05-Apr 22 ASA Memorabilia No. 2 - Yola

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TO ALL ASA FRANKFURT VETS

MEMORABILIA NO. 2 4/21/11

Instead of our usual ASA logo, this issue features the ASA cake enjoyed by vets at the closing banquet of the September 2010 Reunion in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky.

Attention all 723s. This is a test. Do you remember the nickname for the item in the picture below and for what it was used? The answer is below the picture.

The tool was known as a chicken clipper and was used to manually repair broken tapes. Only a few individuals in the Comm Center had them. If you guessed the name correctly you’ve won a box of chad. If you never saw one before, you were asleep on duty. Remember being a newbie and being sent to supply to pick up a box of chad and some glue to repair tapes? I still do. God were we gullible when we first got there!

And here’s a real trip from the past, courtesy of Stan “Ski” Stryjewski from Delta Trick. Yes, it’s your very own “The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over The Lazy Dogs Back” test. It was used for testing because it contains all the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 1 through 0. Typists used it to gain proficiency, and it verified that all characters on the TTYs were printing.

Paper Tape

The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over The Lazy Dogs Back 1234567890 End Test.

Relative to machine output,

as TTY would print it.

Relative to my hand,

as I'd hold on to it.

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...

How many of you STILL remember how to “figure eight” a tape in your hand?

After a hard day’s work at the Comm Center, most guys looked forward to hitting the EM Club or heading down to the Miracle Mile, better known as Kaiserstrasse. Here’s a great photo of it looking back toward the Hauptbahnhof (courtesy of Dan Thacker).

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MAXIMS - I thought I had a photo of Maxims, but can’t seem to locate it. However, I do have a photo of one of its most frequent patrons, a fellow Delta Tricker and roommate by the name of Carl Enos. He used to spruce up and head there in his gray Volvo every chance he got. He went there so often I came to believe he had some ownership in the place. Actually, he just liked to dance and unwind with the girls. Check out that cool suit!

On the way back to Gutleut, Austin Adams always liked to stop at Freddie’s for a beer and a schnitzel sandwich. It was just around the corner towards the Bahnhof.

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Bill Bradley sent in this pass to one of his favorite haunts – Storyville Lounge.

Bill Greenberg liked to patronize Maier Gustl’s and became an honorary conductor of its Oom Pah Pah band.

The Gutleut EM Club had many interesting acts perform each week. I remember some great country and western bands, rock acts like Chad & Jeremy, and comedians like Morey Amsterdam. Morey was a regular on The Dick Van Dyke Show in

the 60s.

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I asked Don Butler if he remembered the names of any acts appearing at the EM Club. He replied, “I don't remember any particular names of acts, but I do remember a couple of acts that burned in my fading memory. If you recall the EM club had a multi-colored, lighted glass stage. One act was a juggler who twirled some objects with his feet while on his back. One object was something like a large barbell. When he was twirling it with his feet, he dropped it on the glass stage, and cracked the glass. Nobody seemed to notice or care, and he finished his act.

The next performer was a dancer. He came out and was hoofing about the stage. I was about to shout and warn him, but before that he stepped on that broken piece and went through all the way to his crotch.. He said _Oh my God". Then pulled his bleeding leg out of the hole and finished his routine. A real trouper.

Another act was a "Lash LaRue" type with a bull whip. As he was putting out candles and striking matches with the whip, he wasn't paying attention to where the whip was going on his backlash, which was into the audience. Every time his whip came back it would fly across a table, and the guys were flying out of their chairs ducking for cover. No one got hurt, but it was hilarious.

Do you remember the stripper, with her counter-rotating tassels?

Then there was Shirley Gray, the singer with extra large chest (really extra). She was the singer who picked me up at the 97th General Hospital EM club when I was waiting tables there. We started dating and then she showed up at Gutleut and performed. She

didn’t know I was there so I sent a note back to her. When she came out all a giggle, the guys’ eyes popped out. I was dating a "movie star." She would take the train in from Wiesbaden, then I would go back with her after our date, then walk into the barracks at reveille to change clothes and go to work. Or follow her to one of her performances at some EM club and repeat the above. I couldn't date a German girl. I had to pick up a Scottish girl who grew up in Liverpool. Which reminds me, do you recall during my last days, you and I met Marko and Angel(?) at a gasthaus. Then we spent a few evenings with them, even going to some house with them to a party? “

Most of us didn’t own cars, but some were lucky enough to have had a buddy or roommate who did. Here are some photos of “Our ASA Wheels.”

