DAYS
OF OUR LIVES #87 Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 08:16:10 -0500
MAIL-bag - PRESERVING FORGOTTEN MEMORIES
Subject: DAYS
OF OUR LIVES #87
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 08:16:10 -0500
MAIL-bag - PRESERVING FORGOTTEN MEMORIES
This message is intended only for the use of the ASA Turkey veteran's named as recipients in the message. 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 all your friends! 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE 2002 REUNION REPORT
We just returned from vacation at the AIR FORCE ACADEMY in Colorado Springs, CO where our oldest son is the honcho for the two Physical Therapy clinics at the AF Academy and the clinic's at Peterson and Schriver AFB's. Peterson AFB is to be the home location for the homeland security of the USA................ The ASA Turkey reunion was a blast. The after reunion report will be included in DAYS OF OUR LIVES #88. If you weren't there, you missed a grand event. A reunion committee has been established and plans are in the works for the 2003 and 2004 reunions.
********************************************************************************
DAYS OF OUR LIVES CHANGES
Fast Facts: E-mail Overload? The DAYS OF OUR
LIVES is available for those who don't have time to keep up with
the weekly newsletter during these busy summer months. To keep up
to date: Go to any search engine and type in Det 4 Sinop Turkey, then click on
Bill Simons entry which should be on the first line... then
scroll down to the DOOL entries.
type in Det 4 Sinop
Turkey, then click on Bill Simons entry which should be on the
first line... then scroll .
In the near future the DOOL
newsletter will no longer be sent to your in-boxes. Instead I
will forward the newsletter to Bill Simons who will post it onto
his Det 4 website like he has been doing for several months now.
There probably will be kinks, but Bill Simons promises to catch
the snags and in the long run it will be beneficial, not only for
his website, but also to all of us. New members now will be
instructed to visit the Det 4 website and that will free up a lot
of my time. Try to use TIMES NEW ROMAN in REGULAR style and size
10 font. This will solve some of the problems that Bill Simons
will encounter in placing the DOOL on his webpages. Any and all
suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
********************************************************************************
Det 4-4, Karamursel Air Station photo's
Rocky Hagan (rocky.r.hagan@honeywell.com
</ym/Compose?To=rocky.r.hagan@honeywell.com>) has sent me a lot of photo's from his 68-71 TOUR of
DUTY at Det 4-4. They will be included in the 2002 Memory Book
and when possible I will include them in the weekly newsletter.
Thanks Rocky - The photo's brought back a lot of OLD memories
from my one year at KAS- - -gH
PS: Can anyone ID the Det 4-4 NCO's in
the attachment (016KAS) with Maj Frickey?
L-R: SSG Gus Monroig,
(Pers Sgt), SSG Walbert (05H Trick Chief), unk, SFC Stephen Gay,
SFC Leonard Disney, Maj Norm Frickey, SFC John Clark, unk, MSG
Adrian Smith (Ops Sgt) and 1SG Stanley R. Owens.
******************************************************************************************************
NEW MEMBERS
AMIGO, Frank DOB: 1934 SP3-SP2
RA11276801 RU Linguist Det 4, AP56-57, (Elizabeth), 603 Fort
Stanton Rd., Alto, NM 88312, 505-36-7469, famigoturn@zianet.com
Frank is a retired GS-13
from NSA
ANDERSON, Clint DOB 1939 E3 Det 4,
(Joy), 1016 Jasmine Dr., SLC, UT 84123, cra711@earthlink.net
Elder...Sorry about the
misnomer....I think I might have a hang up about
the name or term "Elder"...Because I live in Utah which
is 75% Mormon and because I am a "non-mormon" I have
always been out numbered. The term "Elder" is applied
to any male mormon over the age of 18 who lives the tenants of
the faith. The assumption is that if you live in Utah you must be
a Mormon, so many times, I have been refered to as "Elder
Anderson" by the faithful. I quickly correct them but I have
spent most of my adult life trying to explain why I live in Utah
and am neither a skier nor a member of the predominant faith. I
guess the presumption is that you have to be one or the other to
live here. I strongly suspect that they know I am here, they just
haven't found me yet...That having been said, I will now address
your request for additional information... My wife's name is
Joy...We reside at 1016 Jasmine Dr. Salt Lake City, UT-84123.
