Westover AFB brats
Sparky
height of the Cold War years.
My father served at Rapid City AFB (Ellsworth), Greenham Common (where
I was born), Lincoln AFB, Upper Heyford, Westover AFB, Phan Rang,
Vietnam, and Sculthorpe. He retired from the AF in 1969 due to medical
reasons and died in 1969 at 45.
He started his career as a RB-36 mechanic and worked his way into being
a crew chief on the mighty Peace Maker. From there he crew chiefed
KC-97s and C-54s. He became a First Sergeant at Westover with the 99th
OMS during the mid-sixties. Did a stint at Phan Rang with Super Sabres
(352nd) and then on to Sculthorpe.
I would very much enjoy talking to anyone that was at those bases from
56 to 67. However, I really am interested in anyone that was at
Westover in the mid-60s. I have started a Yahoo group devoted entirely
to Westover Brats and would love to hear from you.
Sparky
G.M.
If you haven't already, go to www.miliary-brats.com and search Westover
AFB and see who you can locate.
As you know, Westover is no longer active, but it still is used by many
reserve units, including the Marines and army.
BTW, you are more than welcome to chat here, too.
Gene
Sparky
some initial searching on the site. No luck however. The names I am
searching for are 'Corky' Clark, Elizabeth White, and Cheryl Boyd. I
think that they would have a graduation year of '74 or so.
I had a chance to go back to Westover in the late 80's. A friend of
mine was running the National Guard outfit there and was actually
staying on base. I didn't really have a chance to explore but I would
have liked to have spent more time looking around. These days, I
think, it would be much harder to do so, especially if you wanted to
take pictures.
Sparky
Sparky
Jill
I'd appreciate any info you can provide on Westover to fill in my memory gaps... 8-)
And welcome to the Brats Bar & Grill...
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130419111.9...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Sparky
third grade at the same school, though my teacher's name was Prizbella.
You were there when the B-36s were there, I think. For fourth, they
sent us over near the flight line to a wooden building. I remember
watching a fuel truck explode from the play ground, well not explode
really, but it blew its top off into the air and made a really swell
BANG. Then for fifth we went to Selser (sp?) which was across from the
elementary school. I finished the 5th and then Dad got sent to Vietnam
and we moved to PA for a year. Do you remember sledding down the radar
hill? It was near the NCO swimming pool. Had a heck of a blast there.
G.M.
the gate closest to the housing areas there was a diner that had, as
part of it, an actual railroad dining car. They served a very good
breakfast. I've heard something about a fire since then...
Gene
Sparky
Corky, whom I am trying to find, lived outside of the main gate. It
was situated between the two housing areas. Not that I used that gate
much. I used the holes in the fencing to get off base more than the
gates themselves. I don't know why he lived off base at the time
because I do remember at one point going to his house on base. I also
remember a Bob's Big Boy down that road which I think may have been a
drive up restaurant at the time. Speaking of fences, got into trouble
during the Cuban missile crises at Upper Heyford. They locked
everything down and I guess my mom wasn't paying attention so I got
outside and was caught climbing the perimeter fence to my friend's farm
which was off base. Dad wasn't too happy about that escapade, neither
were the APs.
Sparky
Don
My dad was stationed at Westover from '62-'69. He was in photo
intelligence. We lived on Larsen Drive until '67 when we moved to Mellinger
Lane. I went to Bowie Elementary for 1st -- 3rd Grade, to Bowie Annex for
4th, to Selser for 5th & 6th, and to Sweeney for 7th. My older brother,
Rick, and I were in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts there. Several summers our
family went on the Chapel retreat to Silver Bay on Lake George in upstate
NY. Then dad got orders to Hickam AFB in Hawaii.
Don
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130439146.0...@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Don" <blepw[DOT]ten[DOT]aletheian[AT]bigfoot.com> wrote in message news:F92dnWKtUrA...@pghconnect.com...
