Skytop Comments
Here are messages sent to me which have been allowed to me reproduced your
information purposes. Be sure send on details which you would like to see
included here.
Cheers:>)
David U. Larson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pennington, James (TLR Corp)" <jim.pennington@thomson.com>
Hello -
Searching on Skytop, thinking slim chance of finding a reference to my
class, and whattaya know....
For starters - Not knowing what you've gotten in responses, here goes on the
pictures, spelling not guaranteed:
#1 - Skorodens (the boss) and Ubans
#2 - That's you in front & Strickland in back
#3 - 1) Gravchenko.. 2) Igor (Novosolts?).. 3) Moses Tarasevitch.
I
remember Igor for encouraging me.
#4 - Ubans - love that gal!
#5 - 1) ??.. 2) Tarasevitch.. 3) Orlova
#6 - Huszhcha
#7 - Ossipova with Kent cigarette (Pochemu vyi ne dali mne vashu
domashnuyu
rabotu?)
#8 - I remember her & some of her story but not her name.
Next - I'd like to borrow those rose-colored glasses. Trust me, I need 'em
more than you do. I had an inordinate amount of growing up to do when at
Skytop, and would gladly accept the tradeoffs of some long-term memory loss.
Fortunately, I also remember the dedicated instructors, some great
classmates & some blessings in disguise.
I
could've bet somebody would bring up the unique pre-fried eggs in the dining
hall (read on).
I
had a good tour at Karamursel. There were two others from our
class, plus almost everyone from the two smaller classes that ran
concurrently with ours. A large contingent from the class ahead
arrived later after further training.
My
daughter & son-in-law have adopted a little girl from Novosibirsk.
This native Siberian seems right at home with us Minnesota polar bears &
is picking up English quickly - But I've somehow been able to remember
enough from Skytop to make a special connection.
Best
wishes to one & all from SR9-6-62, and special regards where
called for - you know who you are.
Jim
Jim Pennington
Thomson Legal & Regulatory Technical Services
Database Architecture
Jim.Pennington@Thomson.com
I
could've bet somebody would bring up the unique pre-fried eggs in the dining
hall (read on).
I
had a good tour at Karamursel. There were two others from our
class, plus almost everyone from the two smaller classes that ran
concurrently with ours. A large contingent from the class ahead arrived
later after further training.
My
daughter & son-in-law have adopted a little girl from Novosibirsk.
This native Siberian seems right at home with us Minnesota polar bears &
is picking up English
just came across your web site during a Google
search and enjoyed your recollections of the Air Force, Skytop, Russian
classes etc.
That was a few years ago!
I was living in the
"dorm" that burned down Jan.5, 1959 and lost my best buddy in the
fire. The memory, though faint, stays with me today. I've e-mailed a
continuing friendship with Ron F. who maintains the 6913th RSM website for the
past several years. He also survived that night's blaze.
After 9 years of Russkey
yazik study( 4 AF + 5 college), I switched paths to Special Education and
taught for 33 years before retiring in 1999. I used my language skills to
tutor new immigrants from the Soviet Union in English. I appreciated the
opportunity to use my Russian as much as they did learning English.
Thanks again for the
memory-I don't know how old the posting was but I hope this reaches you.
A/2c Don D
I am forwarding the lastest issue of the Hof Connection
update to you since I mentioned your webpage re Skytop along with other
comments in this issue (#191).
We probably have several hundred Skytopers amongst our
3800 membership, all of whom were stationed at Kingsley Kaserne in Hof/Saale
Germany (Nothern Bavaria, right on the East German, West German Czech border
and the closest Air Station or base anywhere in the world to the Soviets
during the Cold War) sometime between 1948 and 1975. Our membership
consists of Army, Air Force, Luftwaffe, Grenzschutz (German Border troops) and
civilians, both German and American.
Our 203's are primarily Russian and Czech trained
with the occasional Hungarian and Polish speaker and most of us also spoke
German, in my case learned there in Bavaria and not at Syracuse. I think
the German trained guys from Syracuse in my time anyway were mostly CID, CIC
and OSI guys, lots in civilian clothes.
For more info you can also visit www.hofreunion.com
or I would be more than happy to pass on questions you might have to our
people.
Thanks for the trip back in time!
Jerry Mangas
Secretary
Hof Reunion Association
Skytop 61-62, 63-64, Russian
Hof Connection update #191
05/18/05
Due to some personal
difficulties....
This newsletter may not have the detail, depth
and breadth I am usually able to bring to the update. A non-injury
accident, totaling my car, even when the other guy's insurance has accepted
full resresponsiblityan be a bear to straighten out. Hopefully things
will return to normal quickly.
After our time, and
tragic but still interesting... especially when you
consider the story of our favorite boxer and AP, Ernie Curtis, taking the
good Soviet officer's camera away in the 60's.
The Stars & Stripes
March 27, 1985
An Army Major was killed, on what U.S.
officials described as a legitimate reconnaissance mission in East Germany
(northeast of Berlin). He had been observing Soviet tank sheds, the
Associated Press reported U.S. sources as saying Tuesday.
