Subject : DAYS OF OUR LIVES #93
Date : Fri, 15 Nov 2002 07:06:56 -0600

MAIL-bag - PRESERVING FORGOTTEN MEMORIES

I welcome articles, BIO's, stories, etc and certainly hope that all ASA Turkey Vet's will contribute and make the newsletter worthwhile. You can write whatever message you would like, and it will show up right here for you to share with the ASA Turkey group! I will respond to all e-mails and will assist whenever needed, but reserve the right to edit for content and clarity and welcome any errors that may appear herein. Thank you, Elder RC Green aka gH, ercgreen@yourinter.net

2003 REUNION NEWS

The 2003 ASA TURKEY reunion will be held at Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, on Labor Day week-end – 29-30 August 2003. The details will be forthcoming as soon as I get the time in between my HUNTING sojourns to camp. Patty and I finalized the reunion package today at Seven Springs and believe me when I say that the 2003 reunion will be the BEST yet for many reasons that I will explain later. So – MARK THE DATES 29-30 August 2003 ON THE CALENDAR AND MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND.

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT FOR NICK HOSTETTLER

HOSTETTLER, Nicholas R., SP5, 05H, Det 27, 61-62, 30472 23 Mile Rd., New Baltimore, MI 48047, 810-598-4280, nhostet@michbar.org
[edited] Walt Dubicki (Sgt, 058, Det 27, 61-63) informs that Nick Hostettler is scheduled for a kidney transplant on Wednesday, November 20, 2002. During Nick’s 4 to 6 weeks recovery he will be staying with his sister and brother-in-law in Milan, approx 15 miles south of Ann Arbor. He will be able to send and receive e-mails during his recovery and I’m sure that he would like to hear from us ASA Turkey alum. Send your emails to nhostet@michbar.org or a get well card to the above address- - -gH

SIMONS, Bill, E3-E4, 058, Det 4, DE59-DE60, billsimons@yahoo.com [edited] .......... I was previously able to cut the weekly DAYS OF OUR LIVES newsletter from my Yahoo mailbox and paste it into FrontPage but now my copy of Windows 98 won't allow even that (error message). All I can do now is forward the message to my Eudora mailbox and save it to disk from there. Unfortunately, Eudora doesn't support most of the formatting styles that you use. I've posted the DOOL #92 so you can see how much formatting, table design, colors, fonts are missing or messed up. It took me about an hour of adding and removing carriage returns just to get to this posted version.

............In an attempt to solve Bill Simons problem of posting the DAYS OF OUR LIVES onto his website ( https://dool-1.tripod.com/ ) I compiled DOOL #93 in WORD, but the size (1.43 MB) prohibits me from sending it in WORD.

NEWLY FOUND VET’S

ADDISON, Mitchell D., (Mitch), E4-E5, MP Det 4, 69-70, (Shirley), 111 Morgan St., Cardington, OH 43315, 419-864-4481, has e-mail. Talked to Shirley on 11 November 2002. Mitch called me back on the 13th and we had a lengthy chat about his TOUR of DUTY at Sinop as an MP and said that he would review the posted newsletters and get back to me

SWOYER, Jan G., E4-E5, MP, Det 4, 69-70, (Ann), 2444 Fairview St., Reading, PA 19609, 610-678-3603, jaswoy2444@aol.com

TAPS

BARRIE, Bruce A., (Buck), E4, Det 4, 59-60, DOB: 3 August 1935 DOD: 21 June 2001 in Bellingham, WA

BUTTLEMAN, Leslie L. (Les), 04-05, CO Det 4, 59-60, DOB: 30 March 1914 DOD: 11 October 1998 in McLean, VA

SEENEY, Dalton E., WO, Det 4, 60, DOB: 19 August 1923 DOD: 22 May 1999 in Honolulu, HI

SCHWEITZER, Gordon D., Chaplain, TDY Det 4, 60, DOB: 10 July 1925 DOD: 9 November 1992 in St. Louis, MO

Inflammation Triggers Heart Attacks

BOSTON (AP) - Despite their seemingly healthy cholesterol levels, new research shows many people are at high risk of heart attacks because of painless inflammation in the bloodstream. The inflammation comes from many sources and triggers heart attacks by weakening the walls of blood vessels, making fatty buildups burst. A study concludes it is twice as likely as high cholesterol to trigger heart attacks. Inflammation can be measured with a test that checks for C-reactive protein, or CRP, a chemical necessary for fighting injury and infection. The test typically costs between $25 and $50. Diet and exercise can lower CRP dramatically. Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins also reduce CRP, as do aspirin and some other medicines. Doctors believe the condition often begins when the fatty buildups that line the blood vessels become inflamed as white blood cells invade in a misguided defense attempt. Fat cells are also known to turn out these inflammatory proteins. Other possible triggers include high blood pressure, smoking and lingering infections, such as chronic gum disease.

