From: "ercgreen" ercgreen@yourinter.net
Subject: DAYS OF OUR LIVES #119
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 09:12:37 -0400

MAIL-call - PRESERVING FORGOTTEN MEMORIES

This newsletter is intended only for the use of the ASA TURKEY Veteran's. If you are not an intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately and delete the material from any computer. Comments or submissions to the DAYS OF OUR LIVES are most welcome. 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. Whether you choose to share your BIO is a personal choice. However, information not shared is the same as information lost. Keep in mind that the Internet is a universe unto itself and is a dang near veritable hell-hole filled with scams, scam artists, frauds, thieves, and greedy people, etc. In the old days, back when mail crossed the country in days, identity theft still took place. Today, e-mail crosses the country at the speed of light. The crooks do too. Your privacy is extremely important. Therefore, if you wish not to receive future DAYS OF OUR LIVES, please send that request to ercgreen@yourinter.net. Thank you

GREEN, Elder RC (gH), DOB: 1936, RA13513638, E7, 982/98C, Det 27, 1-15MY61, Det 120, MY-JL65, Det 27, JN66-OC67 & Det 4-4, OC67-NO68, (Patty), 3094 Warren Rd., Indiana, PA 15701, 724-349-7395, ercgreen@yourinter.net

ASA Turkey patches. See attachment

MAIL CALL

ALPERT, Brian E4 056 Det 4, 29MY64-30AP65, 68-69, 202 East 42nd St., New York, NY 10017, balpert@worldnet.att.net Elder - Hard to believe that you are doing all this work for the DOOL etc. with just a phone line connection. There should be a medal for good works because you certainly are earning it.

BAILEY, Jim DOB: 1937, RA14625864, E5 in charge of EW maint, 283 Det 4, AU60-AU61, 131 Pinkney Rd., Fremont, NC 27830, 919-242-1000. Contacted on 3 June 2003. Served six years in the ASA. The first three was as a Traffic Analyst (982) with duty at Ft Devens and Ft Bragg and the last three as a Elint repairman (283) at Det 4 and Ft Meade. When asked how he felt about his Tour at Sinop - his reply was "I'd only go back for one day as it is the place where I bought a 4-band Phillips radio at the PX." Remembers flying to and from Sinop on the L-19 aircraft from/to Ankara, but does remember riding in a icky pachuk to Samsun. Remembers Captain Dirkx as the Ops O and the Elint OIC was 1LT Rich Mock who later got out of the service and operated a used car lot in Fairfax, VA. Also remembers a E6 Sergeant who had a glass eye. His best friends at Sinop were Melvin Wilcox from Michigan who was a classmate at 283 school and Roy Van Order who was in the class after his. Remembers the early morning in May of 1961 that the Turk soldier was shot at the front gate. Thought that two yenni GI's were fighting and the Turk soldier got shot trying to break up the fight or so the rumor was. Recalls that the Turk soldiers had surrounded all the buildings, including operations, for a few days. The commander was Lt Col John Cox. Jim Bailey immediately began preparing himself for the time that the post had to be evacuated. He stopped shaving and dirtied his civilian clothes so that he could possibly pass as a Turk. Remembers the houseboys Sammy and Ali Kasan (sp?). Said that a water truck was brought to the post from somewhere and that he was told that in addition to water - it contained rifles and ammo in case it had to be used to defend the operations area. Some time after the Turk being shot at the front gate - a GI from Det 4 got caught trying to make out was a Turk female in Sinop, Of course, that was a no-no. That GI was quickly packed and moved out of Det 4 to Ankara and then to Frankfurt. Remembers the time that the Jamesway building of the Senior NCO (Crawford Boyd) at Det 4 burned to the ground. That evening he recalls that he was exiting the NCO Club after sitting thru a 'lousy' USO Show. Also exiting the club at the same time was Master Sergeant Boyd. Soon they saw flames up the hill and everyone immediately knew that it was Boyd's quarters that had been set on fire. Said that there was a civilian rep for Sylvania that was killed in a THY plane crash. In civilian life Jim Bailey worked as a Tape Recorder salesman and repairman. Formerly had beatleb@goldsboro.net as his ISP, but let it expire. Plans to get a new ISP. All of his Sinop photo's were lost when he was divorced. Hopes to attend the 2003 reunion

BELL, Preston L., E2-E5, 982, Det 27, MY65-DE66, 25445 Jasper Rd., Barstow, CA 92311, bolo1942@hotmail.com - Merhaba and selâmlamak - Got it amigo, I have added Otis Wilbon to my relay list. Off to a straw bale and bamboo workshop this weekend. We are doing a pool patio wall and cover. That is very important for folks here in Southern California, heh? :-) Later this month, I have one in New Mexico for a straw bale entrance wall/bulletin board/ children's school bus waiting room. Then one at an organic farm for another straw bale entrance wall at the end of the month. I will get free fresh from the farm veggies for that one though. Then sometime in between must get out to the hill country of Texas to help my daughter move. She likes my pickup and trailer for such stuff. Life is full after retirement. :-) Explains though why my pickup has 191k already. Later, Preston of the Mojave

BROCK, Jim DOB: 1934 RA14489409 E7, 059, Det 4, JN68-AP69, (Carolyn),1668 Silverwood Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32301 850-877-2445, brockjim@aol.com Elder, I was in Sinop from June 1968-Apr 1969. Ops Sgt, Acting First Sgt, and NCO Club Custodian. One heck of a tour. Lt Col John O'Connor was the CO and Jim Bobette was the CSM there when I left. MSG Howard (Gabby) Fenton was 1SG when I arrived. SFC Eldon Screws was there. SFC Bill Garner, now president of 13th USASA Reunion group. SSG Otis Wilbon, SFC Mack Calhoun, was the NCO Club Custodian until medically returned to the USA. I retired as a E9 in 1979 with 26 years active duty. I may have a set of orders somewhere, with more Det 4 names and will sit down and write my BIO for the ASA Turkey group.