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Fred I bought the car from someone leaving about the same time that I arrived. I don´t remember who it was. Maybe someone will remember when they see the picture. I paid $100.00 for it. I drove it for two years and by then had saved enough money to buy a brand new VW Beatle for $1310.00 in 1964.

Fred,

Fred, I don't know who owned it before me, but I found out about it when talking to an MP. Back in the States I had owned a '49 Ford ragtop, so I couldn't let this '49 Merc' get away. Immediately after all the paper work was completed I was shocked to learn that all the parking slots inside of Gutleut were taken, but was finally given permission to park it on the "oil” changing ramp" (as shown in the picture). This was along the rear wall, directly under the window of my room. I used the car mainly for driving to and from work at the Comm Center, and when I hooked up with a German gal this Mercury proved to be indispensible! When I left Germany (in January 1964) I donated it to the Army "junkyard" on the outskirts of Frankfurt.

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Ted, do you remember the make of the car in the photo you sent me and to whom it belonged?

Fred, the car is a Peugeot. The rest is a little complicated. I think it belonged to a guy named Jones. I don’t remember his first name. Some of our other guys might know him or the guys he worked with like Bill North and Dennis Galbreth (sp). They were the airplane mechanics on the plane that flew the “Brass”, ASA and others around Europe. For some reason they were billeted with us before we moved to the new ASA building. Bill North was an E5 when we were all in Germany, but he later became a Warrant Officer and finally retired as a CW4. He now lives here in Columbus and I see him occasionally. Sorry I can’t remember the car owner’s first name. He wasn’t there the entire time that we all were. He was just called Jonsie. I think the VW behind it belonged to David Braifogel (sp).

Fred’s Note: Sadly, our brother Ray passed away on January 28. 2011

Ray, was this your car?

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Hi Fred, It was good to hear from you! No, the car is not mine . . . it was Chuck Hornick’s father’s car. I went with him to Wiesbaden where his dad was stationed; his father was an officer in the Air Force. Chuck borrowed the car for a few hours and we cruised the streets of Wiesbaden. It drew a lot of attention and we had a good time.

Fred’s Note: Chuck’s father was an Air Force Colonel, and Chuck’s son is an Army Major who earned a Bronze Star in Iraq,

served as aide to Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, recently graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College, has his own

command in AR, and is being reassigned to Joint Command in Norfolk, VA on July 1st

. Our congratulations!

Ray Matta, was a friend and one nice guy! Chuck Hornick

Austin - In the photo of you sticking out of the top of the VW, did you and Stan own the car jointly? Yes Fred, Stan & I bought the VW jointly & we drove it while on several leaves. We bought it from Woody Fillingim when he was due to come home, then when we were to rotate back home we sold it to a guy named Wilber, but not the Phillip Wilber listed on your locator list. It was a 1956 model with the little rear window, & seems it had a 1961 engine, about 40 horse power, Mox Nix sticks for signals, & no gas gauge. It had a one gallon reserve tank that we would switch to when we ran out of gas.

Hi, Fred, the three of us were on a trip to Italy, July 21-31, 1964. We traveled thru Austria, Italy, France, Monaco, & Switzerland. I do not remember who took the picture. I had only written down the three in the picture who made the trip. Ted

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Fred, Sgt Coughlin's car was a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air, 4-door, light green & dark green inside & outside color. I remember that day like it was yesterday. He was bar-b-queing chicken, he was wearing penny loafers without socks way before that was popular. I think we all drank beer until we passed out. Do you ever hear from Willard "Bill" Bailey who also went on that camping trip? Did I send you the pictures of Stan & me trying to pick up a couple of frauleins on that trip? Austin

Fred’s Note: That chicken looks more like road kill than chicken.