RODRIGUES, Charlie, SP4, Supply Det 4, 59-60, (Pat), 210 Benham Ave., Syracuse, NY 13219, 315-487-1195, pcrodrigues@webtv.net You know the old story. The checks in the mail for the Det 4 hat. IT'S REALLY A TREAT SEEING ALL THIS SINOP INFO after all these years. YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB. I'll put a BIO together shortly and get it to you. A las mal adick - Charlie R

Hello Fellow Det 4 Sinop Vets

My name is Charlie Rodrigues (SP4) (59-60). I worked in the Orderly Room for MSgt Frank Horvath and Maj Rintoul. My 14 months in Sinop was truly an important part of my life. Maybe not then, but certainly after some years. I've read a lot of the BIO's on Bill Simons website, and a lot of my experiences reflect about the same - activities at club, town, dogs, etc.and most are truly good times, and some not so great! So far I've talked to Vince Caruso that I remember from my time on the hill. I remember the series of shots in the rear he gave me (I think I was his first victim) after one of my few trips off the hill. On one of those trips we were bombarded with boulders which came through the canvas of the deuce and a half, and sounded like shotguns going off. Another trip we were in the Istambul compound (no/no), when one Turk shot another in the head, and dropped him about 10 ft away from us. That was actuallly a 3 day pass to Ankara that went astray (a lot of good scotch). We ended up in Istanbul and when we got back got put on hard duty. Maj Rintoul told me to go out and cut grass. I said "what grass, it's all rock". He pushed me out the door telling me we are all 8 balls here, that's why they sent us to Sinop. He was a great guy along with MSgt Horvath. Another time we were chased by Turks with knives, robbed blind by gypsys on a bivouac weekend. Also at the pier guarding a ship one night, we were approached by three drunk Turks who had too much raki to drink and were saved by a young Turk we named "Icky pa chuk" (25 cents) - that's another story! I would like to wind up this tale by mentioning a Turk that worked in supply at Sinop who was one of the most fascinating people I have ever met. His name was Mauret - his story goes; he was in the Turk Army and an officer made a nasty remark about his wife. So Mauret killed him, and was sent to a Turk prison to die, the Korean War started and he was given a chance to "stay here and die, or go to Korea and die". In Korea he was a night fighter, got wounded and was bayoneted a couple of times, but made it out alive, returned to Turkey and was set free, under terms that were given to him. He was kind and gentle, frail as hell, but tough as they come. He was a good friend and truly a good guy. Some of the pictures I could not remember the names, sorry but too much water over the dam, or scotch over the rocks. And yes to you Op's guys I was one of those 5 day, 40 hour a week guys!!! I was married in 1961 and had 5 children to my 1st wife. I now have 14 grandkids. In 1977 I was divorced and married Pat. I spent 30 years in wholesale floor covering business, some management, mostly on-road sales. Ended my career working for Aladdin Carpet Mills in sales. Retired in May 2001. Deliver flowers part time for local florist and love it. No pressure!

That's it for now - any one that reads this and knew me, Marahaba, and I’d be pleased to hear from you. I live at: 210 Benham Ave, Syracuse, NY 13219, (315) 487-1195. Your Ocadosh- Charlie R.

P.S. I was trying to locate Bruce Barrie but now find that he is deceased. I can remember several nights when he kicked Carl Teasley's ass when he came back to the shack, drunk and mouthy. I regret not getting into this e-mail communicat-ions bit before I did. I’m sure that Buck and I would have had many a chuckle and converse over old times. I bunked next to Buck for awhile before I left the hill. I remember him as a rough and tumble, college looking lad who didn’t take a lot of BS from anyone. I’m sure his life was successful and is greatly missed. Here are some names I remember: Vince Caruso; Barrett Keller- Lived in Dolgeville, NY, Carl Teasley- Lived in Oswego, NY; MSGT Frank Horvath; Major Rintoul; Eddie Coates- Star of the 59 Holloween party; Bass and Estes- truck drivers Texas and La. Collucci- from Boston area was radio sta oper; Humphries- a good ole Southern boy Mueller Putnam; Peter Lydon and Martinez . With what happened to Buck Barrie makes me more anxious to attend the 2003 reunion. Very sorry I missed last. Looking forward to meeting y'all.