Somewhere, somehow over the past 40+ years, the few photos I had
of my military years disappeared. (Probably just as well, as
neither I nor Det. 4 were much to look at in the 50's,) I have
some recent photos of us but my photo scanner went south a few
weeks ago and I have yet to replace it. I will give the photos to
a friend and ask him to scan them to you...So...If you receive
some pictures of an un-attractive old gent from a strange e-mail
address, that will probably be me...I will ask him to identify
the photos for you when he sends them. I will have him send them
to this e-mail address. Oh yeah, you also asked for DOB...that
would be July 11, 1939... If you would like, I can still remember
my Service Number and the serial number of my M-1 rifle that I
used in basic training at Fort Ord, California, Company A, 12th
Battle Group, 3rd Brigade in June 1957. Don't ask me why it has
stayed with me all these years, it just has. My wife say's I'm a
little retentive and I guess she's right...Just because I
remember that our APO number in Sinop was 254, New York,
NY.shouldn't give her cause to call me retentive... I would
appreciate very much finding out about the hat and shirt for Det.
4 when you return from vacation...I would also like to be
included in your subscription list for "DAYS OF OUR
LIVES"... I will await your e-mail re: hats, shirts,
etc...Teshecur....Clint Anderson..
BIO of Clint Anderson
I arrived in Sinop in April 1958 after basic training at Fort
Ord, CA and a feeble attempt at 058 school at Fort Devens. I
think I got up to 20 wpm in the morse code intercept thing before
I realized that I was not cut out to listen to dit dot dit for
the next 2 years. The army honored my request to drop out of 058
school and sent me for a 1 week training period as a truck
driver. I then shipped out to Det. 4 and began my tour there as a
truck driver hauling supplies between Sinop and Ankara.
Eventually, they made me the motor pool dispatcher at Sinop.
While there, I also did a part time thing with the base radio
station "WONE" THE VOICE OF CAMP DIOGENES. I had the
evening show from 18:00 to 22:00 hours Mon thru Friday. I mostly
played music, a combination of Jazz, Rock and Roll and mood music
later in the evening with 5 minute newscasts on the hour. It took
up a lot of time doing two jobs but that was all right because in
1958 and 59 there was hardly anything else to do on the
"hill" , short of drinking at the club or occasionally
a movie would arrive about every other week and they would show
it in the base chapel. Besides, the radio station paid a whopping
$1.25 per hour in extra pay. This was in addition to my regular
E-3 pay of $90.00 per month so I was rolling in money. During my
tour in Sinop, only one barracks had been built, so most of us
lived in the 4 man tents scattered all around the base. I
remember, mine was about 100 yards from the mess hall, the
showers and the latrine. I remember the dollar to lira exchange
rate on the hill was 9 lira to 1 dollar. In Ankara, however, you
could find street vendors near Ataturk boulevard that would often
give you 20 to 25 lira for 1 US dollar. As a result, truck
drivers often were asked to take large amounts of money with us
to Ankara on our weekly trips to exchange for the better rate. I
really enjoyed my time at Det. 4. The isolation didn't bother me
as much as some of the guys because I got leave and go to Ankara
and Samsun quite
often.I returned to the states in May of 59 and was assigned
briefly to Vint Hill Farms Virginia. I stayed there for about 1
month when the army decided that it needed my MOS elsewhere. C
& A asked me if I would like to spend my final year over seas
again and they offered me a choice of Kyushu, Japan, Korea or
Hawaii. I chose southern Japan and was stationed for the final 12
months at the 14th USASA Field Station. When I arrived in Japan
they had no need for my skills as a truck driver and they had no
radio station...So, they reassigned me as a supply clerk, which
is how I finished my days in the military. Upon discharge in
1960, I returned to Salt Lake City, UT where I remain to this
day. Happily married to the same woman for about a thousand years
and have 4 grown children and 6 grandkids. I have spent most of
the past 40 years in the civilian end of transportation business
as a dipatcher and manager. I am looking towards retirement in a
few years but for the present, I enjoy working...I would welcome
e-mail from anyone who may remember me, Clint Anderson, at cra711@earthlink.net
................................................................................................................................................
