|
|
George William Durman, SMSGT (Ret), USAF
© 2011 by Author
I attended Russian Language Training at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, from November 1957 until October 1958.
I was assigned to the 6932nd Radio Squadron Mobile (TUSLOG Det 3-2) from October 1958 until October 1960. (Served 2 tours, during which I returned TDY to Goodfellow AFB, TX, for specialized training.)
After completion of that tour, I took an “early out”. Re-enlisted in February 1962 and was assigned to NSA at Ft. George G. Meade, MD. From there I returned to Turkey, Karamürsel AS, 6933rd Radio Group Mobile, TUSLOG Det 3.
From there I was assigned to Izmir, Turkey. Was stationed there for a little over a year, then was re-assigned to Wiesbaden, Germany.
Upon return to the States, I had no more permanent duty assignments in Turkey, but was there many times TDY, with the USAF Intelligence Service.
The fondest memories in my USAF career are from the times I spent in Turkey. I learned the language and the customs, and came away with many, many lifelong Turkish friends. It has long been my wish to return to Turkey and live the rest of my life there. (I’m still working on it.)
It’s the greatest country I’ve ever been in and I’ve been in just about all of them, including Central and Eastern Europe, and most of the Mid-East countries.
Regards,
George W. "Sarge" Durman
I am still working on a very detailed account of my 2-year tour in
Samsun and I keep reading all the posts on the various websites from
those who came to Samsun in 1960 and later, and I just can't relate to them! They
wandered into Det 3-2 after it was a done-deal and just don't know
what went on before their time. As an example, all those erroneous stories about "Gulan", the bear, and the references to a "Tunnel" out-
side the base, where a skull was found. These are all "hand-me-down stories"
from those who came 1960 and later.) They don't have a clue about
such things as us going to Ankara by taxi!
In 1957-1959, there was nowhere to go, except Istanbul, and that would require taking a week's
leave to have gone by boat...or to Ankara by taxi. Yes, I've read the
stories of those who came in and out of Samsun by plane, landing
and taking off from the grass strip. That was much later, and if anyone
says he commuted to Ankara by plane 1957-1959 he was using
resources we knew nothing about.
I do remember that just before I departed Samsun in October 1960, C-130 aircraft were landing and
taking off from that grass strip. Of course, we Air Force grunts didn't get to
fly out, we had to take that danged boat back to Istanbul, which was
just as well to me, since the only way a C-130 could take off from that
short grass strip was with the assistance of JATO bottles. Let the
Marines and Sailors use that route! They had guts. We had good sense.
Four or five of us would rent a taxi in Samsun and sleep most of
the way to Ankara. I don't remember how much it cost, including
the driver staying in Ankara to take us back, but it wasn't much,
considering the rate of money exchange and the per-diem we were
drawing. Seems like it was around $25 round-trip, which earned
the driver a fortune.
We worked different schedules during my two years at Samsun,
the first was this:
3 Days, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM;
3 Swings (starting next day), 4:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight;
3 Mids (starting next night), 12:00 Midnight to 8:00am.
Then, 3 days off.
That was early on. We could go to Ankara during those 3 days
off and return in time for duty.
But, then, starting in my second year there, we did the same thing,
but with SIX consecutive tours of Days, Swings, and Mids. That
gave us SIX days off! That allowed us to go anywhere!
We went to Athens, Greece a couple of times, and once to Pamplona, Spain,
where some of us inebriated insane airmen actually "ran with the
bulls". (No one was injured and, actually, none of us ran more than
a couple of blocks before "opting out". We were foolhardy when
drunk, but we were not idiots. We ducked into the nearest alley at
the first opportunity.)
We went once to Majorca. I don't remember, off-hand, other places we went to, but we didn't sit on our asses in the
barracks and complain about what an awful place we were in! We
"lived the life".
| |
 |
|
 |
| |
Click the two aerial photos to view aerials of the old base in Samsun as it is today. It's really sad to see that there are no more radar domes, no "Bucky Ball" structures. Knowing that the 6932nd RSM no longer exists takes away part of my life. I spent two years there, and they were two of the better years of my military life. Great comrades, good times, enjoyable episodes with the locals, and, most important, a sense of contributing to the overall effort of NSA & the USAFSS. The left photo is the "raw" aerial photo and the one at right has the old base in Samsun outlined. |
"Most of my friends who arrived in 1958 also extended their tours of duty, so were in the same shape I was in. With the per-diem we drew before the site opened, and with the very favorable rate-of-exchange, i.e. Dollars to Liras on the black market, we had all
saved up a lot of dough. (I'll comment on the "black market" rate
of exchange in my official post later. To put it bluntly, we were
"rich".)
I don't know -- maybe I'm beating a dead horse - but I read all the
stuff about Karamürsel, Samsun, Trabzon, and Sinop, and just feel
like I've lived a different life than those "later" people lived.
I guess you'd have to have been there, at that time, to appreciate
what we went through. (And, I haven't even mentioned yet that
when we came to Karamürsel in 1958, on our way to Samsun or
Trabzon. We lived in tents and our drinking water was from
"blister bags" hung outside the tents. (Do a Google search for
"blister bags"!)
Yes, you folks who landed later in Turkey have a great heritage. But,
don't ever forget we folks who were there a long, long time ago,
and who made it possible for you to be there later. (If you
have an occasion to do so, ask some of the older Turks if they
know of someone named Yüsuf Eröglu. Just mentioned on a
whim.)
Sarge
|
|
