Subject: DAYS OF OUR LIVES #95
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 07:00:37 -0600
MAIL-call - 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
ANYONE REMEMBER HAROLD SCHUTZMANN FROM DET 4 IN SINOP??
Dear Mr. Green, My name is Oliver Schutzmann, Harold Schutzmann’s son. Maybe you knew my dad from Sinop. I am preparing a eulogy for my father who passed away last Wednesday. While searching the internet, I came across your note (below). I’ve gathered a lot of information about my dad that I want to put in my reading – from different periods of his life. From his time in Sinop he never told me a lot…apart from drinking stories, a soviet vessel wishing Merry Christmas, a guy from the basketball team called "big red" and someone people called "the plumber". As you may know, my father left the military and went to Spain because he loved to play the guitar. He stayed in Europe and ended up living in Germany. In that context, we haven’t been in touch with any of his old friends back home (e.g. high-school, Monterrey or Stanford University) If you knew my father, maybe there is something special you remember about him. Something humorous or maybe something that would best describe him in those days would be well appreciated. Many thanks in advance Oliver Schutzmann, Sachsenhäuser Landwehrweg 179, 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany - Tel.: ++49 69 130 258-12 Fax: ++49 69 130 258-20 Mob.: ++49 179 461 3306 oliver.schutzmann@smartcaps.com
SULLIVAN, Frank 98GRU Det 4, 71-72, Virginia Beach, VA, crypto7073@erols.com Was in sinop 70-73. Still think back on the experience. Frank Sullivan, Virginia Beach, VA
McCOLLUM, H.W Det 66, JL58-DE59, hwmcmm@aol.com It was a long time ago that I was
stationed in Turkey. In fact it was July 1958 to Dec 1959. My 1st
5 months were spent with JUSMAT as a weapons instructor and the
last 13 months were with Det 66 which was Headquartered 1 block
north and across the street from the American Embassy. I still
get the opportunity to practice the language since there are a
few Turkish students at the local University.
My ability to speak Turkisk almost got me recalled to active duty
for Desert Storm but the was was called off a few days before I
was scheduled to board the plane. Happy Holidays to you and
yours.
Hosca Kal ; Gule Gule; Allahaismaladik; Elveda. H.W. McCollum
BERG, Donald G Det 4, 82-83, 206-221-2419, chicosan01@yahoo.com
It would appear that my tour in
Sinop was pretty recent (82-83) compared to a lot of the people
on your site. I do have VERY fond memories and always like to
chat with old-time Sinopers.DONALD G. BERG
Academic Personnel Officer, School of Nursing, Box 357260, Univ
of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
JONES, Ira J., DOB: 2NO42, E4, 982, Det 27, 62-63, Jacksons Gap, AL 36861, ijjoneskmc@yahoo.com. Mississippi native now living in Alex.City, AL. I enjoyed my work in Manzarali especially 3rd shift mids in the T/A section. I did a lot of walking in Ankara to various places and sites; Olympic Hotel; Ataturk Park, Ataturk Blvd, the Citadel, big "K". etc. I remember several names of friends; Donald Messerely, the Teague Bros., Steven Schiff, Don Fox, Charley Eberhard, Jack Brabbits, to name a few. My time there was pretty uneventful, blissfully unaware of most real world events. I do recall one 4th of July celebration when we had a bond of Turks with camel caravan on post--game booths, beer and fun for all! I have worked in the plumbing wholesale business 10 years, ordained SBC minister 25 years, biovocational used car sales 10 years. I am married, have 2 married daughters and am looking forward to retirement and travel. I want go out west---Rocky Mountains and Alaska by travel trailer. I would like to hear from any ole friends from Det 27 days. Thanks for all you do for ASA vets. Ira
GREENIP, Randy Det 27, JN63-OC64, (Carole), 101 New Castle Ct., Youngsville, NC 27596, 919-554-9357, reg44@mindspring.com - Does anyone remember a company clerk, 63-64, named Pope, I think his first name was John. He got into trouble with the Turks and was kept on base. He was still there when I left. I wonder what ever happened to him. Randy Greenip
MIDTAUNE, Ted B., E4, 058, Det 27, 24OC62-64, (Merry), 3859 Santa Clara Way, Livermore, CA 94550, 925-443-325?, midtaune1@llnl.gov [edited] Elder, - I'm retiring on 10 January 2003 and will no longer have the use of midtaune1@llnl.gov and you will have to task another vet with forwarding the DOOL's to the 14 vet's that you assigned to me. I expect that within several months we will be back on line. I will notify you when that occurs in the hope that we can get back in communication.