Sparky
graduate from HS? It sure is along the same time line. Bowie annex
had to be the school near the Flite Line where I saw the fuel truck
blow its top. You may have even seen that happen with me. I would
have been there 65-66 for fourth. Do you remember Dead Man's curve?
It crossed over a creek on the way to the second housing area. We
originally lived in the housing area to the left of the main gate and
then moved to the one toward the right side. You had to go pass Selser
and then you took a right turn into the housing area. That would put
you on Dead Man's curve. We used to throw snowballs at school busses
and cars from the top of the curve. God, we were terrible. Winters we
would go sledding down near the radar installation close to the NCO
pool. At least I think it was the NCO pool. They must have had an
officers pool. Do you remember the B-52s keeping their engines running
all the time? It got so I couldn't sleep without hearing them. Also,
there was some sort of rec hall or center as you came in from the main
gate on the right. I took Judo lessons there. It was close to Selser.
Wow, this is great, isn't it! By the way, and I know this is a real
stretch but do any of you remember the base commander's name. I could
have sworn it was Van Dyke. I was friends with his son. That was a
good friendship because if anyone messed with us then we brought up his
father. I had some good times there. Keep it coming....
Sparky
Military-Brats Registry
The better way to search for Westover Brats who graduated in 1974-ish is to
enter the graduation year (which will give a 4-year result range) in the
graduation year field, and Westover in the school or base names field.
Don't enter AFB or HS or anything like that!
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1130428994....@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Sparky
shirt. Unfortunately the names don't ring a bell. Most have email
addresses so I may try contacting some that way. Thanks for the tip,
though.
Sparky
Duane Allen
> Hi, Sparky... we were at Westover but WAY before you were... 1953 to 1955. My memories of that are sketchy at best. I was trying to remember the name of the elementary school on base but no go... I went to 2nd & 3rd grades there. Mom informs me that my 3rd grade teacher was a Mrs. Balthazar. Quarters weren't available when we first moved there so we lived in S. Hadley Falls (cabins called The Notch???) until we got quarters at 8D Hay Street. Dad was MATS.
The name of the elementary school was Westover Elementary when I
attended from Jan 1956 through about Dec 1958. That was the two story
building very near the base hospital. The school was subsequently (about
1960) renamed Bowie school in memory of an airman. The building is still
being used as a school by the City of Chicopee. If you search on Google
map for 80 Dare Way, Chicopee, MA and choose either the satellite or
hybrid view, the school is building south of the marker. It is the
building closer to Celia St. Google Earth has a better satellite photo.
The building to the west of the school is the school annex that was
opened in 1958 (possibly '57). That school on Johnson Road had the 5th
and 6th grades when it opened.
I had Miss Balthazar for the third grade during Jan-Jun 1956. Her
classroom on the second floor had windows that faced east towards the
hospital. For fourth grade, I was in Miss Buckley's class, which was on
the second floor also and overlooked the playground. For the fifth
grade, I think my teacher was Miss Stone. She used gold stars and candy
bars as incentives for good class behavior and academic performance.
Regarding Miss Balthazar, she married. I forget her married name. In the
late '90s, she was in Stone Mountain, Georgia. What I remember of her
class. Penmanship and script writing, writing Chicopee Falls for the
school district, a song "Boys May Whistle, But Girls Must Sing", and the
addition of "one nation under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance. In the
morning, we would line up on the first floor and ascend the stair case
in two columns. When I visited the school in the early '90's, the
granite steps were no longer flat steps. They had large half-inch
indentations on the right and left sides from wear by the millions of
footfalls over the years.
> I'd appreciate any info you can provide on Westover to fill in my memory gaps... 8-)
Related to other posts in this thread. I don't recall an officer's
swimming pool. There was an officers club that was built under the
direction of the C.O., General Sweeney during our tour. It is an
irregular six-sided building at the south end of either Anderson or
Galaxy Road. In the early '90's, it was a consolidated club.
I don't remember any B-36's. I do remember the B-47's and maybe B-52's.