GENTRY, Bob E5 C/C Det 27, MY66-NO68, (Carol), Sarasota, FL trackerz1@aol.com </ym/Compose?To=trackerz1@aol.com>
Great site!!! I can't thank you
enough for putting this together. The photos are excellent, and
I've already spent hours going through them. I can't thank you
enough. Out of all the names on the roster, the only one I
recognize is Ron Stachowics--who we called whenever or equipment
broke down. I arrived in May, 1966, after basic training at Fort
Leonard Wood, and a few months at Fort Gordon. I worked in the
"vault" and I believe it was Capt. Vanoy who was in
charge at the time, assisted by SFC Barnes, and SSG Sam Savage. I
worked rotating shifts in the CommCenter until I made SGT, and
was assigned to the "vault" office, working under CW2
Gerald Elkins (who replaced Vanoy) and SFC William Osborne (who
replaced Barnes). Don't hold me to this as gospel because I might
be off on some of the names and their responsibilities, but I'll
be pretty close. I lived in the barracks for a while, but after I
made E-4 my wife flew over and we rented a penthouse apartment in
Bachilieveler on 4th street. Took the Varan out to the post
everyday. My wife got a job on post work for Lt. Rex Lardner, and
later got a job with the airforce as a secretary, working
downtown near the NCO Club. Some of the people I remember are Ken
Mullens, Stan Marple, John Piedle, Pete Adams, Hart, Schultz,
Doug Holcomb (we played softball together--he worked in special
services) WOW! My mind just went blank--I know there's more. Oh
yeah, a guy named "Jeep" and his wife Marlene--they
were from Ohio and lived near us off base. Midnight's was great!
We had a war going with the "diddy-bops"--would sneak
out of the "vault" with blowguns and attack them at
their positions and then run back to the refuge behind the thick
steel doors. This went on for weeks, and they would set up
ambushes and nail our ass whenever we came out. Spitballs in long
tubes--relatively harmless and a whole lot of fun! I was part of
team that stayed behind to shut down the facility. All of our
equipment was moved off the hill and placed in a room in the
admin building. Can't remember how many days or weeks went ran
things before they pulled the final plug. We had to patrol around
all the vacant buildings in case the Turks came over the fence to
steal. Talk about a ghost town! That's about all for now. I'll
try to dig up some more memories.
See ya, Bob Gentry
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRONOSKY, Jim PVT-SP2 982 RA12455927 Det 4, AP56-57, (Jan), 909 Lanyard Ln., New Bern, NC 28560, 252-633-4958, janjim@coastalnet.com </ym/Compose?To=janjim@coastalnet.com>. Jim was one of the ASA pioneers at Sinop. I was able to contact him thru the Special Orders #79 that Jim Van Brocklin sent me.
******************************************************************************************************
From: Norman Frickey </ym/Compose?To=nfrickey@kci.net>
Subject: Small world Elder...last night I was with my wife at a HS faculty lawn party and struck up a conversation with the computer teacher...I found out that he was a Vietnam vet so we chatted and then chuckled at how we had been to some of the same places but missed each other by months and a few years. One of the places was in RVN and the other in Turkey .. he said he had been stationed outside Ankara, etc...then he mentioned a strange message on his message machine....he said he didn't recall the name but it was a vet, an Elder someone --- the machine stopped recording before he got the full message and he was somewhat puzzled .... that touched my memory/ and wa, la, seems as if you've found another Det 27er -- Bob Mullen. I told him of your quest and promised to pass your email address on to him. It is truly a small world. Best regards, Norm Frickey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: EILEEN KREUZER </ym/Compose?To=kreuzereileen@hotmail.com> Merraha Habba, Nus a Sinus? I want to be added to the Mailing List, please. I did my time "on the hill" from 1980 thru 1981. Yes, I was there during the military coup, when we were sequesterd to the Base for the weekend. I served as the S-2/OSI Clerk and did legal clerical work, as well. (71L/71D20). I live north of Philadelphia & regret I can't make it next weekend to the Reunion; sounds like it'd be a fun time. ASA Lives....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUDVIK, Robt A DOB: 1934, E3 RA27947889 Det 4, AP56-57, (Shirley), 122 N Black Eagle Dr., Mankato, MN 56001, 507-388-4801, no e-mail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MINNIX, Chas Marvin DOB 1937 E2-SP3 RA16492700 204 Det 4, 28AP56-57, (div), 4214 E Raymond St., Indianapolis, IN 46203, 317-356-9757, no e-mail
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SMITH, Murray (Smitty), Det 27, 63-64, (Gail), 202 Walnut St., Lake Jackson, TX 77566, msmith@sat.net </ym/Compose?To=msmith@sat.net> Lived in Ankara per Ted Midtaune
I got your e-mail from a friend who told me you had a web site or something concerning Det 27 in Turkey. I was at Det 27 from 1963 thru 1964. I would be interested to see what you have put together. They gave your name as Elder Green. I don't remember anyone by that name, however there were lots of people there and we may never have crossed paths. Thanks
