USO Canteen FReeper Style....FReeper FRiday..May 24,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

I would like you to meet FReeper Veteran HiJinx.

Thank you HiJinx for serving our country !

Somehow I always knew I was destined to be a part of the U.S. Armed Forces and travel around the world. That may be because my Air Force Father brought me in to this world as an Englishman, then taught me to walk and talk as an Italian! My poor grandparents couldn't understand a word I was saying when I first met them in Dayton, Ohio.

My Dad was career Air Force, my Step-Dad was Navy, so my brother and I joined the Army. Natural choice, right? This is the obligatory graduation photo, complete with the old bus driver's cap.

For some reason, they didn't trust us with live ammo on the live fire rush and cover course, so we used blanks. I'm not really pointing my M-16 at the photographer, it just looks that way. Maybe there's a good reason for them not to trust us!

The training was completed, graduation was a day away, and we were restricted to our barracks. Note the WWII era corrugated sheet metal construction. Our Basic Training Company, C-2-3, was the only one in the 3rd Battalion 'living' in Quonset huts in 1976. At the end of BCT I had lost 35 pounds and Mrs. HJ had not seen me for 3 months. On the back of this picture I penned "Here's a lousy picture by a lousy photographer, but it gives you an idea what we do on the weekends - sit around and wait!!"

My entire career was spent as a Military Intelligence NCO, and I'm rather proud to have been one of President Reagan's Cold War Warriors. My first duty station was at the USASA Field Station Berlin. Everything above the third floor of the main ops building (the one in the back) was antennas. Ostensibly, we were there providing worldwide communications support to American forces. The site has now been turned over to a German concern and is in use as a resort with a ski-lift, grass ski-slope, and toboggan run down the backside. There's also a 'clothing optional' beach at the base of the mountain. No, I never went there...wink-wink!

I re-enlisted 4 times during my career, this was the first. The Company Commander in this ceremony, a Captain, just finished his tour last year as the Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Intelligence Center at Ft. Huachuca.

Much of the photographic record of my time in uniform has me out of uniform! Our blonde Cocker Spaniel Sebastian is receiving a new pillow for his bed for Christmas. The poor boy begged for everything. Check out those paws...to dust those hardwood floors, we'd toss a ball for him to chase...he made a great dust mop, and got lots of exercise to boot!

My first CONUS (stateside) assignment was to the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) at Ft. Riley, KS. Here Dad is doting on Jonathan, who is a natural ham. He'd follow a camera anywhere!

Another of the sights that all MI soldiers should be familiar with is the AN/FLR-9 (Flare 9) HF/DF Antenna System. This is the Augsburg site, where I spent 3 and a half pretty good years. On an earlier thread we paid tribute to NSA soldiers and civilians who had lost their lives in the line of duty, and the memorial says they 'Served in Silence.' That is still true to some extent. These sites are only shown now because they are no longer in use. ~Photo courtesy Carl Schweibinz

My final tour of duty was as a Combat Developments NCO here at Ft. Huachuca. I'm here to tell you, this was rough duty! TDY every month, living out of a suitcase, and putting on Dog and Pony shows to convince the Army to develop our new systems. The Association of the US Army (AUSA) shows weren't too bad, until the Chief of Staff, Army (GEN Sullivan) showed up for his briefing with 35 staff officers in tow!

This is what consumed my final years of service. The Army Family of Common Sensors was to be the last set of Intelligence and Electronic Warfare systems the Army would ever need, with reconfigurable electronics and antenna systems to handle the mission of the 10 different systems currently in the field. Pictured from left to right are the Ground Based Common Sensor-Light on a Heavy Hummer, the GBCS-Heavy on an Electronic Fighting Vehicle, and the USMCs Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System on an LAV-25. The upgraded Black Hawk is the Advanced Quickfix system with COMINT/ELINT sensor package and extended range fuel tanks.

For those who would like to see a larger, more detailed picture of Field Station Berlin on top of the Teufelsberg, click here. This is quite large, please be patient. Ditto for a larger picture of the AFCS Intelligence Collection Systems, click here.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Thank You for the traffic your sites send to the

[deadhead]

Hi All, I spent the day at my sisters house, beautiful day in NY. Moe is recovering from surgery and I am still hobbling around with my sprained ankle. We look hysterically pathetic (we make each other laugh alot) Well, anyway we were outside and two women came down the block and put a Flag in everyone's lawn for Memorial Day. It was so nice to see, they didn't want money, no donations, just giving from the heart. Thought I would share this nice story with you.