Jim says he was amazed that his roommate Harry Beatty sold him this perfectly good VW for only $100. now I know why did Harry gave up a perfectly good VW - which he sold to me for $100.00. He just liked being chauffeured in good old USA government issued deuce and a half ton trucks!! Thanks, Fred and Harry

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From Bob Feller:

Fred: They guy on the left is Bill Riggins, and I can't remember the other guy’s first name (does anybody remember?). The car was a Fiat 600. Tony and I bought the car together. We used the car all over Europe and even took it to Spain after a rush engine overhaul. We often took cartons of cigs to sell along the way for extra spending money. At the time we rebuilt the Fiat engine, Tony Volpe and I owned the car. We had purchased it for about $400.

We knew the engine was burning oil and needed work. The garage at the new barracks had the space to tear into the engine, but the facility didn’t have tools. We were able to round up the tools to do the job. We started on it about 3 weeks prior to the trip to Spain. After we got into the engine, we figured that it had to be completely rebuilt.

We pulled the engine and since we didn’t have the capability to re-bore and install new rings, we put each piston and rod along with associated parts into marked paper bags for each cylinder and took the whole shebang to a local repair shop. Since we didn’t speak enough German to explain what we needed, Stan Stryjewski or one of our guys who could converse went along. When we showed the parts (in paper bags) to the mechanics, they howled with laughter.

We checked the status on the re-build every few days and were able to pick up the engine the day prior to our trip. We still had to install everything, add fluids, belts etc and test. It started up and ran just fine.

On the trip to Spain we experienced only one problemwe had to tighten up a belt. Otherwise we never had a bit of problem on the

trip there and back. This was a great little car. When Tony rotated (about 5 mos prior to me) he sold his half to Bernie Scriven. I don't remember who I sold my half to.

When we took the car on our trips to Italy, etc, we would purchase extra cartons of Winston and Marlboro cigs. We would place a carton in the rear where passersby could see them. We usually got an offer of $30 or more for a carton. That paid for a lot of petrol.

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I bet Don Butler never realized he photographed the Alpha Trick team bus when he snapped this picture. The bus stopped automatically at all gasthauses and bars wherever it went.

Henry Haake’s VW with Tom Alexander at the driver’s door. A very cold Jim McInnis took the photo.

Fred’s note: Henry (Hank to us) removed the front passenger seat for R&Rs and had a wide board fitted so he could sleep in the car on a slant and save a buck for essentials (gasbeer & girls).

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Gutleut cars (H. Beatty Collection)

More Gutleut cars (W. Lang Collection)

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Bud Starkey passed away in 1971, so I asked Dan Thacker if he knew the model year of this car.

Fred, It's a 1959 Chevrolet Impala. The front scoops & front fender embellishments are the dead giveaway. Only the '59 Chevy had these. I've enclosed a photo (from Google) . . . for proof!

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Bob Joliff’s NSU Prinz – had a two cylinder 500cc rear engine motorcycle engine.

For those of us without wheels, we had to endure hardships beyond description as the following article

demonstrates:

Meanwhile, at the Rhine Main Rod & Gun Club...

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Attached are pictures of two patches that Austin Adams bought at the Rod & Gun club back in the 1960's. The Rod & Gun Club patch is approximately 5-1/4 inch tall.

An ASA WELCOME - It’s funny how our ASA guys keep turning up. Last year I got a call from John D. Jones, who heard about my Comm Unit project while on a visit to Florida where he looked up Stan Stryjewski. I had searched for John a long time ago without any luck and remember asking Stan if he knew John’s whereabouts (same 272 MOS as Stan). Stan didn’t know where to find him, but did remember the D in John’s middle name stood for Duncan, as in the old-time Duncan yoyos.

Some additional ASA vets now with us: John Perras, John Armao, Ron Antholzer, James Vargo, Dennis Monson, Jeff Braucht, Charlie Farran, Jim Parten, Rich Ignacio, and Charlie Delke (was with the 32 Signal Det. billeted at the right front of Gutleut Kaserne).

And Finally...

JANE FONDA MEMORIAL WALL---VERY HEARTWARMING.

After more than 40 years the Viet Nam Veterans of the United States of America raised a phenomenal amount of money to memorialize another one of Hollywood’s loyal? American citizens who went out of her way to aid and

abet the enemy and congratulate them on their treatment of US. POW's This memorial says it all!

Support our troops. Remember our Veterans.

Fred Gerstner [email protected]

05-Apr 22 ASA Memorabilia No. 2 - Yola

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