The theater had Saturday afternoon movies for the brats. I guessing that
the the cost of the movie was 25 cents and popcorn was ten cents. Or was
it 10 cents and 5 cents? Those days are gone.
There were two large traffic circles on Memorial Highway (now State
Highway 33) where the main roads from the base intersected the highway.
Duane
Sparky
reference materials and didn't find it listed as hosting a B or RB
wing. I think where I got confused is a picture of a Westover AFB open
house where a B-36 was part of the display. When we were there it was
hosting B-52s, the camo versions. I remember our dad used to take us
to the end of one of the runways. There was a park of some sort I
think there. Come to think about it, that's a funny place for a park.
We used to watch them land or take off. I don't remember which now.
Sparky
Sparky
cents for a movie. I want to say that's where I saw Mary Poppins for
the first time.
Sparky
Don
I seem to remember a story that one year before a big IG inspection somebody
thought the radar looked shabby, so he ordered that it be painted. IT was
painted with lead-based paint! THey had to strip all the paint back off so
they could use the radar again.
Don
We lived on the other side of the base. When we went in the front gate we
would pass the rec center. (Yeah, I remember taking some judo lessons
there.) We would continue past Bowie on the right and then past Chapel 3 on
the left. It was the huge brick chapel. Pat the chapel we would turn left
and follow that road for a long way. It would eventually curve to the right.
Way behind our quarters was a dirt fire road and then a fence. Beyond that
woods and mountains. Somebody had built a great treehouse on the other side
of the fence. If you followed the fire road it would eventually go to a
paved road that led to Stony Brook, a picnic area with a pond and small dam.
The pond had smapping turtles and huge pollywogs. If you put a net under the
spillway of the small dam you would catch catfish.
On the right side of the road to Stony Brook was a railroad track. It had
some old rail cars on it. If you followed the tracks you would eventually
get to the base dump. We would find old field phones and radiation
dosometers and bowling trophies, and sometimes old merchandise from the BX.
There was an O'Club pool. I remember we had to get little patches sewed onto
our swimsuits so we could go in.
I remeber the b-52 enginse running early in the morning and late at night.
Some of the noise was alert-5 palnes at the ready. Other times it was the
engine test cells.
I don't remember the Base Commder's name, but there was a story that a new
base commander was kept from entering the base because his car had broken
down and he had to borrow his teen-aged son's VW bug which was painted up as
a hippy car.
I remember that out the front gate was an early McDonalds. And an AW
Rootbeer stand, And a drive in called Kristy's Koral which served Black Cows
instead of milkshakes.
Out the back gate was Joe's Grinders where we would buy meatball subs.
There were also two steak houses we would go to, usually on Sundays. One was
Dante's Inferno and the other was The Flame.
Don
Bang and Mutiny on the Bounty.
Sparky
those plastic circle sleds and tobaggans to pack down the snow, then we
went down on the sleds with the steel runners. You could really get
some speed up with those sleds on packed snow and ice. One time I went
down so much I bent the runners inward. Some other things I remember
about the winters were the parking lots. They would dump the snow from
plowing the roads and such and we would have a hell of a time climbing
them. They seemed like mountains to me and the other kids. I also
remember that the crows would come and roost in the woods and it would
stink to high heaven.
Sparky
Don
My 1st Grade Teacher was Miss Gorman.
I think 2nd Grade was Miss Fredette.
My teacher at Bowie Annex for 4th Grade was Miss Welch. I remember that most
of the boys would play wargames in the woods around the school during
recess.
6th Grade was Mr. Zackrocky. If the Sox had won the World Series in '67 we
weren't going to have homework for the rest of the year!
7th Grade was Mr. Szymonik.
Sparky
I got some neat stuff out of it. I also have some photos of the base
during an Armed Forces Day. What I especially remember is the Vulcan
Bomber that came there. Also got to go into a KC-135 and was able to
get into the boom operators 'couch' and breath the O2 from a mask. How
does one share photos in this group? Does anyone know. I got all my
dad's slides converted to digital last year. Boy that brought back
memories.
