From: "Charles
Masters" elkhound52@comcast.net
Date: Wed, 28 May 2008 16:59:45 -0600
Subject: Det 4, SINOP
Name: Charles "Cliff" Masters (SSG)
Assigned to Det 4, SINOP: Sep 1981 - Sep 1982
Hello,
I see that a majority of the folks posted on this
website date back a little further in time than I do.
It is kind of like a generational break
differentiated by those serving under ASA and those
under INSCOM.
After a break in service, I reenlisted in May 79.
Walked off the street and found myself at Ft. Devens
attending the 98J course. Enjoyed Ft. Devens and
surrounding area. I brought my wife Kathi and
daughter Dacia with me, putting them up in a small
apartment in Leominster. About went broke on E-2 pay!
Got rank back pretty quick being prior service.
First assignment after Devens was Ft. Carson, CO.
104th MI Bn, 4th ID. Only there 18 months. Went back
to Devens during that time for advanced 98J courses.
Orders for Det 4 SINOP came around May 81. TDY to
Devens and leave in route to Det 4. Left wife
pregnant with our second child, (daughter Dana).
Left for Istanbul 13 Sep 81, leaving JFK Intl.
Exhausting trip. Made a prearranged phone call at the
Istanbul airport. An American in civvies came and
picked us up in an Army van. Crashed out at the Cinar
Hotel in Istanbul. Awakened only for the last leg of
the trip to Sinop via single engine prop Army plane.
Airlines lost my duffel bag. Worked at Sinop for
about 3 months in civilian clothes before duffle bag
finally showed up. Got a little teasing from fellow
troops. "When you going to get some
uniforms?"
Landed on a small airfield with Sinop between us and
the hill. Truck ride the rest of the way. Some sights
suggested I had stepped back in time. Very
interesting. I was pretty much clueless!
Didn't volunteer for Sinop but made the best of it
while there. Enjoyed the mission and toured Turkey
when time and money allowed. Lots of Biblical history
there. Took advantage of chapel sponsored tours as
well as those by the MWR. Van trips to Samsun. A
small cruise ship to Trabazon. Shopping and
restaurant trips to down town Sinop. Shop keepers
very friendly. Food not bad. Got sicker than a dog
after one night out. We're talking about projectile
vomiting and explosive diarrhea! Had to crawl to the
dispensary for an injection.
Worked with a US Navy Det on the operations floor.
They worked different signals from what we were
after. Also had a Turkish NCO on our crew. He was
very smart and spoke English well. He was a stamp
collector. I gave him what I could collect from home
and relatives. Wish I had made arrangements to stay
in touch.
No real problems with water shortages during my tour.
The mess hall was good. On Thanksgiving the Turkish
soldiers/guards ate most of the turkey up before we
could get there after our shift. I noticed they loved
our sliced bread. All pitched in and made an effort
to make Christmas special. Plenty of food and drink.
Felt isolated from the world. Bought a SW Radio so to
pick up the BBC and other news outlets. A life saver.
Read a lot of books when not traveling. The tiny post
library was not bad.
Living on the hill was like living in a fish bowl.
Everybody know what everybody else was doing. No
hanky panky escaped unnoticed.
Terrible with names after all of these years.
Remember a fellow troop by the name of Charles
Pendergraph or similar last name. Commander was COL,
F.X. Toomey.
The C-130 plane ride out of Sinop was an experience!
Made the mistake of eating a large mess hall
breakfast. SOS on a shingle and other stuff. Couldn't
find a barf bag on the plane so just choked it down
so not to make anyone else sick.
Last assignment was the 519th MI Bn, Ft Bragg. Not
much going on in the unit when there. It was newly
formed. Just busy work. Got out of the army JUN 83
when my enlistment was up. Tired of living out of a
suitcase! Moved back to Colorado Springs. In 84,
hooked up with the Air Force as a DoD civilian. Have
been with the Air Force Engineering and Technical
Services (AFETS), (series 1670, Equipment Specialist)
since 89. Currently assigned to HQ AFSPC, Peterson
AFB, CO. Will retire from civil service at the end of
Aug this year. Not sure what line of work I want to
do next. The military has been good to me and family
since the day I was drafted in 1972. No regrets!
Hope to find others that served with me at Sinop.
Some names on the roster seem very familiar but not
positive yet.
Best wishes to all,
Charles "Cliff" Masters
Colorado Springs, CO
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