DILL, Jerry L DOB: 1928 RA17149652 E6 982 Det 4, AP58-AP59, MR63-MR64, (Betty), 205 Chamberlin Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80906, 719-576-6243, jdill10385@aol.com, CW3,USA(Ret)

Jerry Dill is a native of West Point, Nebraska. Jerry enlisted in the Army Security Agency at Ft Crook in September 1945. Ft Crook is now Offut Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska. After basic he was sent to Vint Hill Farms for Ditty-Bop training, then in 1946 along with Howard Matson were the first ASA'ers to be sent to Monterey to learn the Russian language. After graduating from DLI was sent to 8612 DU at Chitose, Japan in 1950. Then to Ogi Camp in Tokyo and then to the 326th Communication Reconnaissance Company in Korea. The 326th was originally the 126th Signal Service Company that had moved from Camp Momoyama in Japan to Korea and was renamed the 326th. To read more about the 126th and 326th COMM RECON Companies go to www.google.com and type in the numbers for interesting reading and photo's of ASA in action during the Korean War. Jerry Dill promised to write about his experience in Korea. Was assigned to Arlington Hall Station in 1952. Was promoted to Warrant Officer in 1955 and sent to ASA Pacific Headquarters at OGI Camp until 1957 when Jerry returned to the states and got out of the service. After a short taste of civilian life re-upped as a E5 Sergeant and advanced to E7 and retired on 30 April 1966 with 20 years, 9 months and 14 days of active duty. Retired as a CW3 as it was the highest rank that he held. Said that he 'loved his two tours at Sinop - Nice and quiet - the mission was very interesting. During his first tour he lived in what was commonly referred to as skid row where the NCO's were housed in 10 Jamesway Huts built in a semi-circle. Remembers the building of the chapel during his first tour. Remembers the 1958 XMAS party in the BOQ where a COW was brought into the club by the Mess Sergeant Avery Crombe; Joe Sprague; Charlie Crosswhite, etc. The CO in 1963 was Lt Col Lepke; the XO was Major Norm Jorgenson and the Sergeant Major was Biff Charron. Others at Sinop that Jerry remembers are Captains Burt Slesinger and Berglund, Steve Gallagher, Sfc Van Pelt, WO George Sentgraph who is living somewhere in Europe, WO Tom Hacknet and Dennis Morrissey who was a 981. Jerry Dill has been confined to a wheelchair since 1975 when he developed MS and his wife Betty has provided TLC ever since. Also Jerry promised to re-write my rugged attempt to put into words his Tour of Duty with the ASA.

HARRIS, Bob, DOB: 1938, E4, 056/057/058, Det 4, 4JN57-JN58, (Rosemary), 237 Thacker St., Woodland, MI 48897, 269-367-9056, simibob@core.com. Enlisted for the ASA on 31 July 1956. Took basic at Ft Leonard Wood Aug 56-Oct 56 - Ft Devens Oct 56 - May 57 Sinop Det 4 June 57 - June 58 - Vint Hill SPU July 58 - July 59. Was one of the EARLY BIRDS at Det 4. Some of his friends that he remembers are: Jim Baker, Bob Kerr, Dick Kueck, Harris Miller and Jim Gunderburr (sp?). The CO was Major Clark and the XO was named Anderson. Seems to think that a Major Peters replaced Clark as the CO. Also knew Jack Dunlap who worked in the Post Engineers at Det 4. Said that Dunlap always was in operations whenever the Soviets were launching a space craft, but no one seemed to care whether Dunlap had the need to know what was going on as he had no operational MOS. While at Vint Hill remembers seeing Dunlap around the post on several occasions. Later read in the Saturday Evening Post the brief write-up for SPY Dunlap. After the ASA, Bob Harris worked vor the Burroughs Corps and UNISOM for 32 years, retiring in 1994. Now he works for FEMA and does a lot of travelling. Promised to write and send his BIO plus photo's.

HAZEL, Lou DOB: 1929, 03, A/Opns O, Det 4, NO60-OC61 + TDY 66, (Ruth), 624 Harbor Dr Reedville VA 22539, 804-453-6226 louhazel@crosslink.net. Contacted Lou Hazel on 2 June 2003. Very surprised to hear my asking about his Tour at Sinop. Enlisted in ASA in 1948 at Pittsburgh, PA and was trained at Camp Gordon, GA and Carlisle Barracks, PA as a Ditty-Popper and later as a Traffic Analyst. Served 4 years as EM and made E6. Went to OCS at Fort Sill, OK and received commission in the ARTY branch. Captain Jerry Dirkx was the Ops O and Lou Hazel was the A/Ops O. Said that he was in Operations when he got word that a Turk soldier had been shot at the front gate and doesn't remember too much about the incident. Said that the CO was Lt Col Cox and that it was touch and go for several days and that MUM was the word. Retired in 1969 as a Lt Col with 21 years active duty. As a civilian worked 19 years as a Freedom of Information Officer in the Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) at the Pentagon.