I NEED A VOLUNTEER TO FORWARD/RELAY THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES TO 14 VET'S
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 Howard, Thank you for the re-transmittal of DOOL #94. I don't know why I was unable to open the attachment the first time you sent it to me. Also enjoyed reading your Bio. I was at Det 27 with my wife and children summer '65 to summer'68. I think Elder does a great job in producing the letters that are enjoyed by so many vets. I also know he was an outstanding NCOIC of the TA Section at Det 27.Thanks again, Claude Vannoy
Elder, thanks. The articles are fine, I merely edited some words. I'm afraid, however, that someone else will have to be tasked with forwarding the DOOL in the future. As of January 10th, I'm retiring and will no longer have the use of this e-mail address. Until we get a home e-mail set up, we will not be available on the net. I expect that within several months we will be back on line. I will notify you when that occurs in the hope that we can get back in communication. Thanks again, and will look forward to DOOL #95
KEARNEY, Greg P E5 05H Det 4-4 SE68-OC71, (Lonnie), 11426 Brawley Rd., Hesperia, CA 92345, 760-949-5731, gpkearney@aol.com. gH, I knew I had a picture of the submarine that could be spotted around the Sea of Maramara from time to time. This is not the infamous Russian sub, but one of the Turkish subs seen from time to time. This picture was taken from my apartment where I lived on the third floor, about 1 block from the water, in Karamursel. I particularly liked this shot because it had the contrasting Turkish fishing boat in the foreground. I can remember watching these guys, doing diving exercises and manuevers with other ships in this area, quite a few times during my three year stay at Karamursel. I believe the subs were stationed, along with several small destroyer ships, at the Turkish Navy base at Golchuk. Everyone have a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year !!! - Greg Kearney Det 4-4
MIDTAUNE, Ted B E4 05H Det 27,
24OC62-64, (Merry), 3859 Santa Clara Way, Livermore, CA 94550,
925-443-3252, midtaune1@llnl.gov Hey, Elder. Loved the message to Mr. Green. All this time and only now are they showing any
respect?? What great timing
you have! The package with the Det 27 hat, T-shirt, and an
unexpected surprise golf shirt arrived just before Christmas
2001. The medium T was a perfect gift for my wife. Shame on me
for not thinking that she would like a remembrance too. As it
turned out, she was ecstatic over it, probably thinking that I
had forgotten that she was over there also. The hat and Golf
shirt are a big hit here in town and at work. They elicit
many questions, and allow me to expand on ASA's role in the days
of the Cold War. So, my friend, you did me a big favor. Well
done, Green Hornet! Again you have gone above and beyond.
I work at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. In Turkey, I was a
ditty bopper on Trick 3. Made E-4 there, then E-3, then E-4
again! Remember the movie Midnight Express? Poor Calvin Pope.
More about Calvin later in this BIO. I was fortunate to make E-5
at Ft Benning just in time for the free moving van home to
Bemidji, Minnesota.
Memories of Ditty Bop School
To pass a level in Morse Code at Devens, a few of us friends would go out the nite before for a bout of drinking in Ayer. We didn't share that secret with everyone, but it was a pretty good guarantee of passing that level the next day. There's probably a scientific reason for that? Seems to me that a bunch of us got to 21 wp(something)!! I know that it was a milestone.