Sparky
Don
mountains of snow in front of the driveways. The dads would all get together
and clear a path into and out of the driveways. We were in Capehart housing.
As a kid I always thought it was K-part. Four sets of family quarters were
in one building
Don
We also used to get icecream at Green Pine Dairy.
Don
Sparky
remember the name until you said it. Miss Welch was my teacher as
well. This is amazing to say the least! There was a girl in that
class named Elizabeth White. She was tall too me and had dark hair. I
think I had a crush on her at the time. I remember meeting her at the
library for some project. Anyway, I got into trouble in fourth grade
with the principal there. I was eating my dessert first instead of the
meal and the principal asked my why I was doing that and I gave her
some smart ass answer. Next thing I know I am in the office. Look, I
would really like to hear from you via voice. My email address is
kawv...@yahoo.com. If you want to talk, send me your phone number to
that address. This is too much. By the way, do you remember watching
all the space shots? We would sit in a room and watch them on TV.
Sparky
Sparky
clown, possibly a BOZO type.
Jeez!
Sparky
Sparky
yahoo dot com.
Sparky
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Duane Allen" <comput...@sprintmail.com> wrote in message news:ROo8f.2978$yX2...@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Don" <blepw[DOT]ten[DOT]aletheian[AT]bigfoot.com> wrote in message news:9cSdneoJZKo...@pghconnect.com...
Sparky
thinking about those years. I hated and enjoyed my life as a kid in
the Air Force. Loved the friends, hated losing them, hated moving. At
Westover, I think, I was getting old enough to retain some of them.
The only thing I regret is not remembering more of my father. As you
know, this was a SAC base. They kept all kinds of crazy hours and went
through all the alerts. I barely knew him. By the time I got old
enough to start a closer relationship he fell ill and passed away at
45. I was 12. I didn't think too much about my childhood until the
past several years. I started investigating my father's military
career and in doing so I started to remember more of my life as a kid.
Sparky
G.M.
a concept! <sEG>
Gene
Don
Jill
I hated being a military brat in my *younger years*... I was horrifically shy and the moves really threw me a curve every time. I wanted to be my cousin, the one who lived in the same house from birth to first marriage and had horses starting at about age 5. I was sooo jealous of her...
I got over it and learned to love my childhood. Looking back on the places I've been... well, there's no substitute for that. And finding the Brats Bar & Grill really made a diffference to me... the first time in my adult life that I actually came across other people just like me, instead of all those sillyvillians who would ask me where I was from and then fall into a coma when I tried to explain.
I wish my memories would come back to me... but I think I'm past the point. 8-)
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130521927.9...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"G.M." <mil...@cox.net> wrote in message news:28u8f.811$0M1.329@dukeread12...
Sparky
mustache.
By the way, I do have multiple photos of Westover during an open house
plus, maybe a few others. I am severly bandwidth challanged and won't
be back in my office until at least Tuesday. I think I will find one
of those photo upload places where you can share photos with others and
let everyone know.
Sparky
Sparky
picked up much of an accent although my father was from southern
Virginia. Mom was English, Dad met her on an RB-36 TDY to Greenham
Common. I spent the most time in South Hill, Va and graduated there
(8th thru 12th and 2 years of Comm. College). I say I am from there
but with my lack of an accent it can be a stretch. I had the same envy
Jill, and still do , of people that grew up in one place and they know
everybody. But you know what, one thing about my life is that I like
to travel and see new places. I'd go mad if I couldn't do that. In
fact, I am planning a trip next year on my motorcycle to go to the 8th
wonder of the world (National Museum of the USAF), the SAC museum in
Omaha, Ellsworth AFB, and Castle where they have an RB-36 with the wing
markings of Ellsworth on display. Possibly I might make it to Pima
(Puma?) Az to see another B-36 that was taken from Fort Worth. So I
get around a bit.