HOWARD, Joe, (Crazy Joe), DOB: 1943, RA12654839, E3, 993 ops rooms 1-3 Det 4, 62-63, (Ruth), 1363 Homestead Dr., Hickory, NC 29601, jhoward@bluenet.net [edited] First let me explain my aka. I got the nickname while helping the Cub and Boy Scouts for the last 23 years. Six years as Cub Scout Roundtable Commissioner (Adult Leader Trainer Volunteer) earned the title as "Crazy Joe". We don't know yet about attending the ASA Turkey reunion. We just moved into a new home and the job situation is ??. Maybe we'll make a last minute camping trip to Pennsylvania.

HERE'S A BLACK SEA LIFE AND DEATH STORY

It all started as a standard trip to town. While looking for someone to partner (Buddy System) to go to town I was asked if I would like to go on a boat ride on the Black Sea. I knew 1 or 2 of them but not the others and now I've forgotten all names. On the way to the docks we stopped for some supplies (Many bottles of liquid in case we got thirsty ...wine ect.) The trip was fairly boring and un-eventful. It got to be more fun the more we drank. About a dozen porpoises were swimming on our bow wake for a while until some jerk hit one with an empty bottle. Then some Genius got the idea to go around the point where there always were high winds and white cap waves between the tip of the point and a jagged rock island. I think of the passage in "Homers Odyssey" (Old Greek Classic) where the Sirens (Naked women singing an luring passing sailors to their death on the rocks) and Homer has his men tie him to the mast so he can hear them and has his men put bees wax in their ears to protect them. I should have seen the bad Omen. Going into the wind we make the narrow passage fairly well enjoying the salt spray of the waves breaking over the bow. One of the guys in a white shirt has passed out on the deck. We turn the boat around and make a wild full speed run with the wind at our backs thru the "Gates of Hell". The Turkish Captain is quite scared to do this, but we bribed him with more Lira. This was fun, like a thrill ride. All of a sudden as we go thru the narrows this guy who we thought was passed out, gets up an jumps overboard! OH MY GOD!!... and dissapears below the cold black waters. Gone!

Ok, time to PANIC!!

Instantly we all turn cold sober. In the raging seas we make a quick U-turn in only about a quarter mile. As we head back into the gauntlet, several of us stood on top of the cabin, trying not to get thrown into the water as the boat pitched and bobbed. There was no sign of him anywhere. Just as we were about to turn around for another pass, someone spotted his white shirt about 10 feet below the surface. Several guys jumped in and brought him up from the depths. After several minutes we managed to drag everyone back aboard the boat with out running them over. Would have been a bad time for a keel haul with a propeller..

He was deader than a doornail by now but after 5-10 minutes of CPR he barfed and started breathing again. (See picture) The Sirens of Homers Odyssey were cheated of another Sailor this day. The Turk Captain was terrified by the incident. Turkish law would have held him responsible if he had died. We sat on him until we got back to the docks to make sure we did not have a repeat. We all decided to keep this trip a secret because we did not want to get the Captain in trouble or have our water sports terminated by the brass. I believe this was the only picture taken after the rescue. Now you know the rest of the story. "Crazy" Joe Howard I have many more stories to tell but you will have to wait for another day. By-By

McCULLOUGH, John T DOB: 1938 RA15560286 E3-E4 058 Det 4, 58, (Sue),1044 E. Smith Rd., Medina OH 44256 330-722-6490, john38@zoominternet.net - Elder, Just wanted to let you know that I have made my reservations for myself and my wife Sue to attend the reunion on Labor Day weekend.
Really looking forward to seeing some of my old friends once again. Thanks for contacting me. Regards, John McCullough

THE ASA BAND AT FORT DEVENS

FORD, Chip DOB: 1949 RA11750995 E4 05K/05D Det 4, MR69-JA60, PO Box 1418, Edwards, CO 81632, 970-926-3488, no email - I had contacted Chip Ford in May 2003. He never married and is a champion senior skier and works as a ski instructor in Colorado and promised to send me some photo's and a BIO in the near future. At that time I did not know that Chip Ford played in the TC&S Band while attending Morse and Non-Morse school at Devens. Noel Garland in his search for information on the ASA Band at Devens found the following from Chip Ford dated 2 October 1998: From: Chip Ford, "Desk 2 Inn at Beaver Creek" INNBC2@vailresorts.com. Subject: ASATC&S Band. I was in the ASA Band at Fort Devens in 68-69 before going to Det 4 in Sinop. It was a great way to go while at Devens as we were able to get off post to march in the parades at Concord and Lexington and many other locations. The VFW's made sure we were ready to march with plenty of "anti-freeze" before the show began. The band also made for no KP!!! When we would march into the Revere quadrangle before school, boy, would the drums make some noise between the buildings. Everyone would come out and watch the show. We were a straight line marching band in that we really couldn't execute corners or intricate patterns at all. We had a Sgt. Butler for a band master and knew right off that he was going to be OK when he had us unload his trunk, which was filled with beer, for our first get together. In the bays you had to take your shoes off before you could enter. The band was a good alternate to 05H and 05K training. Those were sure the "good old days".