*****************************************************************************************************
TEAKERT, Terrance D DOB: 1934
PFC-CPL 058 Det 4, AP56-57, (Janet), 804 S. Franklin St., Bunker
Hill, IL 62014, 618-585-3063, janett@lcls.org
Terry had thoughts of
making the ASA a career, but....... He grad from Southern
Illinois Univ at Edwardsville, IL and taught 32 years in the
Junior HS system.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEFFEN, Arnold Det 4, 1043 Old Humboldt Rd., Jackson, TN 38305, asteffen4@aol.com </ym/Compose?To=asteffen4@aol.com>
Dear Elder Green: - I would be proud to have my pictures displayed in any way you wish to use them in your Memory Book. Also would be interested in attending a reunion. Have resently retired and have more time to pursue my interests. Arnold Steffen
*******************************************************************************************************
TAPS
BOGGAN, Beth widow of Phillip Boggan E2 RA14548374 Det 4. AP56-57, MS 662-285-3341 I obtained Phil Boggan's name from Special Orders #79 dtd 28AP56 that were sent to me by Jim Van Brocklin and I called. jean informed me that Phil was in perfect health on 20 June 2002 and that he had a massive heart attack on the 21th and passed away. She told me that Phil often talked about his time at Sinop and that he never heard from anyone after he was discharged. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SCHMITT, Katherine M., widow of retired SFC
Dan'l L. Schmitt E6 Det 27, 65-67 From: Edward
J. Gallant, Jr.
Dan Schmitt served at Tuslog Det.
27, 65-67. >From my many conversations with him in Fitchburg,
MA, I believe he was there with his family somewhere around
'65-'67. Some of your readers may know him and could possibly
correct me. He was a great guy and a fine Fitchburg State College
campus police officer. FITCHBURG -- Daniel L. Schmitt, 67, of
Fitchburg, died Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002 in Birchwood Care Center,
1199 John Fitch Highway, after an illness. He was born Aug. 3,
1935, in Jasper, IN.,and had lived most of his life in Fitchburg.
He graduated from Jasper High School in 1953. Mr. Schmitt served
on the Fitchburg State College campus police force for 18 years,
retiring with the rank of lieutenant in 1997. After high school
he served in the Army, starting in 1955. He was assigned to the
former U.S. Army Intelligence School at Fort Devens as a sergeant
first class in the military police. He then served in the Vietnam
War in 1971 and 1972. Before his retirement in 1979, he received
the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf
cluster, the National Defense Medal with oak leaf cluster, the
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with two palms, and a Meritorious Unit
Citation. Mr. Schmitt was a member of St. Bernard's Church and
active in the St. Bernard's Elementary School PTA., serving as
its treasurer. He was a past president of the International
Police Association, Region 12. He leaves his wife of 34 years,
Katherine M. (Buckley) Schmitt
******************************************************************************
BIO of Ted Willingham
I grew up in San Antonio, Texas and after 3 years of college decided to enter the service. No one but the Army would take me and they offered me this new thing they called the "ASA" it sounded okay so I said why not. After training I ended up in Turkey (fall 66-Jan 68) was working on Sugartree Project as a 33C term inceptor equipment repairman, also working other MOS in the section. I normally worked from 10PM-7AM in the section and seemed to spend most of my time there. In the summer of 1967 I also worked as a Lifeguard at the post pool and taught swimming to the small kids, babies to 6 years. I was on call just about all of the time and did not get much time off site 23. After Turkey I was assigned to HQ company at Fort Devens as an electronics instructor. I taught the first eight week block of basic electronics as the core instructor (5PM-1AM shift). I went to the TS250 course at Meade in 1968 for 8 weeks and in Jan 1969 got a part time job at Digital Equipment in Maynard, MA as a wireman to supplement the Army salary. In October 1969 I married Sue, in a new chapel at Fort Devens. I left military service on Dec. 19, 1969. I continued to work at Digital for 26 years as a Product Audit Work Coordinator until they closed the plant in Westfield, where we had moved. Since then I returned to school to get my Associates Degree in accounting, My wife is employed at Clarke School for the Deaf and we decided that I would take care of the housework, cooking, yardwork, animals and laundry and she would continue to work..somedays I think she got the best deal.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIO of Ellie Potter
After I left Turkey and got transferred to Berlin for 8 months I mustered out in December of '64 with, and I mean it, some great memories, particularly of the guys I met while in the agency.