Sparky
armybrat
Here are a couple of photosharing websites.
http://photobucket.com
http://www.kodakgallery.com
Hope this helps.
janet
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1130610918....@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Sparky
Westover. Don has been gracious enough to share two class photos of
3rd and 4th grade. I couldn't find me in the fourth grade picture but
there is a supicious looking character in the third grade photo that
might be me. The teeth could be the key.....I still have the gap.
I also found out the name of the teacher in 5th grade. Did that
looking through some older posts. It was Ms. Stone. While in 5th I
was part of the safety patrol, belt and all. That memory was triggered
off of my AAA magazine that featured a statue of a kid with the safety
patrol belt. I remember shoes being stomped because they were new. I
remember having to go through vacation bible school at Selser wondering
why is it called 'vacation' when I am stuck in a class. Didn't seem
like a vacation to me. I remember laughing at a name during a roll
call. It was 'Snodgrass'. Look, I told you I was terrible. I still
get a chuckle out of it. I also remember a saying that I heard in 5th
grade 'He who lacks imagination, lives but half a life'. Amazing isn't
it?
Sparky
AFBV74.0520.VA ( I also figured out this identifier ;-) )
(insane laughter....)
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130794874....@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
Jill
I didn't have an accent till now... living in TX & AR for 30 years has finally given me a drawl. Before that, no one could tell where I was from by my *accent*.
I do not envy people who lived in one place their whole lives any more... I've learned to embrace my checkered past and look back with great fondness on all the places I've been to & lived. One thing that has helped is living for the last 20 years in a place full of *transplants*. This Village I live in is like the best parts of an Air Base without the bad parts. Although I do not count the *silence* (no airplanes flying overhead) as a plus...now & then a couple of planes or helicopters from Little Rock Air Base will fly over and I run outside to see if I can see them. 8-)
I love to travel... and go whenever I can. I have a son living in Germany (married to a German girl) and my granddaughter attempts to teach me German.
I didn't know where South Hill VA is, had to look it up (almost in N. Carolina!!!)... but I went to Annandale HS in Fairfax County. 8-) Yes, I keep an atlas right by my computer and I always have a map of any place I go... I like knowing *where* I am. 8-)
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130611651....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Sparky
chatter. And yes, I do age very well........DOH!
Sparky
AFBV74.0556.VA (yuck yuck yuck)
Military-Brats Registry
My 4th Grade teacher at Ft Bliss, TX was Mrs. Snodgrass! Check out
http://www.militarybrat.com/brats.cfm
--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry
http://www.militarybrat.com
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1130794874....@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
<snip> I remember laughing at a name during a roll
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130843007....@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Jill
I don't know why but I remember a lot more about the Azores than I do about Westover...
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Garrapata" <garr...@09.netcom.com> wrote in message news:8tdgm1t8bgi5jfdq2...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 12:20:55 -0500, "Jill" <jilli...@thedogcox.net>
> wrote:
>
>>.. we were at Westover but WAY before you were... 1953 to 1955. My memories of that are sketchy at best. I was trying to remember the name of the elementary school on base but no go... I went to 2nd & 3rd grades there. Mom informs me that my 3rd grade teacher was a Mrs. Balthazar. Quarters weren't available when we first moved there so we lived in S. Hadley Falls (cabins called The Notch???) until we got quarters at 8D Hay Street. Dad was MATS.
>
> Westover....MATS...... We landed there on our return from Europe in
> 1949 Vienna, Paris, Azores, St.Johns and Westover. I understand the
> Azores stop was unscheduled.
> I was only 7 at the time and I remember nothing about Westover:-))
> --
> 09=IX
Sparky
slides of a base that I can't identify and I know that he passed
through there a few times and did TDY there as well. I'll post them
with the other photographs of Westover once I find a place to upload
them, which should be today. Some really cool pictures of the aircraft
and flight line.