GOD BLESS AMERICA
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND VETERANS

~~~deadhead~~~

[deadhead]

hahahaha "name them...." VERY funny Snow Bunny!!!!!

[lodwick]

Thanks Misty. My brother and I like to visit Clear Lake Iowa where the American Pie ended the music so tragically. ;-)

[ofMagog]

I see you have returned to ship and are mostly fit for duty. You have not missed much. Most of the crew are ashore, saying they plan to distribute the remaining copies Scuttlebutt's temperance lectures to the heatherns in the various saloons. We did sell off Snow Bunny's old bikinis, but there was little profit as the lady who bought them thought they were used shoe laces. A cool 47F here in Dunedin at 0820 with rain expected.

[Snow Bunny]

I am so glad.

BIS, you look great. I love your outfit.

[ofMagog]

It is also one of my favorites.

[deadhead]

This poem is a real tearjerker.

[MistyCA]

They sure were members of the Greatest Generation. My uncle is the only one in my family who served during that time and is still living. I will be leaving soon to go spend several months with him and I can't wait! I have a couple tapes of him telling his old war stories already, but I will be getting more. :)

My uncle recites the bible in each and every lesson he seeks to teach me or anyone else. There is always a moral to every story. Often he wants to demonstrate hope as in one story he told me about when he was a little boy. It was during very hard times for their family, not long after his father had been killed in a lumber accident. They had a small tobacco farm and my grandfather gathered all the tobacco so that it could be sold, but the market was very bad and he decided to keep it until the next season. To earn money he went into the north country to work in the lumber yard. A tree fell and killed him. Then one very early morning my grandmother and her kids were woken to the horror of finding the barn on fire. Somehow spontaneous combustion set the tobacco on fire and they lost everything.

Well, they moved to the city so my grandmother could work as a seamstress, but it was really hard to find work during the depression. One day they had no food and she only had 2 cents. It cost 3 cents to buy a loaf of bread. He said it was the only time he had ever seen his mother get on her knees and start praying...she never asked for help from anyone, and she thought people wasted their time to sit and pray for something....they should get off their butt and go work for what they needed!

She told my uncle to go to the grocer and ask if he would please break a loaf of bread so that they would have something to eat. My uncle was very embarrassed, as was my grandmother. But he dutifully left and walked slowly to the grocer's. He kicked stones along the way, trying to waste time and delay having to make his plea to the grocer.

Playing around along the way, he somehow fell in the street and low and behold, there next to his hand lay a penny! He checked to make sure it wasn't one that he already had! No! It was another penny! He quickly skipped off to the grocer and bought a whole loaf of bread! :) He always says, God helps those who help themselves, and waste not, want not....the sayings we have all heard a million times from those of the greatest generation who lived a humble and proud life.

[Pippin]

HOWDY! TGIF! Now it's time to relax and slip into something more comfortable! TE HE

[MistyCA]

Hey, Tonk! I found something for you! Click here for the Coast Guard Song!

[Pippin]

HI, Misty! Thanks for the outfit! But you're right! they do pinch after awhile! TE HE! ( Now, I WONDER IF THE bad boyz WILL?)

[MistyCA]

LOL! I can't believe you said that! :)

[MistyCA]

Look! I restyled my hair! :)

I really have to go get some more work done now! :)

[deadhead]

"Right now I have to go to Home Depot"

LOL...You sure to spend alot of time at Home Depot...hahaha

[Pippin]

I'm a baaaad girrrl! LOL

[MistyCA]

ok...I'll post the patriots and then I am going! :)

[HiJinx]

Ok, another installment of Jeff Foxworthy-style humor. There's a reason they called us REMFs. Those of you who were, or know of, intel types in the service should be able to appreciate these. If you need to have acronyms explained, we prolly need to do it offline! (The entire list, with contributors, is available at the FS Augsburg & 701st MI Brigade Home Page.

You Might Be ASA or MI If...

16. You get into violent arguments over who is better- Cpt Kirk or Cpt Picard.
17. PT is canceled because of sun.
18. Your M16 jams and you attempt to reboot it.
19. You consider BCG's to be a bold fashion statement.
20. Your boots were last polished at the factory.
21. You brag about "making the tape" - again.
22. You believe firmly in the three food groups- caffeine, alcohol, and tylenol.
23. You've had more than one profile in the last month.
24. Your kids wear glasses thicker than yours.
25. Your mom asks if you like girls (or boys, as the case may be).
26. Your kids have doctors notes to get out of gym class.
27. Your oldest child was conceived in Monterey, CA.
28. Your brother uses your TA-50 on camping trips.
29. Infantry soldiers gawk at your haircut.
30. Your most-used acronyms are NSA, FTA, and FTO!.

More later!
HJ

[lodwick]

349 Thanks for this post - well done.

[ofMagog]

Those were the gals who escorted 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub back to the ship this morning.

Loved your story.