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As told by: |
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As told by: |
THE ARMY
"Well, you were there during my time! I was in Charlie too, but I was a T-Bird. I got there on November 10, 1967 and left the exact same day 2 years later. One of the things I won't forget was the incident with the Army base commander. I can't remember his name, but I'm pretty sure he was a full bird Colonel. Anyhow, we were on "his" base and he wanted to know what was going on in the Ops. Bldg. One slight problem: he didn't have an NSA clearance. He went over to our Bldg. and tried to get in. I heard that a guard at the door actually pulled a gun on him when he refused to leave. He contacted the Pentagon and tried to get an ok to go in the Bldg. The Navy and the Army didn't get along all that well and the Colonel and our Captain weren't too fond of each other. He was able to get permission to "inspect" our Ops. Bldg. I was on the day watch when they brought him into the Ops. Bldg. Before he arrived, they instructed us to take BURN BAGS and cover all of the equipment! I couldn't believe it! How was I supposed to run my equipment when there were burn bags plastered all over it? They said it would only be for a few minutes. There were fire doors at the ends of the long Ops. Bldg. and that's where he came in. Two Navy officers actually had him by the arms, one on each side. We stood by our equipment and
watched in amazement as he was walked double-time down the main aisle. They didn't even tell us to stand at attention. His head was going back and forth as he tried to see what we were doing in there. The burn bags made it impossible. The whole line of TEBO equipment was completely covered with burn bags. He looked really pissed off! I don't know if they let him go into any other part of the building. I don't think so. He was whisked in
and out. I don't think he was in the building more than 10 minutes. I started to really wonder about the military after that!"
COLLISION
"Sometime in '68 or '69 there was a mid-air collision between two fighter jets over the North Sea fairly close to our base. I actually saw the collision! A group of us had just come out of the Army mess hall and were watching these planes do "touch and go" exercises. They would fly at each other and then go back out over the water and then do it again. All of a sudden, we saw two of them collide. Pieces fell off and one of the pilots ejected. I never saw the other pilot get out. One of the planes crashed into the North Sea, the other, I think crashed on land. There was nothing anywhere in the news about it. It was like it never happened. Some of us asked about it because we went over to the Admin. Bldg. and immediately reported what we saw. NOTHING! I guess they wanted to cover it up completely. I always wondered what happened to the pilots and where the plane that didn't go in the water crashed."
BOWLING
"Never forget the between the Eve watch bowling league we had on Alfa section. We would get off the first Eve watch and head out to Paulus Bowling Alleys. Everybody remembers Paulus right? Well, we would bowl the first string, then close to the end of the second, I would have to bowl the last 4 or 5 boxes (as long as the other team would let me and they always did) so I could take off and shoot over to the Army Hospital where my wife Carol worked at the child care center. I would pick her and our daughter up, run them home and race back to the bowling alley in time to catch up the first 3 or 4 boxes of the third string. Hectic, but well worth it. We had a ball with that league. Used to get home in the wee hours of the morning. I think some times we ended up at a place called Sleazy's."
BASEBALL
 Congratulations after hitting homer |
  Talking it over with George & Sue Neff |