Sparky
AFBV74.0556.VA
Sparky
Sparky
AFBV74.0556.VA
Sparky
people can share them. They all want email addresses of the people
that I want to share them with. Does anyone know how to do this
without the email addresses? I can ask for your email addresses but I
don't really want to do that. I just want to share them with whomever.
Is there a generic website I can do this with? The alternative, I
guess is to upload them to my yahoo group and see if that works better.
The only thing with that is you have to join the group to see them.
My goodness what a pain this is......
Sparky
AFBV74.0556.VA
Jill
I'm trying to get Mom to let me have ALL her photos instead of just a handful here & a handful there. I did snag a couple of photos of Mom & I on the beach in the Azores, black sand, yeah.
We were at Lajes Field, Terceira was the island name... wow, see I do remember more from there than Westover. Wonder why???
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130936120....@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130965996.7...@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Steve K. Rourke
news:M9aaf.291$Kv.262@dukeread05...
Doesn't Yahoo have a free *Photos* thingie?? Separate from the *groups*, I
mean... seems like the scrapbookers are always using those to show off their
work. I haven't gotten one yet, but I think Webshots also has a free
website to post photos. None of the scrapbookers has to collect email
addies to show off...
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
Yes they do, all you need to do is set up a yahoo account and you can upload
pictures to the photo section. Just have to make sure to make the
appropriate folder public so that people can look at it.
Steve
AFBV76-0858-DFWTX
Sparky
Westover AFB mid 60's. You can link to them by
photos.yahoo.com/kawvger12 . I am the guy with the flag wearing a blue
coat and blue jeans. The others are my entourage. In looking at those
photos I believe that they were taken at multiple open houses as I am
wearing different clothes in some of the pictures. I hope that you
enjoy them. I will try to get the Azores pictures loaded next week.
Don't have them with me today.
Sparky
AFBV74.0556.KGVA
Jill
--
Jill
AFBV64.0147.AR
"Sparky" <kawv...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:1130968421....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Jimbo
> Hello all, I confess that I am an AF brat and a child of SAC during the
> height of the Cold War years.
>
> My father served at Rapid City AFB (Ellsworth), Greenham Common (where
> I was born), Lincoln AFB, Upper Heyford, Westover AFB, Phan Rang,
> Vietnam, and Sculthorpe. He retired from the AF in 1969 due to medical
> reasons and died in 1969 at 45.
>
> He started his career as a RB-36 mechanic and worked his way into being
> a crew chief on the mighty Peace Maker. From there he crew chiefed
> KC-97s and C-54s. He became a First Sergeant at Westover with the 99th
> OMS during the mid-sixties. Did a stint at Phan Rang with Super Sabres
> (352nd) and then on to Sculthorpe.
>
> I would very much enjoy talking to anyone that was at those bases from
> 56 to 67. However, I really am interested in anyone that was at
> Westover in the mid-60s. I have started a Yahoo group devoted entirely
> to Westover Brats and would love to hear from you.
>
> Sparky
>
I was at Westover '61-'62 and graduated from Chicopee High School.>
Jim
uscga...@hotmail.com
memories. My dad was stationed at Westover from 1960-1968. I lived on
Zacker Rd near one of the gates in the "enlisted" section of the base.
I had a TV Guide route and used to have to ride my bike all over the
place and really made my $ on the officers side of the base. I used to
go door-to-door selling the silly things. They sold for 15 cents and I
used to keep 4 cents for every copy sold. Some weeks I made $2 and
thought I was super rich.
I graduated from high school in 1971 in South Carolina but have
recently been contemplating a trip back to Western Mass for a tour. I
don't have many expectations but I certainly have a lot of childhood
memories of the place. Keep the memories coming. This is GREAT!
Sparky
Man's curve is no more. Looks like some sort of dirt path now. The
creek is still there. They must have closed the road when the base
closed. I couldn't find Radar Hill. They probably got rid of that
also. I think I see where I used to live but I am going to go back
through my dad's records and see if I can find the street names. We
lived in two area while we were there in the mid-60s. I also saw the
pool but it is oriented differently than what I remember.