PAUER, Fred DOB: 1946, RA11671022, E3-E4, 05K, Det 27 & Det 4 OC67-DE68, (Connie), 4032 Dainelle Dr., Augusta, GA 30907, 706-860-6547, fwp19@aol.com - Sorry this took a while to get back to you regarding my participation in the ASA Band at Fort Devens. I just finished up a week at my timeshare in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Went down to go SCUBA diving, but the two days I could go out, the boat wouldn't take us with six to eight foot seas and a steady 12-15 knot wind coming in from the Southeast, at least I had a chance to go off my diet for a few days and take in some neat entertainment such as the Broadway Musicals and the Scottish dancing.
About the band, I got to Devens in November of 1966 and was promptly put on KP duty for what would have been at least an eight to ten week wait, while a slot at Ditty City opened up. I had played the Sousaphone (big tuba) in high school and although admittedly a little rough on remembering the finer points of the instrument, I had heard that ASA had a band and that they were short bass players, so one evening after finishing the ole pots and pans up, I stayed over to listen to them practice, went up to see the OIC (can't remember his name, but a shavetail 2nd Lt.) and told him what I was about. He had the sousaphone player there, lead me to another instrument that was in another room, and brought me down, sat me up against the music stand and let me go to it. Hired me a few minutes later and wound up transferring to that part of the school, the next day. The band as I remember it, led the students to school each day, played around the community and was part of Lt. Col. Millets (the Medal of Honor winner) who was the commander there at the times special troops along with the Minehune (Hawaiian guys who harassed the soldiers who were made to go to the TTC course before going to Nam) platoon. We played several parades including one in Nashua, New Hampshire, where after the parade they opened the bar to us. First time I got puking drunk, so will always have some memory of that occasion. If others were there, I would enjoy hearing from you. I know they got an E-5/6 in just before I left and the Lt. got orders to go, and he wasn't worth a shit as a leader, but only stayed around for a little while after that, so he didn't have much to do with me. Hope this helps. Fred Pauer, Martinez Georgia

SLESINGER, Burt DOB: 1929, 02-03, 9620, Det 4, 4JL58-MY59, (Sandi), 722 Wing Foot Ln., Melbourne FL 32940, 321-254-2134, slesingerburt@spacey.net [edited] I've been watching the traffic back and forth about an ASA band at Devens. When I reported there in 1962 for the Officer Career Course, I ran across an ex-commander of mine from Sinop. Names are not important, but he was a musician of considerable talent (trumpet, I believe) - a capability oft-displayed for the benefit of other "DOOM"sters. In our brief encounter at Devens (he being staff and all, and me a lowly student) he advised me that he had written an ASA March. I heard the/a band play it once at Devens at some sort of ceremony. I rest my case and pledge my troth to "Seize The High Ground Adams" still one more time. Noel Garland is trying to find the music to that ASA March and reports that Mark Scott, Moderator of the ASAVETS website has info that there was an 18th Army Band (army vice ASA) at Devens circa 1970-72. The 18th Army Band was organized at Devens in 1948. The ASA at Devens did have a fife and drum drill team of sorts which wore Revolutionary War era uniforms and were known as the Continentals. Having said that, I would not be surprised if USASATC&S did not have a small speciality band - a swing band or rock band or something, that played at school functions. And if I am right bout that, then such were likely at other ASA installations. As far as full fledged ASA sponsored band though, have seen nothing to confirm this. asavets@aol.com:

POPE, Calvin DOB: 1941, RA14748362, 058/059, Det 27, 62-65, (Diane-div, 2/W-Elaine), PO BX 424 Bay Minette, AL 36507, 251-580-0763, popecpep@cs.com Green, would like to know if you have any info on William N. Anderson--was a good friend of mine--he called me 20 years ago and said he was coming by to see me--haven't seen him yet--if you have anything on him would appreciate any info--thanks again. Calvin Pope

RIEDY, Richard D DOB: 1936, RA19549080, E-4, 965.1676 (Turk Interpreter), Det 4, OC57-MR59, 260 Gensen Drive SW, Los Lunas, NM 87031, 505-865-3874, burada@earthlink.net Dear Elder Green, I hope this finds you and yours well. I wanted to let you know that as of June 15th I will be disconnected from the Internet, and do not expect to come back on line until November or possibly December at the earliest. Thank you for everything, and I hope you have a great summer and memorable reunion.

SCREWS, Eldon D., DOB: 1933, RA14421306, E7, 05K, Ops Sgt Det 4, JL68-OC68 and 4-3, NO68-JA69, Det 4, FE69-JL69, (Bobbie), PO Box 127, Holly Bluff, MS 30988, 662-828-3212, eldonscrews@telepak.net - Turkey Tour 68-69 - Have taken my time getting around to writing my BIO, and been mulling it over in my mind in hopes that I don't sound too boastful. I had a wonderful TURKEY tour except for being away from my family. I just wish that I could have had my wife with me. I'm sure that Bobbie would have enjoyed the Turkish people, the sights, the sounds, the smells, and shopping at the BAZAARS. Was a Sergeant First Class, E-7, during my Turkey tour but retired as 98Z5H, Master Sergeant, E-8, on 1 June l974 with 22 years active service. MOS 05K and 98Z I also put some time in QM, SigC and Infantry but was in ASA three time's. I got in ASA in 1951 and passed thru Vint Hill Farms, stationed at AHS, Hq ASA Alaska, 7th Fld Sta , Civilian Componet duty Jackson, MS, Verdun Signal Depot, Verdun, France, Hq S-3 ASA Frankfurt, Fort Ord, California, 10th Infantry Division & CEDEC, 7th Cav Korea, Deven's three times, Sinop, 2 Rock Ranch and something all TST (Taiwan Support Team, Taipei) nothing to do with ASA but detailed to and worked for those nice people out of Langley, VA.

Had a grand old time all the way around in the ARMY SECURITY AGENCY

We went to an ASA Florida reunion a couple of years ago at Pensacola. I had been there to the Naval Communication Intelligence School in 1971 - so we got to see how much the place had changed. In 2000 we were to the ASA picnic, then to a 1st Cav Division gathering at Fayetteville, NC and then with a ASA bunch in Dallas. Went to Tuscon for the ASA Arizona reunion 23-25 August 2001 and in 2001 to the Chitose reunion in San Antonio. Wanted to make it to the Devens and Hershey reunions, but didn't. Maybe we'll make it to 7 Springs in 2003. I've seen many names of people in your DOOL's that I knew one place or the other - not necessary in Turkey. For example, I was in the S-3 Section, Hq USASAE, Frankfurt when Lt Col Bob Ewing left for Turkey in 1958 and he offered me a free trip which I turned down. My wife and I used to babysit his kids. After attending the Senior NCO Course at Devens in early 1968, I was on orders for Sinop.