It was also really neat to be able to travel cheap in those days to European points (remember "Europe on $5 a Day"?)
I did some bumming around in the years after, eventually finishing college with business adminstration and jouirnalism/PR majors at Utica College of Syracuse in New York State.
Moved to New England (hell, Devens was always the place I wanted to spend the rest of my life, ha ha) and got a job on a small daily newspaper in Northampton, Mass., where I met Candy who was working at the University of Masschusetts in nearby Amherst at the time. We got married, first lived in a farmhouse where there was no central heating and kept warm with woodstoves (and each other of course). Five years after that and living in an apartment in Northampton we headed up to Maine. We'd traveled there on vacation and really liked the place and I was fortunate to find a job on a paper in Waterville, right in the middle of Vacationland. You know how it is when you take a job sometimes -- you say "I'll work here for a few years, then move." Well, it turned out that we stayed put, not only at the paper but in the old farmhouse with two woodstoves (some habits are hard to break) in nearby Winslow, Maine. Couple of years ago we sunk our dowry into buying a camp on Mt. Desert Island which we have been fixing up for a retirement home and is about 2 hours away from us here in Winslow. Candy still works at a local bank in the loan department, but I retired from the paper about a year ago and we are fixing to sell this house and move "downeast" in a couple of years or so. We see ASA friends every so often like Gary and Marian Winch. Ted and Merry Midtaune say they are coming out here real soon for lobster too. If any of you've never been to Maine, c'mon over and we'll show you why we got stuck here for a lifetime. I'm still wondering where Lanny Couvillon and his missus went at the reunion. I really regret that we lost contact Saturday night because it's the first time I've seen the guy in 40 years and damned if he hasn't changed at all. Still looks like the jock he was at Manzarali. Hope this blabber helps with the BIO stuff you're looking for Elder. Again, pat yourself on the back for a job well done at this year's gathering. I bet these things continue to grow in the future. Enjoy your time in Colorado. Elliott (Ellie) Potter
*********************************************************************************
BIO of
Captain-Major R. J. (Joe) Peisinger,
Manzarali Engineer, 1964-1966
Spouse: Gretchen
LTC, USA-RET
After graduating from West Point in ‘54 I attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne and Ranger schools. My first assignment was to the 11th Airborne at Ft Campbell, KY. I was part of the Advance Party that arrived in Augsburg, Germany in Dec ’55. My job was to sign for the HQ Co equipment which included some light aircraft as well as the weapons, vehicles, the company billets and the Regimental HQ building, etc. I had two great NCO’s (SFC’s) who taught me a lot and kept me from losing my butt when accepting the property. On that tour I spent 1.5 years at the Division Airborne School and established the first Army Skydiving Club in Europe. I managed to get in two free-falls at the French Airborne School in Pau, France. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to get my Masters Jump Wings before going off jump status, I had 74 and needed one more.
I was then assigned to the Infantry School in the Weapons Department at Ft Benning, GA. My wife still laughs at receiving a "baby cup" with the inscription "From the Ladies With Small Arms." While there I decided it would be nice to get a Master’s Degree. The Engineers offered an opportunity, so after 5.5 years in the Infantry I transferred, as a CPT, to the Corps of Engineers.
After attending the Advance Course at Ft Belvoir, VA for 6 months, I was assigned to Korea. These were the days of the Cuba Missile Crisis. The day I set foot in Korea it was announced the tour was extended from 12 to 16 months. In those days time and money prevented an opportunity from visiting home during the tour. I was a Combat Engineer Company CO for 10 months and an Advisor/Property Book officer to a Korean Construction BN for 6 months. One of the duties besides doling out US construction supplies was to pay about 300 Civilians who were in labor companies each month.