Jim
jimi...@gmail.com
> Hello all, I confess that I am an AF brat and a child of SAC during the
> height of the Cold War years.
>
> My father served at Rapid City AFB (Ellsworth), Greenham Common (where
> I was born), Lincoln AFB, Upper Heyford, Westover AFB, Phan Rang,
> Vietnam, and Sculthorpe. He retired from the AF in 1969 due to medical
> reasons and died in 1969 at 45.
>
> He started his career as a RB-36 mechanic and worked his way into being
> a crew chief on the mighty Peace Maker. From there he crew chiefed
> KC-97s and C-54s. He became a First Sergeant at Westover with the 99th
> OMS during the mid-sixties. Did a stint at Phan Rang with Super Sabres
> (352nd) and then on to Sculthorpe.
>
> I would very much enjoy talking to anyone that was at those bases from
> 56 to 67. However, I really am interested in anyone that was at
> Westover in the mid-60s. I have started a Yahoo group devoted entirely
>
> Sparky
We were at Westover from 1957-1961, I went to Cathedral High School. My father was a B-52 crewman and spent a lot of time on ALRT. I ran around with Dave Jacoby (or is it i ?) and Robert Jackson, Randy Adams and a couple of others.
I learned to play golf there along with Steve Eichstadt. We also caddied, which was one of the few job opportunities available for kids on base. Recently, I ran into Pete Nash while playing golf here in Bakersfield, CA. He went to Chicopee HS and graduated around 1962.
We arrived at Westover from Castle AFB, where my father was an instructor. It was a bit of a culture shock going from California to New England. Since then, I graduated Cal Poly SLO, was an airborne infantry officer in the Army - served two tours in Vietnam, got out and worked as a real estate appraiser until I retired 5 years ago.
Back in 1949, our family traveled through the Azores on our way to Westover when we transferred from England to Rapid City AFB.
mb...@hkis.edu.hk
> I don't remember all of my teachers' names.
>
> My 1st Grade Teacher was Miss Gorman.
>
> I think 2nd Grade was Miss Fredette.
>
> My teacher at Bowie Annex for 4th Grade was Miss Welch. I remember that most
> of the boys would play wargames in the woods around the school during
> recess.
>
> 6th Grade was Mr. Zackrocky. If the Sox had won the World Series in '67 we
> weren't going to have homework for the rest of the year!
>
> 7th Grade was Mr. Szymonik.
I know this thread is a halfdozen years old, but what a blast from the past. I was at Westover the same time as you guys, but two years behind you. I remember Miss Welch at Bowie Annex; my teacher that year was Miss Cziepiel. In Bowie, I had Mrs Lewis...she had one lame arm from polio as a child. Everyone said she was the mean one, but she was great. At the Middle School, my Gr 7 teacher was Mr Charpentier...he had this totally cool Barracuda and all the girls had a crush on him. I remember sledding on Radar hill, bowling at the bowling lanes on the Officer's side of the base, and living at Old Capehart, on Outer Drive. Anyone remember Morgan's Tunnels, the drainage outwash pipes behind the PX? We used to go 'caving' in there, and the rumors were that one kid, one time, had explored them all the way to Stony Brook out by the golf course.
Cool old memories.
mb...@hkis.edu.hk
If you guys ever revisit this thread....my older brother was in your class at Westover! I'd love to see those class photos!
stevenr...@gmail.com
tetr...@gmail.com
tetr...@gmail.com
sulfa...@mypacks.net
> That rec center on the right of main gate was a teen club in 60's. The b52s droned so long and loud at night I couldn't sleep without them.
As some of us "Age up" and start sorting through parental memorabilia, the need to reconnect with our brat heritage rises.
Thanks mb, steve, & tear for the revive attempt
mdb
AFBV73.0755.CA
Mary Hillman
Mary S Hillman
SAC ACCA Reunion Coordinator
sac-acca.com
sacacca.reuni...@gmail.com
320-760-8235