Some interesting memories of Turkey
- How about swimming with the cows and boating/water skiing at Lake Golbasi - nasty water. Fifty cent steaks in downtown Ankara, 25 cent haircuts, and the Mini-Roof atop one of the higher buildings, where they only served vodka and lemon juice, but what a tremendous view at nite.
- Top quality Varan buses to and
from the Site. Stars & Stripes for news. Midnight chow served
by some excellent German cooks. Or were we just that hungry? Met
some fine people, and would not give the experience up for
anything.
- I recall the time Elliot Potter, myself, Pat Patterson and one
or two others got hold of a 1/2 ton (someone owes somebody big
time), and went off site on a fishing trip into the desert south
of Manzarali. I remember a garbage can (maybe two) full of beer,
finding worms at a village watering hole where the women were
washing clothes (and they couldn't understand what we wanted with
worms - ever try explaining using worms for bait?), and after a
day of driving found a brown stream (with trees!) where we
caught a bunch of carp or sucker-like fish. The kids from the
nearest village (a mile?) came out and had battles over who got
each fish. A terrific weekend.
- Anyone remember Ted Nelson? Ted was from MN and served at Det 27 during the 63-64 period. Some kind of track champion in civvy life, played wide-out in flag football. I remember Jay Hunter and myself heaving the football down field as far as we could and he would run under it. "Trick 3 was boss"! Ted caused a minor stir at Manzarali when he brought over his habit of wearing women's pantyhose when he played/ran. Said that the nylon kept his legs warm. He did admit to wearing skin colored hose so he wouldn't have to put up with too much guff from the rest of us. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he did something special after he got out of the service. Too bad that he has not been contacted as an alumni. Don't think that I will get enough of the stories, keep 'em coming. Merry’s arrival in Ankara
My wife Merry, (we were married in
1961 - 25 year old son and 22 year old daughter) came over to
Ankara for the last year in Turkey and she worked for Chaplain
DeVanney at Manzarali. We lived in Ankara and I more or less
missed all the action out at Site 23 during the off hours.
However, everyone from the site seemed to enjoy our apartment in
Ankara! Seems like I remember .07 cent Heineken beer available
from the Ankara PX. I know the bathtub was full of it along with
ice from the Eskegee’s! I loved my ASA Tour of Duty in
Turkey and especially my time at Site 23. The duty was so great
that I never did see the weapon that was assigned to me when I
first arrived! It was a time when people served with honor and I
am very proud of the time that I put in.
Merry and I were living in Ankara during the revolution and still
remember waking up early one morning to a plane flying over the
apartment building, strafing the streets. Tanks, etc., firing on
the military buildings - the War College Building took a beating.
We stayed home and drank beer for 3 days as I recall.
Bob Hope visit in 1963
Ankara was privileged to be one of the annual Christmas overseas
sites that Bob Hope visited back in 1963. I have no programs or
other memorabilia to remind me of that visit, but do have some
vague memories of Joey Heatherton, and of course his usual Miss
USA, or some other lady whom everyone went nuts over. Was this
the time that the lady did the reverse strip? This comes to mind
because Bob Hope’s birthday was recently, when it was
mentioned that his age precludes his doing his overseas thing any
more. What a shame - he was the antithesis of Jane Fonda, heh?
And for many more years than she got her anti-war
headlines. I do not think that I go too far when I say he was/is
a true American hero!
The assination of JFK
I remember the Turkish people crying in the streets when
President Kennedy was shot.
The 2001 reunion at Fort Devens
We had reservations and everything packed (including the photo
album) to fly from California to Bangor , ME to visit with
another Det 27 friend, Elliot Potter, and his wife Candy and then
to Fort Devens for the first reunion. But 911 changed those
plans. Received the 2001 Reunion Badge, and greatly appreciate
you sending it. The theatre ticket on the reverse is unique! The
only thing missing was me at the Reunion! Also received
your master list mailing. Did see some new names, and will be
contacting a few, but there are a bunch missing from the '62-'64
time frame at Det 27.
