John Stonska's Page Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 07:18:22 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Sinop 9/68-11/69; 1/75-2/76; 1/79-3/79
To: John Stonska <jstonska@yahoo.com>
How many out there remember Harry Craft BH-III NCOIC or Dale Ivan Patchen (SFC) 68 - 69?
What about Phil Rettew, Harry White, Steve Gerber, Tom Jamieson, Ed Cameron, and a bunch of other 98J's. I will always remember the trick flicks when Green Berets was playing and Wally HIga, Robert (Rocky) Kahn, and a couple other guys who had been "MENEHUNIS" at Devens "starred" as VC and NVA in that movie and had to point themselves out at each showing!
I'll never forget Roland getting blitzed in the club and a bunch of drunken GI's trying to help "Mohair" and the other club staff chase a drunken Eshak out. I also remember CSM Boyette - Sinop's very own Green Beret CSM. Doc David at the dispensary, 1SG "Doc Savage" at the Main Ops Company. 1SG Savage put up a sign on the quad that said "A CO - CAN DO - WILL DO" a little one like a guidon and down at Lincoln Hall we used a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood with a slovenly GI sitting on a case of beer with empties around him (just like the BH-III cups!) and the slogan "HHC, Can't DO, AND WOULDN'T IF WE COULD". Boy did that cause phone calls after the morning jogs by the officers.
I remember all the good songs being locked up in the safe at KBOK. Couldn't play "Vietnam Rag", "Makes a fellow Proud to be a Soldier" (In fact, Tom Lehrer was totally off limits), "Je T'Aime" was banned at request of Chaplains - too erotic. It was GREAT to be assigned to the "Sexless Society of Sinop". Wish I could remember the name of the pilot that used to do the comedy routines on KBOK with the "Sun-n-n-n-Day-y-y-y-y-y-a! At Akkliman Dragway!!! "
This was all on the first tour - the fun one. 68 - 69. I was trick trash and loved it! I remember the infamous "Grenade Stamp" at Bankhead (For you eskis the vans evolved into Bankhead III; for you yenis, it was later determined to be a real circus and renamed Hippodrome (or Hippy Home!) Later it would be unofficially renamed "Starship Hippodrome" and I still have my hat and crewmember patch!
My second tour was radically different. I was a day puke and the Turks closed all ops over Cyprus. I worked in Post photo lab for 6 months. I got to greet Turks at doors to Hippy. Also was on a rapid reaction force created to respond to terrorists threats. Actually issued out the old M-14's with magazines and ammo. Lots of retraining in 75 to teach the young troops about the M-14 versus the M-16 they were trained on. When the Turks finally gave us a BAR and 60mm mortar, we realized this threat was serious! We temporarily lived in Alice's while the alert was on. Jay Waldman and Kaneta Saum were two of the watch officers out at Hippodrome. "Rapid Robert" Bob Menscher(sp) was the S2 NCOIC, and Dave Davis (aka "General Electric") was the Electronic Maintenance, SFC Eddie Washington made Warrant while he was there and stayed on at Hippodrome, Mike Stoddard made Warrant and moved on. Randy Cunningham was the NSA Rep for IA at Hippy. My third time was a visit - there to teach a class to the 98Js arriving to re-open Hippy in 1979.
I better stop now, the more I write, the more I remember!
I'll stop this diarrhea of the keyboard now. I retired 1993 as the S3 SGM for the 513th at Ft. Monmouth.
Would like to hear from anyone of that period. Please feel free to e-mail or
write: PO Box 443, Ft. Monmouth, NJ 07703, or call (732) 922-6422.
Copyright © John Stonska, 1999. All Rights Reserved.