MY TRIP TO SINOP

By the time I got my family settled, etc, I reported to Logan Airport in Boston headed for Turkey. Hit Yesilkoy in Istanbul on 18 July 1968, hot to trot for Sinop. Some of us lounged around the Hippodrome Hotel for 3 days waiting for a ride on the army courier boat, the Sea Kemal. Seems that there were 13 of us put on the boat without much information about food etc. SSG Karst, who we called the Sea Captain because he was the courier and had made many trips to Sinop on the Sea Kemal and told us to buy some feta cheese, bread and soft drinks and that was it. The Black Sea has no tide but during the 3 day trip, the water got very rough from the wind and the boat pulled into Zongulduk and laid over a whole day. John Dills (72B) and I managed to walk around a bit until we found us a seaside restaurant that sold beer. I did think that the Turkish beer was pretty good. Dills was later the NCOIC of the Comm Center. He was put into the middle of a shorthanded mess because a number of 72B types had been suspended from operations because of drug problems. I had attended the Senior NCO Course with a man who was promoted to MSG and was on orders as Operations NCOIC just about the time we both left Devens, but by the time I got to Sinop, he was in a hospital in Germany.

I found Det 4 to be a grimily austere place in a sublimely beautiful setting

There were so many people there that I knew that it was like old home week. I already knew most of the career group including Col's O'Connor and Mullins and most of the 05Ks because I had been instructing at the USASATC&S for 3 years. There was much speculation about what job I would get. Sfc Floyd Keefer (05K) was leaving to retire so I thought it was a pretty good bet that I would get his job as NCIOC of the Radio Printer Section. No such luck! Rumors were rampant and by the time I got around to the operations in briefing, it was anyone's guess. When my talk with Maj Alwin H. Sprehe was over, he said I'm making you Operations Sergeant. With his initials A.H.S., we all fondly called him Mr. AHS as in Arlington Hall Station. I told him that I knew that I was not the ranking E-7 on the station and asked him what he was going to do about those who ranked me (most of them did). His reply was "After you've been here 2 weeks you'll see why I picked you instead of one of them". Some were too short, etc. I found Sprehe to be a very jovial person who favored Alfred Hitchcock in appearance and had a very dry sense of humor. He had a line and staff board on the wall behind his desk that was embossagraphed with yellow letters. One of the first things he asked me to do was to get the letters changed to blue. This was back when there was a commercial on TV about a tooth paste. After we were able to get it changed, he said "Now they will wonder where the yellow went". I saw in one of the DOOLs that he had been at Det 27 once upon a time. Some names that I remember: MSG Jerry Knight was NCOIC Maint, Calvin(Doc) Savage was Ops Co 1SG, MSG Harry Kraft was NCOIC Hippodrome; SSG Tim Neas, SSG Ebe Atkins, Thorny Bailey, Hugh Costello, John Ryan, Dale Carter and I'm sure there were many more. I also remember Don Pitts and Bob Sarver, both 98C's.

The mission was very interesting. Of course it was more interesting when the Russians put up a space craft. They brought soup and sandwiches to operations for more than just the late shift. Some men had to be sent back to their quarters to shine, shave and shower. We had a SPACOL site called Hippodrome that I frequented and was very familiar with and had known most of the career types from their assignment to our like facility at Chitose, called Bankhead. There was a third one at Asmara called Stonehouse. Just outside the main operations door we had a tall structure with a 28 foot dish on top that we called the bubble gum machine. They were monitoring the Venus space probe. In radio school I was taught to recognize radio signals by ear. The space craft was 6 months away from earth and the signal sounded slow and drippy.

There were a number of people who told me that I couldn't do certain things operationally. My reply was that the army had just spent an untold number of dollars sending me to a school that said I could. A few changes were made without upsetting the apple cart. WE all had a good time running operations and I enjoyed it most of all. This was my most rewarding assgnment that I had until the next one. I really had a good time at Sinop. Two Rock was next!

IG at Det 4-3 and my assignment there as the First Sergeant
Luck would have it that TUSLOG Ded 4-3 flunked the IG Inspection and then the re-inspection. On 14 October I was placed on TDY and escorted to 4-3 in Istanbul by the Sergeant Major for 45 days and was later extended to 90 days as First Sergeant of that unit to get them out of the hole. No one had ever heard of a unit flunking a IG re-inspection. Anyway, a formation was held and I was called to the front and properly installed and that is where I got my gray hair at the young age of 33. TUSLOG Det 4-3 was unlike any military operation you could imagine. No flags, no outside formations, no weapons and no uniforms enroute to work if you could help it. It was an ASA supply unit with Captain Richard Hahn as CO; two young Lieutenants and two E6 NCO's whose names I can't remember. Major Edward Cima was the CO at Det 4-4 and there was supposed to be a liaison advisory position between Det 4 and Det 4-3, but something had gone amiss there too. I had known CPT Hahn in Frankfurt in 58-59 when he was an EM. He got a Warrant and later a commission as a First Lieutenant. He was a brilliant supply type but his First Sergeant had lost it and therefore they were in a bad situation.