THE KING AND HIS FASTPITCH SOFTBALL TOURING TEAM
It was nice of Eddie Feigner (the King) to answer your query on
Jay Hunter and Doug Potts. Was sorry to hear about Jay Hunter
passing on. I believe that POTTS and HUNTER were from Southern
California. They were both really good ballplayers, and I believe
that both played college baseball. I roomed with Doug Potts for a
short time before my wife came over, but can't recall his
hometown. Actually, he may have shipped out about the same time,
because I recall buying a bunch of LP's from him so he would not
have to take them home. I think that Jay Hunter, and Ted (PJ)
Nelson, also played on the Tk #3 basketball team that won the
Manzarali Station Basketball tourney in 1963. I still have the
marble-based trophy for that championship. As a matter of fact,
either the CO or XO saw us play and asked me to play on the Site
team. Of course the jocks in Special Services (who had as good a
job as the Bulgarian linguists that I have been reading about -
come on guys, two days on and five off!!!) did not take kindly to
an outsider taking away playing time from one of their own, so
during a practice I got undercut going in for a layup and spent
several days in the infirmary with a knee the size of a melon. I
just never went back to practice, and went back to the Tk #3
schedule. Those Special Services guys had it made, though!
Prostrate trouble
Phil Kelly's e-mail about his operation reminded me of my own
experience that some of you may be interested in. In his e-mail ,
he mentioned a 4.2 positive PSA test; my own PSA test was in the
low 4's also. His concern over a 4.0 was proper, but not all
cases result in a positive biopsy. In my case, the doctor took
the samples (10 of them), and they all turned out negative. What
a relief! However, my reason for writing this is to alleviate any
concerns about the sampling technique. It was done on an
out-patient basis, and I drove to and from the hospital myself.
Taking the samples is not painful, merely uncomfortable, holding
your knees doubled up to your chest. A camera and a snatching
tool is inserted into your anus, and they proceed to take samples
through skin into your prostate. As I said, uncomfortable. Please
give a blood sample and have it tested for a high PSA level.
There are "quite a few" false positives, but better
that, than not knowing that you have a cancerous prostate. Phil
Kelly’s recommendation for an annual test should be a
no-brainer for anyone who was in the "top 10%" of all
those who enlisted in the Army.
My Dear Friend Calvin Pope
A fine guy, a good friend, and a rounder. He and I lived next to
each other in Ankara. We both rented places on Tunalahilmi (sp?)
Street before the wives came over. (And after, of course). You
can imagine that the places were busy on the weekends and between
the shifts! That was when the bathtub was full of beer and ice.
We were too cheap to have the electricity hooked up, so we played
cards with candles for lighting. (Had to save the money for
beer). Then the wives came over and that changed things.
substantially. Anyway, Calvin found a way to make a lot more
money and it involved some major purchases at the PX, and other
places, and then a quick turn-around to the local economy. The
problem was that he became too big a player and the Turkish
police became aware of him and apprehended him. This was a major
problem, and they threw him into the Turkish jail. Chaplain
DeVanney , Hubert Humphrey, and several other notable political
figures became involved, but to no avail. He went through several
trials, his wife Diane went back to the States, and there he
stayed. Hence my reference to the movie Midnight Express. He said
it was all too true to life! I believe it was several years
before Diane could "buy back" his sentence for $X/day.
I don't know how much she eventually paid out to the Turkish
government. He eventually got out and went home to Diane in
Summerdale, AL. We visited them once for a week and had a great
time shrimping, dove hunting, fishing, beering, dog races, etc.
However, they had a falling out and divorced. And that's what I
know about my friend Calvin.