The 37-year-old officer from Connecticut was
standing outside a Soviet military installation looking at the tank sheds when
he was shot and killed, an American diplomatic source said.
The Soviets said that Maj. Arthur Nicholson
was shot while he was taking photographs of military equipment.
The spokesman, Michael Burch, said the
shooting was in strong contrast with the treatment of Soviet officials caught
off-limits recently in West Germany.
Burch said there was an incident near Hof, in
Bavaria, on March 20, 1985 in which three members of a Soviet observation
group were arrested by men of the U.S. 1st Armd Div. [sic] The Soviets
were turned over to German authorities who escorted them, without the use of
force, to their base at Frankfurt, Burch said.
On Jan. 25, Soviet officers were detained
after they were found taking pictures during NATO's Reforger 85 exercise.
They also were returned peacefully to their unit in Frankfurt, Burch added.
"Our view is that you take their camera
away, and you send them home," Burch said. "You don't shoot
unarmed soldiers."
And a joke,
just slightly paraphrased...
A
guy is driving around and he sees a sign in front of a house that says:
FOR SALE
TALKING
DOG
He rings the doorbell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The
guy goes into the backyard and sees a Labrador retriever sitting there.
"Do you really talk?" he asks.
"Yep," the Lab replies.
"So, what's your story?"
The Lab looks up and says:
"Well, I discovered that I had an aptitude for foreign
languages when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I
told them about my gift, and in no time at all they had me running
from Syracuse University to Indiana University to the Presidio in Monteray and
back to Yale and then to Fort Meade and Vint Hill Farms and San Angelo in
west way west Texas. They taught me Rusian, Chinese, Korean and German
and Czech and Hungarian and Polish and had me jetting from country to country,
sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog
would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years
running. But the flying around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't
getting any younger so I decided to settle down. But just to stay current I
learned Arabic and Spanish on my own. I signed up for a job at the airport to
do some undercover security wandering near suspicious characters and listening
in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I
got married, had a mess of puppies and now I'm just retired."
The guy is amazed, and he goes back to the house and asks the owner how much
for the dog.
"Ten dollars," the owner says.
"Ten dollars!?! This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so
cheap?"
"Because he's a liar. He never got any medals!"
(Thanks
to Tom Mikloiche with a bit of help from ye ed.)
And
we made the list....
From
a Google search.... But finding us in that stack of 1386 is a little harder.
And
a link for you recovering Syracuse trained 203's...
This
extensive link was passed on by John Dorsch and should
provide a bit of a jerk back in time for you Skytop types. The aerial
pics appear to be from possibly the later sixties judging by some of the
construction visible and they also include a good view of not only
the new and the old barracks but also of Fertility Flats in the background.
I do think the writer stretched the truth a bit about the quality of
the food in the cafeteria. During my first tour thru Syracuse in 1961, the
University Food Service was so bad that actual food riots were a common
occurence down on campus. We military types were entirely too well behaved
for that, of course. But it doesn't mean we didn't consider it! There is
also some excellent background on the Defense Language Institute that I had
not seen before.
Available again in Nashville....
Jim Riggins and crew will again have
the famous Hofer Cao available in Nashville for a very modest $15.00. Orders
will be taken in advance. There might be the possibility that a limited
number of hats will also be available in the Hospitality Suite. Get your
registrations in soon!
The mid-year (July) Newsletter...
Due to the fact that the Nashville Reunion
will be in September this year instead of the more normal October date, we
will try to have the July newsletter published and in the mail by early June.
If you have information for the Association that you would like to see
included, please forward it to Hofreunion@fast.net
as soon as possible for consideration. Thanks.
Another note from far afield...
I will be in Hof for the Schlappentag this year. I am currently
working in Kabul Afghanistan and will be taking my R&R on 18 May.
I am meeting my wife and oldest daughter there. Incidentally, they
made the same trip 44 years ago to meet me in Franfurt when I was stationed
at Hof in the 602 AC&W. I was a radar operator as well as the Ops
clerk. I have a lot of good memories from Hof. I probably won't
help drink as much now as I did back then, but, who knows? I was
in Hof from 1960 till 1963.
602 AC&W Sqn
1960-1963
Do you recognize this guy?
One of our own... Guest starred on the Jay
Leno show, and his resumé includes (among many things) the following:
DIALECTS: African, Carribean, East
Coast, French, German, Indian, Italian, Russian, Southern.
LANGUAGES: Fluent in German. Conversational in French.
SPORTS: Aerobics, Aikido, Bicycling, Boating, Bowling, Canoeing,
Firearms, Football, Horses (western), Hapkido Karate, Roller Skating,
Softball, Snowmobile, Swimming, Water-skiing
SPECIAL SKILLS: Flying (fixed wing), Licensed Motorcyclist (25+ yrs. -
present bike, 1100 cruiser), Singing (classical, opera, pop, rock),
Standup Comedy (suggestive, not blue), Trucks (including semi)
|
And an update from Miles Nelson...