There were about 30 men at 4-3 as I can remember and they were not the typical ASA operator types - they were supply people that didn't know anything about the ASA or its unique supplies. The two NCO's were black and both lacked leadership skills, but seemingly had everyone afraid of them, but not me. I demanded they exercise military leadership as NCO's. Both later were involved in a racial incident. One of them had a little pointed miniature goatee on his bottom lip. I told him to shave it - you know how that went - he told me that I was taking away his manhood. He stewed, but shaved it off and I just waited for him to get around to doing something and sure enough, he shot himself in the foot. One night at 2300 I got a call to my hotel room asking me to come get him out of the Air Force lockup. When I asked him how he got in there, he told me that he had called up the Air Force Colonel and called him a bigot. Our Air Force host was a Full Colonel named Zamboni. I told the Sergeant that I had met the Colonel and thought that he was a very nice commander and that I thought he should stay in the lockup until noon the next day. No one is safe when a black calls an Italian a bigot. We were very fortunate that the Colonel didn't demand some type of displinary action.

The unit did have a good morning report clerk. There semed to be millions of stock record cards that took a number of people to properly post to keep up with daily operations. Some of the EM seemed to be afraid of the CO but these same men would bring a newspaper to work with them and lounge around reading it. It seems that for some reason or other, the CO kept people working late unnecessarily. When I said leave the papers at home, the men said that it didn't make any difference because the CO or Lt's would keep them late anyway. My reply was you leave the papers out and I will see that you leave on the work bus at 1700. That worked. Most things I didn't discuss with the CO because he knew why I was there. The CO and I got along and there never was a cross word between us.

The warehouse wasn't very big because the intent was to keep forwarding supplies rather than storage. A number of men were involved in the movement of supplies; packing and crating etc.. The warehouse crew had a fork lift but all the drivers were local nationals. The troops lived on the top floor of the MAN building (MAN was a German truck). Some kind of a TUSLOG lease deal where they used the first 4 floors and the host, the Air Force had messhall, EM club, laundry p/u, and barracks on floors 5, 6 & 7. Everyone - all grades were on separate rations. The ASA men had the 8th floor. Yes we had the 8th floor and the Turkish contractor had forgotten to put drains on the flat roof and water seeped through the walls and everywhere else. Men had to be careful when they arose in the morning because of water on the floor. It is a wonder that the whole thing didn't collapse from the weight of the water. I was lucky because I lived on the front side of the King Hotel with a balcony overlooking the Bosphorus. The unit participated in a sports league of touch football and everyone (even the wives as spectators) in the unit had been going to the practice sessions except the CO. It seems that they had almost kept the whole thing almost secret from him and as luck would have it, Saturday they had a game, he wanted everyone to work that afternoon. I told him what the situation was and that everyone had been making the practice sessions except he and his wife and he relented. Guess what! We won that game that day! I went to Karamursel three times for promotion boards, etc. It is an all day job either way you go. Once by vehicle all the way around the Bay of Ismet, once by vehicle to Kartal and crossed by ferry to Yalova and once by PT boat out of downtown Istanbul.

It was all smooth sailing after that. In preparation for the upcoming 3rd IG inspection - everyone pitched in and cooperated to the fullest. I think all of them were tired of the whole situation with that dark cloud over their heads with the two failures. We all SOLDIERED and got it done!! As things progressed that day, the two ranking officers in Istanbul Air Station, Colonel Zamboni and an Army Colonel named Johnson inspected our barracks. They wrote me a letter that they both signed congratulating us on what they said were the best troop appearance and displays that they had seen in Istanbul. When I read that to the troops, it was all worth it and you could feel the morale go up . A few days later, Major Cima visited and had a opposite opinion. I just grinned like a jackass eating hornets and didn't tell him about the letter. I never saw Major Cima again anywhere in my career. I understand that Wilbur Rodkey was the First Sergeant at Det 4-4 at that time, but I never did meet him. Here is a strange twist! He and I were promoted to Corporal on the same orders dated 26 November 1952 in Alaska. I did learn by going to hockey games a few years later that that little machine that they ride around on to smooth the ice is called a ZAMBONI.

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is the most wonderfully endowed cultured place I've ever been to. You name it, and in Istanbul, I've been there. Up and down the Bosphorus on foot ferries, public transportation was very economical 1 lire and we got 12 to the dollar. I even crossed the Golden Horn by row boat just to be able to say that I had done it. I had plenty of time off on the weekends so I've walked almost the entire length of the Bosphorus looking at things and talking to people and got to know the old Constantinople and the modern Istanbul, including the underground cistern and even tossed a coin in the cistern and made a wish which was the practice. In spite of all the Turkish traffic anomalies I was able to navigate thru the streets and will not immerse myself in the Turkish driving culture that everyone who served in Turkey understands and remembers with a smile to this very day. One of the nicest and most prominent landmarks in Istanbul on the European Side is the Galata Tower which is 183 ft tall. I visited the restaurant on the top of the tower and enjoyed it. The view from the observation deck is spectacular. From it I could see the Asian Side, the Bosphorus, the Bophorus Bridge, the cruise ship harbor, the Golden Horn, the Suleiman's Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace, the Spice Market, the New Mosque, the Golden Horn settlements, and so on.I have been in most every mosque, and the Grand Covered Bazaar and never did get to see all the shops. Inside were mosques, Turkish baths, restaurants and so on. I was surprised to see how many street markets I found in Istanbul regardless of the day of the week. I found the street markets to be very interesting places to visit because there I had the opportunity to see a typical Turkish place and understand a little bit of the Turkish culture. The street market's that I visited and remember is the "Sali Pazar" in Kadikoy; the market's at Fatih, Yesilkoy, Akatlar in Findikzade and Bakirkoy... Also there are many other small street markets in different districts all over the city. I was attracted to the street markets in Istanbul mostly by cheaper prices than those at the Grand Bazaar. I enjoyed the lively atmosphere at all the bazaars. The items I bought - I bargained for as as bargaining is part of the Turkish culture and the price listed is never the last! Turks sell almost anything money can buy in those markets.