Charlie R. Class of 59-60

BAILEY, Afton D (Jack), E5, 059, Det 27, SE61-JN63, BX 2400, Kerrville, TX 78029, 830-377-8899 bailey@hctc.net and see http://www.tuslog.g2s.com/bailey/bailey.htm . - HAPPY VETERANS DAY. from an old guy in Texas who had a great time in Turkey [Manzarali] Sept 61 thru June 20, 1963. I'd like to go back and do it over again. But, alas, that is not a choice. Best wishes. Good Luck. Y'all come! Sgt. Afton D. (Jack) Bailey

BEALL, Thos R., E3-E5, 98C, Det 27, JA65-JN66, (Linda), 6670 Heisley Rd., Mentor, OH 44060, 440-255-8642, tbeall@lightstream.net [edited] Hi Elder It was nice to meet you and Patty at the Hershey reunion and to see Gary Stolp again. You sent me the name of Howard Nebe who was at Det 27 in 1965 at the same time I was. I don't know him but he lives about 2 miles from where we live. Thanks again for all your work to make the reunion a success.

ISLER, Rod, E4-E5, 05H, Det 4-4, SE68-DE70, (Kyuhee), 1703 Mansion Ridge Rd., Annapolis, MD 21401, 410-849-3482, goaisler@aol.com - gH, So sorry I couldn't attend this years reunion but duty calls. Will try and make it in 2003. Do not recognize the other soldiers in the photo. Remember faces but not the names--adult moment. I was stationed in "K" from Sept 68' till December 70". I worked hard and finished my BA degree with the Univ. of Maryland on campus and in the fall of 69' flew to Germany and graduated. The famous Mr. Berlin was the education director at "K". Great tour and from there went to Vint Hill Farms on the way to infantry OCS in the summer of 71'. As an 05H learned much and also worked as a 98C when we were short handed. Keep me posted and thanks for the pictures. Rod Isler.

VANNOY, Claude E., 03-04, Opns O, Det 27, JN65-JN68, (Ginny), 177 Welcome Home Rd., North Wilkesboro, NC 28659, 366-667-7036, vace@charter.net

[edited] Hey Elder, - This being a special day for those of us who served in the armed forces, brings to mind one of our vet's that served at Det 27. His name was Capt. Virgil Greeney. I believe he was at Det 27 around 1966. I cannot remember his assignment, but remember he worked on Manzarali. I think he may have been Special Services Officer and/or Education Officer or maybe Det 66. As I recall he was a great person to know and work with. He had a wonderful wife and two? step children. He was transferred to Vietnam from Manzarali. The story that I remember is that he was taken as a POW in RVN, later escaped, was recaptured, then killed. I wonder if some of the Manzarali vets remember him and might know more details about his service in Vietnam.

HOTTON, Phil, E3-E4, 204, Det 4, AP55-MR56, 4745 Cardinal Dr., Salisbury, MD 21804, 410-742-1639

BIO

[edited] - I was at Sinop from April 1955-March 1956. At that time Sinop was a small satellite operation HQ’d from Samsun. No barracks, no PX, no commissary, no EM, NCO or Officers Clubs. No mess hall....no NOTHING! We all rented and lived in the Sinop Palas Oteli and divided it into apartments. The hotel only had about 8 rooms and the Turkish "bomb sights" in our rooms were replaced shortly after we moved in! There were never more than a dozen of us ASA’ers in town at one time, usually less. Others there were Al Cantrell, Buck Goss, Jim Julius, Wallace Lonsway, John Musick, Phil Pavlik, Jim Peron, Pete Stephany, F.W. (Bill) Stuckert, Jim Supplee, and the OIC was 1LT Llewellyn P. Rose. We also had a GI cook who couldn’t so we kept him sloshed all the time and hired Ali Bas to cook and his brother Ahmet as a gopher. We also had a very good mechanic who took care of the site’s diesel power as well as our lone ¾ ton and one forlorn deuce and a half which was naturally referred to as the iki bochuk or just iki bo. Now, here is the great part, JAMMAT-TUSLOG was paying us a rather generous per-diem rate in addition to our pay. I can’t recall the amount, but I was a PFC at the time and the per diem was about triple my base pay. It gets better. The Turkish official exchange rate was 2.8 Lira per Dollar and in order to keep the dollars off the black market JAMMAT gave us 10 Lira to the Dollar. This doesn’t sound great today but listen up.... 1 Lira then would buy on the street in Sinop about what 1 Dollar would buy in the States in 1956....two loaves of bread or 2 dozen eggs, 2 kilos of ground mutton (God how I hated mutton!). We could order PX stuff and commissary supplies from Ankara once a month and it was delivered to us via Samsun. For everything else we bought on the Sinop market. It wasn’t as tough as it may sound. We chipped in "dues" to buy canned goods from Ankara and fresh food on the local market. We also has to buy firewood, beds, sheets, blankets, etc...