Plan on retirement on 3 January 2003, then back to Bemidji in
Northern MN sometime after that, so will have time to do some
traveling then. The 2003 reunion is not entirely out of the
question - times and circumstances change. But with the wife and
I retiring in January 2003 (both 64), the vacation time is extra
money in the pocket, and the vacation time itself is a little
short this year. But who knows? As I said several friends are
going and I know that I would enjoy myself, and meeting all the
contributors to these "Days". See you.
What a wonderful job you have done! The roster is mind-boggling!
I cannot imagine the work that went into it. How can the reunions
not be a success. Again, thanks for all your work. This has been
a lot of fun. By the way, you and the wife look like a lovely
couple that is enjoying life! Sorry that I missed meeting you
both. Perhaps in 2003.
RODRIGUES, Charlie, E4, Supply,
Det 4, 59-60, 210 Benham Ave., Syracuse, NY 13219, 315-487-1195, pcrodrigues@webtv.net - Hi Elder.... Read about hunting trip,
but nothing about sucess of said
trip?? Found License Plate at
www.insigniaimprints.com (1-877-8091659) (Proud ASA Vet) Item # 24400194. I
am ready to meet and see everyone at the 2003 reunion. Can't
believe all the time wasted without internet. Later.....CR
Veterans Benefit Bill S.2237:
* Continue VA health insurance
coverage for eligible surviving spouses who remarry after
attaining age 55
* Establish a presumption of service-connection for hearing loss
associated with certain military skills (to be determined by the
VA in consultation with the National Academy of Sciences) and
authorize compensation for servicemembers who have a rated
hearing loss in both ears.
* Clarify the entitlement to special monthly compensation for
female veterans who have service-connected mastectomies.
* Allow the VA to offer adjustable rate home loans to veterans.
[Source: TROA Leg Update 11 NOV 02]
Health Stats for 2000:
A new report issued by the
National Center for Health Statistics indicates that American
adults are living longer, fewer babies are dying in infancy, and
the gap between white and black life
expectancy has narrowed during the past decade. The key findings
include:
*In 2000, average life expectancy at birth hit record highs, with
men at 74.1 years and women at 79.5 years. A century earlier,
life expectancy was 48 years for men and 51 years for women.
Those who reach age 65 now live to an average age of 81 for men
and 84 for women
*During the past half century, death rates among children and
adults up to age 24 were cut in half. Mortality among adults
25-64 years fell nearly as much, and dropped among those 65 years
and over by a third.
*The infant mortality rate -- deaths before the first birthday --
has dropped 75 % since 1950, dropping to a record low of 6.9
deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000, down from 7.1 in 1999.
*More than 40% of adults were smokers in 1965, compared with 23%
in 2000. Those without a high school education were still almost
three times as likely to smoke cigarettes as college graduates.
*Deaths among children and young adults from unintentional
injuries, cancer, and heart disease are down sharply. Among
working-age adults, fewer are dying from unintentional injuries,
heart disease, and stroke. For older Americans, the increase in
life expectancy is largely due to the sharp drop in deaths from
heart disease and stroke.
*Three in five adults ages 20-74 are overweight. One in four
Americans is considered obese. Almost 40% engaged in no physical
activity during leisure time, and women were more sedentary than
men. One in 10 Americans age 45-54, 1 in 5 of those 55-64 years,
1 in 4 of those 65-74 years, and 1 in 3 of those 75 years and
over reported being in fair or poor health.
*Americans spent $1.3 trillion on health care in 2000, or 13.2%
of the gross domestic product, far more than any other nation. A
third of the health care dollar was spent on hospital care, about
one-fifth on physicians, and almost one-tenth on prescription
drugs. The cost of prescription drugs increased 15% a year from
1995-2000 -- faster than any other category of spending.
*Hospital stays keep getting shorter: just 4.9 days on average in
2000. Twenty years ago patients spent more than 7 days in the
hospital. Sixty-three percent of all surgeries now are performed
as outpatient
procedures, with patients being sent home after a short stay in a
recovery room. A decade earlier, one-half of all surgeries were
on outpatients. In 1980 only 16% were done on outpatients.
