory, Tabitha Turner, Dawn Pruss, Mike Haley, Karen Rios, Gene Becker, Mary Faletto, and Stephanie Agostinelli.

The sponsors who made the event a success were:

Brocade
Chesapeake Network Installations, Inc.
Clearshark
Corning Cable Systems (& Graybar)
CS2 Consulting (& Quest Software)
Cybercore Technologies
Dell (also donated an Ultrabook XPS-13, valued over $1100)
F5 Networks
General Dynamics Information Technology
Hewlett Packard (also donated products valued at $3000)
Intelligent Decisions, Inc.
KEYW Corporation
Lexmark International, Inc.
MCO Computer Supplies
NetApp
Sepaton
Superior Communications, Inc.
Tech USA

Donations were also provided by:

BWI Airport Marriott, Charm City Concierge, Giant of Pasadena, Szechuan Cafe, Hardees, Pasadena Golf & Sports Park, Patriot LLC, Grease n' Go of Pasadena, Delsey Luggage, and Two Rivers Steak & Fish House.

June 13, 2012 – NCMF Summer Program

The NCMF welcomed the Ohio State University Drama Department's Theatrical Exhibition Team which performed The Camouflage Project as part of the June NCMF Cryptologic Program Series.

The performance is based on the mission of four female British agents (pictured below) who operated behind German lines in France during World War II. Through exhibition stations and a performance of mime and dance the audience learned how the agents used camouflage and code systems training to conceal themselves and communicate with allied forces.

The project leaders are Professors Lesley Ferris and Mary Tarantino whose research led them to the gates of the Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp where the four women, who had assisted in the escape of British soldiers, were executed in July 1944.  You can view a clip about the production on You Tube. 

April 4, 2012 - 1st Quarter NCMF Program

The NCMF has a comprehensive speaker program that runs throughout the year and which opens up many aspects of code breaking, espionage and other facets of the clandestine world to its members and guests.  Presentations are made by invited speakers from such varied organizations as the CIA, DIA, NSA and many others inside and outside of the well, and lesser known organizational structure of the Intelligence Community. A nominal charge is made to members for these events - non-members may attend at a slightly higher admission charge that includes a year's membership in the Foundation.

        

                             Douglas Waller                                               Book Cover

The first such event of 2012 featured Mr. Douglas Waller, the well known author, journalist and broadcaster whose specialty subject is the world of 'intel'. He has written a superb biographical work on the life of Major General William J. Donovan, aptly titled "Wild Bill Donovan - The Spy Master Who Created the OSS and Modern American Espionage". The hour-long presentation , which left his audience enthralled, was given in masterly fashion and was followed by a lengthy Q&A session that might still have been going on hours later had the moderator not stepped in to allow everyone to go to the catered luncheon that customarily follows these talks and which allows audience participants to meet one-on-one with our guests. A book-signing followed the talk.

March 22-24, 2012 - First Charlotte International Cryptologic Symposium

An eclectic group of cipher machine collectors, experts and enthusiasts gathered at the Charlotte NC Airport Sheraton Hotel during the third week of March. The conference, which was inspired by the 2009 event at Bletchley Park [BP] in the UK, was organized as an adjunct to the annual gathering of the  Carolinas Chapter of the Antique Wireless Association [CC-AWA]. The core meeting was chaired by long-time organizer Mr. Ron Lawrence while the inaugural Cipher Machine Conference component was under the expert guidance and moderation of NCMF member and arch cipher machine engineer - Mr. James W. Oram.

Participants represented many locations throughout the USA, Canada and a number of European countries. Cipher machines on display (some pictured below) included but were not limited to an eclectic mix of Enigmas, various Hagelin designs, KRYHA and the 'star' of the show - NSA's SIGABA - demonstrated by CCH's Dr. David Hatch and Scholar in Residence Prof. Craig Bauer. NCMF representatives present included Dr. David Hamer ably assisted by his wife Joan, also a foundation member. Attendance numbers: the core AWA meeting drew 303 registrants and 120 vendors while the 'crypto' component of the meeting drew 60 paid registrants.

In addition to the broad display of cipher machinery the days were filled with a series of talks by delegates whose experience levels ranged from seasoned government professionals to amateur collectors. During the crypto lecture sessions many of the 'wireless' people drifted along the corridors to listen to the presented material. A special appearance as an after-dinner speaker on Thursday was made by Mrs. Deborah Desch-Anderson, daughter of NCR engineer Mr. Joseph Desch, the leader of the team that designed and built the four-wheel Dayton Bombe that proved so effective in the breaking of the Atlantic U-boat Enigma cipher during World War Two. Joseph Desch was recently inducted into NSA's Hall of Honor.

A highlight of the event was a visit by attendees to the well-appointed workshop of Jim Oram that presented an opportunity for the cipher machine enthusiasts to see first hand the intricate and detailed operations involved in the maintenance, repair and restoration of these rare and valuable machines.

Following the meeting two VIP visitors from BP, Mr. John Alexander and Mr. Kevin Coleman, spent a full day at NCM before flying back to the UK.