Upon returning from Korea I was assigned temporarily to the ROTC Department at Texas A&M for 5 months before my course work started. I had arrived in early December, told to sign in on Friday and report to the PMS&T Monday at 0730. "We don’t have anything for you to do before, Christmas, no sense wasting your leave." I reported in and was told to attend MAJ so & so’s class at 0800 because I was going to teach it at 0900 and 1400 that day! The scheduled instructor had come down with an un-expected long illness.
After receiving my Masters Degree in Civil Engineering (soils and water treatment) I was scheduled to be the Resident Engineer at Sigonella Naval Air Station in Sicily. Wife even took Italian lessons from a Sicilian priest while we were in College Station. But the Navy ceased their construction projects there. I was then told I was going to Athens, Greece to be in the Area Engineer Office. Subsequently I ended up at Manzarali Station, Site 23 as a CPT and the Post Engineer. What do I do now, punt?
As the Post Engineer my primary job was to render reports on the performance of the Tumpane Company in the Post Engrs, who not only administered the Post Engrs but the laundry and commissary as well.
In that capacity I got to know LTC R.J Dooley, CWO Nolan, CPT Walt Wolfe quite well. I had been told that before my arrival there were three Engr MAJ’s that worked under the S-4, One was the trouble shooter for outlying areas at Sinop, Adana, Teheran and Meshed. The other was the Post Engineer and I don’t know what the other was supposed to do.
LTC Dooley was a great person to work for as well as working with the others in the S-4 office. LTC Dooley was the real muscle behind getting the swimming pool built. He really bent arms and pounded tables! I was mostly the "gofer." Inasmuch as I lived in Ankara with my wife and 5 kids, I didn’t have a lot of contact with the others at Site 23. I must say I enjoyed the opportunity to be a problem solver when visiting the other sites. I was impressed that World War I German submarine diesel engines were still providing reliable power in 1964 at Sinop. My one effort of contriving a nice boondoggle was when an emergency surfaced in Meshed. The schedule for rotating the use of the generators resulted in all three generators going on deadline simultaneously. I was aware of an Air Force civilian who had the capability of repairing the engines. I arranged to get him on loan from the AF. The trip included travel to Teheran. Then Meshed, then because it was cheaper our return would be from Meshed to Kabul, to New Delhi, to Beirut then Ankara. Unfortunately, the day before we departed, the Indians and Pakistanis had gone to war! I couldn’t proceed any further east than Teheran and even that was in question while we were airborne. The mission was accomplished. The civilian, who at this point in his career was more of an advisor, rolled up sleeves and cannibalized the other two generators and got one running. Then sent back a requisition for the needed parts and instructed the on-site personnel what they had to do when the parts came in..
Although my DEROS would have been Dec ’66, Army Times reported a desperate need for Field Grade Engineers to volunteer for RVN. I had made MAJ the previous year. I knew I would be going there next anyway, why not move the family and get on change of stations during the summer instead of the winter. I volunteered and left within about 6 weeks.
I was supposed to be the Bn S-3 for a Combat Engr Bn in Qui Nhon. But before reporting in I was sent to be the XO of the 70th Engineer BN. in An Khe. I spent the entire year in that location as XO. Our mission was that of a Construction Bn. While I was there our normal 650 man BN was augmented with attachments that would bring our total to 1600 troops. We were responsible for building the base camp for the First Cav, building a hospital, a 60 ton ice plant, a 600K barrel POL farm, building the only concrete airstrip in a combat zone while maintaining another strip that had so many other surfaces it was hard to keep track. We pre-fabbed hootches for the Infantry troops, using civilian labor, so they could erect hootches for themselves; ran at least 3 stone quarries outside the perimeter and ran constant runs of rock to Pleiku. There were many other missions too numerous to describe. I was impressed by the fact that during my entire year there we did not have a single fatality from any cause, combat, construction, accident or whatever. This was the time when one was reading of "fraggings" as well. We didn’t have any, thank God.
Upon return I was supposed to be the Deputy Engineer in Charleston, SC. But as usual, with my orders, I ended up in the same job in New Orleans, probably for the better. The only military was my boss a Colonel and me, a MAJ. We had 1000 civilians. I was authorized contracting authority up to a certain amount and my boss about double. It was a great assignment. I made LTC and after two years was assigned to the Engr Command in Frankfurt, Germany as Chief, Military Const.