One of my favorite memories of my TOUR of DUTY (55-56) was the Turkish bath. The cost back then was between 2 and 2 ½ Lira which then was 20 to 25 cents USA. We regularly showered in the HOTEL and thought we were as clean as the average GI. Little did we know how scuzzy we really were! The Turkish bath was open only to men except for one day per month when it was taken over by the women. Also, one day per month it was reserved (free) for Turkish Soliers. As you entered someone escorted you to a booth with a door and windows where you were issued a towel, not the terrycloth kind but more like something you hang in the window at home. After stripping and donning the towel, you would enter the warm-up room before going into the hot room. Being young and not altogether bright we would do push-ups to speed up the sweating process. The hot room was hot and had a groove around the edges of the floor to conduct the waste water to God knows where. Of course there were stone or cement benches around the perimeter of the entire hot room. Water flowed non-stop from several taps on the wall. You could wash yourself or for a 50 kuros tip you could have a gud scrub you and we always got the full service. Turkish people are modest so the guy would scrub down as far as possible and up as far as possible and you took care of "possible" yourself. This suited me just fine. The washing guy used a very stiff luffa-like sponge. Remember how I said we thought we were clean? Well, the scuzz that guy would scrape off of us was unbelievable. When you were done, your skin was pink, the endorphins were flowing and it made you feel like a million bucks. Leaving we would return to our booth to be given 2 towels, one to dry our body and wear, and one that the attendant would wrap on your head as a Turban. Then you would be served a bottle of guzoos (sp). That stuff is another story, maybe later. You donned your clothes, paid your bill and left.

I could go on and on about living off the local economy for hours. Most times were good and many of them are pretty funny, like the week Ali Bas actually cornered the Turkish beer market in Sinop and what the local Turkish "Mafia" did about it. The beer....about once a month a small ship would arrive in Sinop carrying the occassional passenger and a great deal of freight for the local merchants. Among this stuff was the towns entire month’s supply of Turkish beer.The Sinop "Mafia" were actually three very honest, incorruptible gentlemen. The Fire Chief, the Police Chief and the Mayor. Of these, the "Godfather" was the Fire Chief. The currency of these men was respect. If you gave it, you got it. Problems within and without local law were handled by them.

MEISNER, George, E3-E5, 204, Det 4, DE55-NO56, (Donna), 26 Country Club Rd., Shalimar, FL 32579, 850-609-5725, meis244@netscape.net
George saw my reunion add in the American Legion magazine and called about the 2002 reunion. He married Donna, a native of Carlisle, PA., while he was TDY to the ASA Training facility at Carlisle Barracks in 1951. George, a native of Oregon, had a rocky 15 years of active duty which ended in 1965 when he was given a medical discharge of 10%, then increased.