Gail went into congestive heart failure at the care center on the
11'th. She was transported to KU Medical Center in KC, KS, one of
the best cardiac centers in this area. Her heart is not strong
enough to help fight off a new lung infection, so she is on life support
again to help her heart from overworking. She is critical, and
stable since 11 PM .
Gail was taken off life support equip Saturday morning, the 14'th. She
was awake and doing fine when I went over to KU Med Center to see her last
night. She asked me to get her a diet Coke, and consumed half of it by
the time I left, 2 hours later. She is of course, weak but alert.
She tells me she is determined to come home ASAP, and my lady is determined,
so we expect the best.
17 May 2005 Update
# 191
NASHVILLE REUNION REFUND RULE: Registration Fees
are 100% refundable through August 15th.. After August 15th, 100% will
be refundable for certified and documented emergencies. If you haven’t
already responded, jump on board now. Help us serve you by mailing in
your Nashville 5-9 Reunion Registration and Banquet Dinner selection today.
NASHVILLE REGISTRATION:
Ruthie Blumenstein
Bill & Roberta Landers
Keith & Mary Martin
Ken & Kay Putman
CORRECTIONS & NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES:
Jerry & Hilde Middendorf = j.middendorf@comcast.net
DONATIONS:
Ken & Kay Putman
$10.00
NEW FINDS:
Al & Sharon Battaglino Jackson,
NJ 732-833-8383
FINAL FLYBY LIST: Keith Faile
LADIES SERVING IN HEAVEN:
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
WARNING
The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential
and thus protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the
intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this
message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us
immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from your computer.
Thank you
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Do you remember the rubber sunny-side up eggs
with cold toast for breakfast?
But!
The absolute worst that I remember was
"Creamed Eggs on Toast", a Friday night meal and they honest to
God ran out of eggs! We got to calling it Creamed Eggs on Toast, Hold the
Eggs! I think they also featured balogna sandwiches on the occasional Friday
night supper from time to time.
The Friday night meals in 64 were SO bad we got
to going down on South Salina to a bar called, I think, McCarthy's, right
after class let out at 3 or so.
A beer and a shot was a quarter! 75 cents later
we didn't care how bad the damn food was. Then it was off to Drumlins to
check out the chickies.
When you were there was the food out at the Air
Base (Hancock?) top drawer? I remember caviar on the salad buffet in the
mess hall. I had never seen an all-you-can-eat salad buffet anywhere before,
let alone in a chow hall! Fantastic stuff. Made sick call and the dentist
visits a true pleasure.
And you could also get "fast food" if
you didn't want lunch. Hot dogs from a rotating machine that used a heat
lamp (those things are still around!).
Joe said:
Jerry:
Re: Skytop Food: I remember one day sitting in the mess
hall drinking coffee. The "mess Sgt" was talking to one of
the university administrators. He said, and I can just about
quote this word for word, "Hell, I get $1.75 a day to feed these
guys. They're lucky if I spend a buck." A typical supper
was "Yankee Pizza" which consisted of half a hamburger bun
with some tomato sauce on it and a slice of American
cheese, stuck under the broiler. That was dinner, and you
could only have two. I can't remember having fresh salad there.
Once in a while we got some canned fruit at breakfast.
And of course the questions arises, what happened to the $.75 that
didn't get spent on us guys?
Hi. This is Bill Roth, near Detroit, Michigan. I very much
enjoyed your site. I was in class SR 9-4-62 at Skytop, which graduated
just a few days before Christmas in 1962. Our class's grammar instructor
was Mr. Ossipov. After Goodfellow, I served for about a
year with the 6910th in Darmstadt, and then 2T to the 6937th in Peshawar for
about another year. I remember very little of the
language...haven't had occasion to use it in 40 years. Our class at
Syracuse is having a reunion in San Antonio later this year... about half of
the 80 or so in the class have been located. I'm going to
notify the organizer about your site in case he hasn't seen it. (He was
an A3C in my section...and ended up retiring as a major!)
I was interested to find recently, on the page http://bfasweb.syr.edu/parking/
that the building called the Skytop Office Building, pictured on that page, is
right where my barracks was -- the water tank on the hilltop in the background
was straight out the back door and up the hill...Drumlins was over the
hill. (Neither of the photos on your site include enough of the area
south to show that dorm building.)My roommate and I used to climb up to the
top of that tank of a warm night, lie on our backs, and look up at the
stars.
A different friend and I would climb up the ski hill at night, go over the
fence at the microwave tower, climb it, and slide down the guy cables
using our Air Force issue leather gloves for hand protection. Ah, those
dear college days!
I understand that there is now an interstate highway through
the Rock Cut, just south of the Skytop site! I'd like to see that.
I used to hike down through the quarry, across Rock Cut Road, up the other
side, and cross-country to the Clark Reservation park. Can't imagine
an interstate through there.
Best wishes, and thanks for prompting the memory.
Hancock was the big NORAD SAGE base north of
town.... USAF and RCAF and, I think, US Army. We used to go there for sick
call and dental work and regular AF admin stuff.
|