I was in Frankfurt a year and then took command of an Engineer Bridge Bn in Karlsruhe, Germany for 18 months. I worked for 4 months in the office of the Community Coordinator so that my son who was a senior in high schooI could compete for a Merit Scholarship. He did receive one, which he wouldn’t have if we had moved. A four year scholarship was important in a large family!
I was sent directly overseas not knowing what my assignment might be. I had many friends who were in the field by themselves as Field Advisors to the RVN and figured that’s where I might be assigned. I was in Saigon about two days and learned that I would be the XO in an Advisory Team that worked with the RVN Chief of Engineers. I was only there for 9 months because the "Peace Accords" that were signed. My boss had been med-evacced home about a month prior and I acted as the Advisor to the Chief of Engineers for about a month. After getting everyone’s orders arranged and closing up the team, I turned off the lights and left RVN.
While I was on leave I was told I was to be the Post Engr of an Army Airbase outside of Ft Worth, TX. I insisted that if I was to be a Post Engr again I’d like to get some training in it. Which they did. Upon arriving at Belvoir I read that the Army was going to close the base I was going to. "Just rumors complete your 6 weeks TDY." The last week at the school I was notified they closed the base! Next I was going to Dallas to be an Advisor to an Engineer Reserve unit. They downgraded the slot to major so I next was assigned to the Army Readiness Group at Ft Sam Houston as Chief of the Engineer Team. Our job was to work with Reserve and National Guard units in TX and LA. I was there a year and approaching completion of 20 years service. With a wife and 5 kids to support I needed to think of a second career. I retired after 20 years, 10.5 of them spent overseas and of those 37 months unaccompanied. Rough on a family.
I went into the life insurance and investment field. Two and a half years with Aetna, 2 and a half years with Lincoln National and 11 years with USAA, from which I retired in 1990.
Since then, my wife and I have downsized to apartment living and are trying to get in as much travel as we can accomplish before we become too decrepit. We like the cruises the best. Our last was a river cruise from Amsterdam on the Rhine, Main and Donau. We just barely beat the flooding when we disembarked in Vienna on August 12, '02
**********************
LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN THE ATTIC
This is a new addition to the weekly DAYS OF OUR LIVES and to make it WORTHWHILE, I need INPUT from every VET who served in the ASA in TURKEY.
Here's Phil Kelly's (E4 S2 Det 27, DE62-MY64, Ridgecrest, CA., res037jb@gte.net </ym/Compose?To=res037jb@gte.net>) response to WHAT CHAS. MCCLEVISH'S MEMORY FOUND: "Charles, I enjoyed your post on DOOL #86 about our briefings of NEWCs and the taxi message. Your brain has retained so much more than mine, however your statements are right on as it comes back to me now. I also have remembrances of Rivaldo and Kindig and that story about the bus trip sounds so much like those two. It would be nice if we could find Kindig but I did some searches and couldn't come up with the right one. Phil Rivaldo was the PBX operator that put your call through to the states so you could talk with the folks back home. I only did that once or twice that I can remember. I used reel-to-reel tapes quite a bit and even still have one with my 20-year-old know-it-all voice on it. I am so looking forward to our get together in Hershey
******************
REUNION CANCELLATION From: "Don Creig Myers" creigmy@swbell.net </ym/Compose?To=creigmy@swbell.net>. Dear gH: Well great plans run astray and I will not be with you guys again this year except in heart and spirit...My kidney stone of March has drained all extra finances...hope you have a great time and I am sure to read about it in the newletter. I would be interested in some 4-4 patches just let me know how much and I'll send a money order.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Daryl Waite" <k9jpq@hotmail.com
</ym/Compose?To=k9jpq@hotmail.com>>
Elder: - Made a short call to
Stanley DeRieux recently, informing him of the reunion. (Cdr Det
66, 63- Jan 64). He is now 84 and in good health. No e-mail, but
Tel no and address correct, add Apt. 1406. Claims I'm first Det
66 to contact him. (419 Adkinson Dr. Honolulu, Hi 98614 Apt.
1406) Attempts to locate a couple others failed. It appears some
addresses and tel nos were added to roster direct from switch
board without checking to be certain it was right person. Will
send info soon as I can relocate notes.
Daryl------------------
- - - -- - - - - END - - - - - - - - -