BIO of George Meisner

We arrived in Turkey a couple of days after Christmas ’55 and stayed at a downtown Ankara hotel for a few days, getting our assignments, etc. Then we rode in the back of an old WWII Army trucks to Samsun. It was January 1956 and it was cold and dusty. We stayed at Samsun for a few days and then went to Sinop where the Sinop Palace Hotel became our home. We had a house boy and a real Army Mess Sgt., which we were not authorized, so we ate pretty good and were quite comfortable. We had a commissary run once a month. That’s when you could order your American beer or anything else you wanted. When we ran out of our beer and had to drink Turk beer, it took some adjustment. When the Mess Sgt ran out of beef, we had to eat tough Water Buffalo. We drew TDY which was pretty good. I was chief operator, which I don’t think they had a slot for and worked straight days. I remember the Air Force delivering us the newer Army tricks, they were the sloppiest dressed military men I had ever seen (comfortable). Maj Lowry grounded them all till they got uncomfortable again. The AF brass called to find out where his men were and the Major told them he grounded them till they got back into proper military uniform. Our Mess Sgt was driving a deuce and a half from Samsun to Sinop and drove off the road somewhere along a high and steep stretch by the Black Sea and really messed himself up. One of his eyeballs was hanging out of its socket among other things. A Turk doctor at the unsanitary Sinop hospital took care of him until he could be evacuated. One of us would stay with him 24/7. I was surprised that he made it. They flew in two air/sea rescue planes from Wheelus AFB in Tripoli to evacuate him. Just one landed in the harbor while the other circled. TOWN BURNED DOWN. When the new regime arrived, I was getting short but we were up-rooted from all of our comforts of home and moved up the hill into rustic wooden homes they built for us, took away our TDY and hi-jacked us from the SigC which brought me great joy and happiness. I developed one of those short-timer attitudes. They built an NCO Club and PX so at least I didn’t run out of American beer.. I’d get up in the morning and go over to our little OP’s building, and then after noon chow I’d go to my bunk and take a nice siesta, then I’d go to open the PX. I didn’t care what the powers to be thought about my schedule and I guess they didn’t care either. I was sort of irritated because I wasn’t promoted to E-5 while I was there. Maj Green was our CO and because I never liked the new set-up and wasn’t promoted, I assumed maj Green was glad to see me depart. That’s when I asked him if I could leave on the dolmus that had brought a replacement from Ankara. He said yes, and that’s the was I said good-by to Sinop. I was wrong about Maj Green because after I arrived at Ft Huachuca I was hunting something in my 201 file and came across some orders promoting me to Sgt E5 and a nice endorcement from Maj Green. Since I requested to travel by ship, I received a 30 day early departure, so when I arrived in Ankara I went to Istanbul by train. I left Turkey on the USNS Patch. It was a really large troop ship. There was mostly dependents and officers on it, so us few EM slept and ate with the crew. Me and SFC Dickerson who was the Mess Sgt from Samsun volunteered for permanent KP. The crew were Merchant Marines, and we didn’t do anything but sight-see. We went to Izmir, Naples and Leghorn. At that time the Lebanon thing came up and they took us off the ship and the ship was diverted to Levanon to evacuate some dependents, etc. They took us by train from Camp Darby, across Italy, the German Alps or French Alps I can’t remember, and on to Bremerhaven. We got on a little troop ship (USNS Geiger) that was loaded with passengers and just about bounced across the North Atlantic to New York.. It was COLD and the ocean very ROUGH and most everyone was sea sick, except me. There’s many more stories between these lines, but my memory fails me. From NY it was on to Carlisle, PA and MOM.

EXTRACTS FROM 1965 MANZARALI MAULER

THE MANZARALI MAULER – March – April 1965

MEET THE TURKISH PEOPLE

One of the most popular programs sponsored by the Service Club at Det 27 is a monthly Turkish American Dance which usually is held on the first Saturday of the month. On March 6, 1965, Site 23 men were pleasantly surprised at the large bevy of beautiful Turkish girls who came to dance. Mr. Mike Maktavli, the friendly Post Fire Chief, had invited his very large circle of friends. Music was furnished by the Det 27 Cobras Rock and Roll Combo. [PFC Joe Walden was the leader of the Cobras along with PFC Ronald P. Dacus and PFC Jimmy M. Lewallen on the piano.

THE MANZARALI MAULER – March – April 1965

Turkey Rich In Cultural History

We are living in an area rich in Christian Traditions and History. Without a doubt, few of us will ever again be as near the place where Jesus taught, preached, and healed. The opportunities to walk in the foot-steps of Paul will not likely be repeated. The Chapel has facilities to make your time over here more meaningful. For those who are interested in the travels of Christians in the ancient times and the lands of the Bible today, there is a National Geographic Map of this region which is yours for the asking. Books of the lives of Jesus, Paul and others are in the Chapel Library, to say nothing of the New Testaments which are also available, Free. The Bible Study Class is looking into the writings of Saint John who lived near modern Izmir, to find its meaning for us in a modern world. The Thursday night discussions are your opportunity to bring up any questions that might be bothering you, for these hours are unstructured – your time, your questions and if possible yours and Gods answers. These discussions have been taking place starting with 18 February 1965 and are held at the Chaplain’s quarters 206-C. Anyone and everyone is invited to join.