Event summary and photos provided by David Hamer

 

                     Ideal Codigraph                                                        KRYHA

 

                              SG41                                                                      SIGABA

December 7, 2011, Annual Pearl Harbor Program

The Lecture by Robert J. Hanyok was titled “Catching the Fox Unaware:” Japanese Radio Denial and Deception and the Pearl Harbor Operation.

Bob Hanyok and Gene Becker

Most histories of the attack on Pearl Harbor tend to treat the radio deception and denial aspects of the Japanese plan and conduct of the operation as little more than a series of technical “tricks” or tactics chosen to bemuse American naval radio monitors. The truth is quite the opposite. The Imperial Japanese Navy devised a multi phase, comprehensive plan of radio denial and deception, along with other elements, which combined, effectively covered the training, force generation, and approach to the main target of the Kido Butai, the Pearl Harbor Striking Force. The Japanese, especially Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, the Commander of the Combined Fleet, had understood the requirements for surprise, for only this element would ensure a successful strike at Pearl Harbor. This point was reinforced earlier in the spring of 1941 when Japanese radio monitors discovered that their carriers were being tracked by the British from their site in Hong Kong.

The presentation detailed how the Japanese plan combined many functions and aspects designed to protect the secret of the attack on the US Pacific Fleet. These included: (1) An awareness of standard Japanese naval strategy of awaiting the US Navy to strike across the Pacific; the strategy of defense leading to the “decisive battle”, a la Trafalgar, which would lead to a victory for Tokyo. (2) An increasingly effective communications security structure that enveloped the entire IJN in a radio fog , that, among other items, removed to a large degree the ability to even track the paths of messages. (3) A radio monitoring effort that substantially enhanced the ability of the Kido Butai to stay aware of the status of forces in the Hawaiian Islands. This COMINT also supplemented the often incomplete and sometimes late reports of the Japanese spy in the consulate in Honolulu. (4) A radio silence that denied the American HFDF network the ability to track the actual movement of the Striking Force.

The Japanese plan began with a communications exercise that established a regular routine of contact among some elements of the Kido Butai. Once the Striking Force massed on 17 November, the radio deception and denial parts went into effect. As the force sailed north to its final rendezvous in the Kurile Islands, both parts effectively hid the Japanese ships. Once the ships departed for Pearl Harbor on 27 November, the Americans would be fooled into thinking the carriers were still in the Japanese Home islands. At various points in the voyage east, the Japanese ships received intelligence updates on the ships in Pearl Harbor, as well as the lack of any alert by the US Pacific commands. American naval radio intelligence continued to report the carriers in Japanese Home waters. Even the relative paucity of communications only further convinced the Americans that the carriers were still in their home ports or in adjacent waters.

On the morning of 7 December, in Washington, The Secretaries of War, Navy and State met to review the latest intelligence. One document, an ONI summary of ship locations, placed all Japanese large carriers at home. The truth would only emerge in a few hours in a devastating fashion.

October 5, 2011, General Membership Meeting (posted 11/17/11)

Toni Punzavitz , DN1, graciously provided us with his summary of the 13th annual National Cryptologic Museum Foundations general membership meeting. This version was posted on NSA Daily and received many favorable comments. The title of his article is" National Cryptologic Museum General Membership Meeting Draws Intelligence Community Stars."

  

      General Keith Alexander   Director James Clapper

                                                   NSA/CSS                                        DN1

Lt. Gen. Faurer, USAF (Ret), General Alexander, and Gene Becker

October 5, 2011 - General Membership Meeting Silent Auction and Book Sale Results (posted 11/10/11)


The Foundation hosted a silent auction and book sale at the October General Membership Meeting. Despite a number of unique and interesting items (Russian military hats, spy cameras, WW II military pennants, etc.), the auction only netted just under $600. The book sale netted about $600, and we earned another $124 from the sale of mugs, hats and IC posters. The total of approximately $1300 was about $1200 less than we made at the 2009 GMM. Thanks to Sally Botsai, Bob Hunt, John Garcia and Dave D’Auria for their extra effort in running these sales.

September 7, 2011, NCM Civil War exhibit opening and Wig Wag System demonstration (posted 11/7/11)

The event was open to the general public from 1000-1400 and featured a ribbon cutting by the NSA Directorate of the new Civil War exhibit.  This was followed by a live reenactment of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Wig Wag System. The Electronics Museum in Linthicum also participated by sending an electronic signal to the NCM to simulate the first telegraph message sent during the civil war.
Some highlights:
   - About 300 people attended the demonstration and visited the museum;
   - Re enactors demonstrated aerial telegraphy (flag signaling) and telegraphy. The telegraph machines were connected to lap top computers on which the re enactors had downloaded special freeware. The computers were hidden from view.
   - People, especially the kids, enjoyed watching the signalman demonstrating the flag signals. He even explained how messages were encrypted when sending signals.
   -Kids also enjoyed seeing their messages sent by telegraph and getting answers back from other re enactors at the National Electronics Museum who partnered with the NCM on the event
   -People also got to see the updated Civil War exhibit in the museum that includes a new mural and CW Signal Flags made identical in size, shape, colors, and height to those used during the war.