BACK TO SINOP
Col John S. O'Connor rotated in January 1969. He and his Turk driver, Ariff, left Sinop in his sedan to visit the ASA unit's in Ankara and Karamursel and to Yesilkoy for the trip home. I rode back to Sinop in the sedan and that's another whole story. Ariff spoke some English and my Turkish language skills were very primitive. And, besides...there is a certain renewed appreciation of your life experience -- when you realize that you lived to drive in the USA. We crossed the water headed for Sinop by the Sea about noon on a Thursday. The roads were very bad but we managed to get to Ankara a little after dark. Ariff asked if I was staying at the Hotel Dedeman where the other Americans stayed and I told him that I would stay where he stayed. That was a mistake! I found out later that the Dedeman Hotel in Ankara is located near the American Embassy and within walking distance to the city's shopping and entertainment area, plus the Kari-hana that I never visited, but heard many, many stories about!.

Ariff found a flop house for 8 lira for both of us. He went to put the sedan in a military motor pool somewhere and when he came back, brought us 2 biscuits and a coke each. We ate one biscuit and drank the coke and saved the other biscuit for breakfast which he wrapped up in a napkin and left on the roach runway at the sink. I didn't sleep much because the bed was too short - my feet stuck out the end. I had been on 5 other overseas tours and had slept on the ground in all of them but I was actually afraid to go to sleep because of all the roachs. The next morning Ariff got up and shaved and left to get the sedan and brought us some tea to enjoy with that other biscuit. I couldn't do it but managed to get the biscuit into my coat pocket and later threw it away on the road outside Ankara. We went through some towns that had been there since Biblical times that I wish I had known about before hand. The roads never improved but we got to Samsun and got gas from the Air Force and headed west along the beautiful Black Sea Coast. Ariff suddenly wheeled into a BP station. He said his good friend that used to work at the Turk American Radar site at Sinop owned the station. They were going through their prayers but his friend stopped. I didn't get his name but he just started talking like he was hungry for visitors. At one point, he told me that rich Turk business men with their girl friends would stop at his station and ask him if he used to work at the Turk American Radar site and he would say avet. They would say that they had heard that he had an American pistol. He said yes I have one and at that point he opened a desk drawer and took out a wooden box 3 X 3 x 9". He told me that he would take it out to the car and the man would open the box and look at it and say avet - very good American pistol and then hand it to his lady friend at which time she would open it, scream and drop it on the floor. He then hands it to me and I am just a little afraid to open it. I have to do it and when I look, the box contained a brown clay model of a penis with a pink ribbon around it. We had stopped and eaten in all sorts of greasey roadside places and I figured that I would have a bad case by the time we got to the hill that Friday night. No, I thought I was lucky. I ate in the mess Saturday and Sunday without any trouble but about midnight Sunday night it hit me and by 0800 Monday morning I was so weak that I couldn't make it to operations. Well back in Main Operations, same job. Mike Bounds had been filling the position. He was a fine NCO and linguist that I had served with in Chitose. The man who was supposed to be Operations NCOIC had come and gone on emergency leave and back on the hill running the NCO club. I think he got credit for the tour by serving just 5 months on the hill. On the first holiday after I got to Sinop in the beginning, I had gone down to the Tumpane contract areas and met all the Turks so that when we needed something at operations, we would know who we were dealing with. I had the little outdoor storage building behind the main building removed. It had generations of paint grown to the floor and cleaning supplies that you wouldn't believe stored in it. I was also able to stop the process of putting down brown paper on the Monday mid shift in the hallways. The Ops O could tell the difference wetween old and new dirt. Major Sprehe had rotated while I was in Istanbul and had been replaced by a young Captain Van de Hei. I was already familiar with him because I had served with him at Chitose when he first started out as a young lieutenant. He told us in a staff meeting that the 16 NCO section supervisors ran operations and said that there was something that we thought he should know to stop him and tell him. The man he replaced held a closer rein on things and this new Captain was a welcome change. A Turkish man by the name of Cafer handled the work orders down at the Engineer Section. When I first got there he could barely speak a word of English. By the time my tour was up, he was doing great. I told the Captain that I hadn't ever heard of an NCO writing a letter of appreciation to someone and I explained about Mr Cafer. The Captain's answer was - write one and he would take it up to the headquarters and get it indorsed and we would take it down to the work order section. He did and we did as we planned. We went down and got Mr Cafer's supervisor and a couple of other people to standby for the presentation and I read him the letter. He cried like a baby. I don't think anyone had ever done anything nice to him before.

ANYONE REMEMBER BIRD SHIT ISLAND

I had occasion to go fishing out past the end of the peninsula out by Bird Shit Island. The boat had an open case water jacket coolant system and they had a long trolling line and we passed among some pelicans sitting on the water. They said that the pelicans were eating the little fish from top of the water and there were big fish eating the little fish from below. They were right because we caught three of some kind of fish. My friend gave one to the boat owner, one to a school teacher and took one home
and his wife fixed it. It had skin on it instead of scales. It turned out to be delicious.

FBI VISIT TO THE HILL

During my tour - we got a clearance message on two FBI agents who would be visiting Det 4. When the agents got there I went out to the gate to meet them and brought them into the Operations Office. I don't remember much about their visit but do recall them saying that they had some money that they were going to spend and were looking for recommended places to spend it. I asked one of them to let me see his badge - impressive.