*Federal and State government programs - principally Medicare and
Medicaid - paid 43% of all medical bills. Private insurance
covered 35%, and other private sources paid 5%. Consumers paid
17% out of their own pockets.
The 430-page report, Health, United States, 2002 can be viewed
online. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm
[Source: Consumer Health Digest #02-42, October 15, 2002]
VA Franchise Program [VetFran]: Owning a franchise operation is
now more affordable for veterans, thanks to a program recently
announced by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi.
The Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, commonly known as
"VetFran," allows veterans to acquire a franchise with
a down payment of 10 percent or less of the initial franchise
cost, which generally ranges from $45,000 to $150,000 for a small
business. Franchising companies absorb the difference.
International Franchise Association (IFA), the program's sponsor,
first introduced VetFran in the early 1990s as a way for
franchisers to express gratitude to military members for their
service during the Gulf War. In the last several years, the
program had all but been forgotten. The current war against
terrorism has rekindled interest in extending franchise
opportunities to military veterans. A Hawaii veteran recently
became the first to acquire a franchise under the revitalized
VetFran program,
obtaining a franchise for Expectec Technology Services, a
technology supplier headquartered in Garden Grove, Calif. He paid
$40,000 instead of the $60,000 he would have paid without
VetFran.
Currently, VetFran is limited to franchises with initial
investments up to $150,000, the maximum loan amount on which the
SBA offers 85 percent loan guarantees. So far, nearly 75
franchisers are participating. VetFran may expand later to
include franchises costing over $150,000, for which the SBA
offers 75 percent loan guarantees. Additional information is
available on VA's Web page at <http://www.vetbiz.gov/>.
[Source: VA News Releases dtd 20 NOV 2002]
How to File Tricare Hospital Claims: When your in the hospital
you get two kinds of bills. One is the bill for things the
hospital provides. These include room and board, special diets,
nursing services, gases, fluids, use of operating room,
laboratory, X-ray services and the like. You also get bills from
the individual professional providers such as your attending
doctor, the radiologist who reads the X-rays, the pathologist who
examined the laboratory specimens the hospital collected, and the
surgeon. It's easy to confuse all this and refer to it all as
your hospital bill. But they are two distinct types of billings.
For Tricare, they must be filed separately and are paid
differently. You need to tell the hospital upon admission that
you have Tricare as your secondary payer assuming you have other
health insurance [OHI] or are enrolled in TFL. When the hospital
files a claim for its services, it will
file first with your commercial insurer [OHI] and/or Medicare.
After that insurer pays its share, the hospital will file a claim
with Tricare for the balance. Either you or the doctor must file
a claim for each doctor's services. File first with your
commercial plan [OTH] if it pays on doctor's bills. After that
claim is processed and you receive an Explanation of Benefits
[EOB] (payment statement) you may file exactly the same bills for
that medical care provider with Tricare.
You must complete a Tricare claim Form 2642, which can be
downloaded from the Tricare web site
www.tricare.osd.mil/claimforms . Attach copies of exactly the same bills
that were sent to your OHI and a copy of their EOB showing its
processing of those bills. You must file a separate claim for
each doctor with your OHI and a separate claim for each doctor
with Tricare. If a doctor sends you more than one bill, you may
file several bills for that doctor on one claim form. If you have
no OHI or it does not pay for doctor's bills you may file your
doctor's bills directly with Tricare. Be sure to indicate on the
claim form under the OHI section in red marker that your OHI does
not pay for doctor's bills if applicable. If still denied and you
must refile, try attaching to each claim form a copy of the cover
page and the page from the OHI benefit booklet showing it does
not cover doctor's bills.
File first with Tricare if you have a Tricare supplemental
policy. Upon receipt of your EOB from Tricare submit it along
with copies of all Tricare covered bills to your Tricare
supplemental carrier. [Source: Navy Times James Hamby article 25
NOV 02]