I've written too much. Your DOOL's has taken a lot of work and I really enjoy it. All who participate can feel good about it. My wife Bobbie and I worked in the hotel/motel business for about 20 years in Louisiana and Texas and retired in 1991. Have a part time job running a computer that takes me about 30 minutes a day, Treasurer of our Church and Secetary of my Lodge; help folks do different things, drive people to Doctor etc. I'll probably see you at a reunion or one of these days. I have brothers in CA, NE, MO and CO and my mother is in Colorado Springs so we travel a good bit. Enjoy. ASA all the way

SIMONS, Bill, E3-E4, 058, DE59-DE60, billsimons@yahoo.com & billsimons@tuslogdet4.com [edited]
Hi Elder. Here's some interesting reading regarding a Captain Elliot who in 1959 was TDY to Det 4. It is most interesting and am wondering if anyone remembers a Captain Elliot being at Det 4. This Captain Elliot might have been a JAMMAT-TUSLOG representative. Briefly, the following is what is known about Elliot and the CUB bear that he purchased in Samsun and left at Det 3-2 in Samsun: The cub was a European Brown Bear that was known as Goulon and became the 3-2 mascot. The stories about how Goulon got there vary, but the consensus was that he was purchased in Samsun from a traveling gypsy entertainer when just a cub in 1959. Goulon's Tour of Duty at Samsun goes like this: There was an Army Captain named Elliot who was on an inspection team headed for Det 4 at Sinop. Enroute he stopped at Samsun, went down town, and got inebriated. He and another Army officer stumbled around town and happened upon a Gypsy who had a trained dancing bear. The bear had a cub that they thought was cute. Elliot bought the cub from the Gypsy and returned to the base in a cab with the cub that had a chain attached to the ring in its nose. He was staying in the BOQ and took the cub there. Somehow someone as a practical joke put the cub in the base commander's room. The cub proceeded to get sick and messed up the CO's room. The CO later found the cub and mess in his room. Needless to say, he was not happy, investigated and told the Army Captain to get his butt out of Samsun and on his way to Det 4. Immediately thereafter the cub was called CAPTAIN ELLIOT. Later and for some unknown reason the cub became known as GOULON and quickly became the mascot for Det 3-2. For additional interesting reading about Goulon go to DOOL #89 and http://www.osomin.com/TUSLOGStories.htm.

TEAKERT, Terrance D PFC-CPL 058 Det 4, AP56-57, (Janet), 804 S. Franklin St., Bunker Hill, IL 62014, 618-585-3063, janett@lcls.org - My husband has enjoyed your weekly newsletters, and I wish he could continue to receive them, but unfortunately Wed. will be my last day here at school and my last day with a computer. We don't have computer access in the Wyoming campground where we stay for the summer. Therefore, please refrain from sending the updates until I contact you in August or September. Thanks for all of your time and information. Janet Teakert

WILBON, Otis H., DOB: 1931, US&RA53159164, E5, 33C, Det 4, JN68-JN69 & E7 78-79, (Catherine), 4735 S. Pueblo Ave., Sierra Vista, AZ 85650, 520-378-6944, otishw@aol.com (cable). Otis Wilbon is a native of Dawson, Georgia. Was drafted in 1953 and served two years as a MP. Re-upped in 1955, was trained as Supply clerk and sent to Korea. In January 1960 joined ASA and was trained as a radar repairman and in 1963 assigned to the 12 USASAFS at Chitose, Japan. Served two tours at Sinop. Remembers Jim Brock, Vincent Ryan and Robert Ryan from Sinop. Otis participated in bowling whereever he was assigned and still bowls 2-3 times per week. Retired as a E8 in 1982 after 29 years active duty. In civilian life worked as a Elint Repair Instructor at Fort Devens from February 1983 to August 1994 at which time DOD closed Devens as a Military Post. Otis was then transferred to Fort Huachuca, Arizona where he worked until December 2002 when he retired as a GS-11.

WINARSKI, Stanley T., E5-O2, S2, USAINTC "Spook", Det 27, JL62-JA65, (Carol), Antietam Ct., Hampton, VA 23660, 757-850-4413, winarski@cox.com (cable). Retired 06. - Elder, Seems one of our Det 66 members has gone AWOL : The last several DOOL publications have not gotten through to Ken Shumate and now I've gotten this from the mail administrator. trudyshu@juno.com Account Inactive. I'll delete him from the address group unless you've gotten a change of address from him.

VAN ORDER, Leroy P (Roy) DOB: 27SE36 E4-E5 283 Det 4, 27SE60-MY61, (Toni), 315-633-0418, rvanorder@aol.com and roy.p.vanorder@lmco.com. Elder, thanks for the call about Jim Bailey. Glad to hear he is alive and kicking. We go back to 283 school at Monmouth in 1960, and on the hill after that... He and his buddy Mel Wilcox both set new records for the highest grades achieved at the school. I look forward to reading each DOOL. Re: the name tags, It will be Toni (wife) and Roy. Look forward to the patches and the reunion.

ASA Turkey Logo's.doc

Det 27 Manzarali Station	TUSLOG Det. 4 Sinop	Det 4-4

THE ABOVE ASA TURKEY DETACHMENT PATCHES ARE FOR
SALE AT $3.00 PER PATCH.

TO ORDER: SEND CHECK PLUS .37 CENT STAMP TO

Elder RC Green
3094 Warren Rd.,
Indiana, PA 15701

===== End of Newsletter =====