Alsfeld-Augsburg-Bad Aibling-Bad Tölz-Bahrdorf-Bamberg-Baumholder-Bebra-Berlin -Bremen-Bremerhaven-Coburg-Dahme-Frankfurt-Fulda-Gartow-Giebelstadt-Giessen -Hammelburg-Heidwinkel-Heilbronn-Herzogenaurach-Hof-Kassel-Königslutter-Linz -Luebeck-Malmsheim-Mannheim-Memmingen-Munich-Mt. Eckstein-Mt. Meissner-Nottau -Nürnberg-Oberursel-Offenbach-Passau-Ramstein-Rothwesten-Salzburg-Scheyern -Schneeberg-Sontra-Vienna-Wasserkuppe-Weiden-Wels
The E-Mail Newsletter of the Army Security Agency Alpiners Reunion Group
Serving veterans of the SIS, ASA and INSCOM who were stationed in Germany or Austria
Volume 6 – Number 3
April 1, 2010
Ralph R, Thadeus, Editor
(Scheyern 53-56)
E-Mail Us
REUNION XIX – OCTOBER 14-15-16, 2010 – MYRTLE BEACH, SC
Our Headquarters Hotel is the Landmark Resort, 1501 South Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577. As usual our block of rooms is being held under the reservation name “ASA Alpiners.” You can get a look at the hotel by going to their web site at: http://www.landmarkresort.com.
For reservations call 1-800-845-0658
There are two different rates (tax inclusive) for weekdays and weekends as well as view options:
Interior Room: $49.16 Weekday and $60.46 Weekend
Oceanview Room: $53.68 Weekday and $64.98 Weekend
Oceanfront Room: $60.46 Weekday and $71.76 Weekend
Weekday = Sunday thru Thursday
Weekend = Friday and Saturday
Our web site will also keep the reunion information posted.
ASMN
James (Rick) Schramm (Scheyern/BA 54-58) is looking for Danny Langford from Scheyern and Tom Daly from BA. They are not on our e-mail list so if anyone out there has contact with either of them, give me a shout.
New Contact Loren Ayers (Bad Aibling 57-60) recalls his good times in BA. He writes: “On arriving I spent some time in the barracks on the top floor. I was waiting for my wife to come over. We had 4 men to a room. While living over the bottom floor I opened the windows (which opened out, no screens), leaning out I noticed the room down below had put out his beer on the ledge to keep cool. Well, being from a ranch, I located a rope and fixed a loop and managed to get the loop over the bottles, they had the wire hoop then, don’t really know if they still do. I pulled up the beer and we drank it. Of course we were quite wise and proceeded to refill the bottles and lower them back down. I got an apt off post and I and my wife moved into it.
At the time I arrived people were having quite a time remembering what the name of the company was. It had just changed. I can remember we had a Bn. Commander Lt. Col. Clayton C. Swears. He was a big man, having about 7 kids, mostly boys. At the time my wife taught Sunday school on post and had 2 of his boys in her class. They got to acting up, so Doris (my wife) proceeded to tell them to quit it. They said they didn’t have to, their father was the Bn. Commander. She proceeded to grab them each by the ear and lead them to their chairs and set them down. When she came home and told me I thought, well, there goes my job and I am off to another post. Or, I would be reprimanded somehow. I waited all week for the ax to fall. Next Sunday she went to teach and when she came home I was waiting for what happened. She went to the room and the Col. came in and asked if she was the one that grabbed his kids ears. She said yes they were acting up and I set them down. He said good right in front of them. If they act up again, you have my permission to use whatever means to correct the problem. And to be sure and let him know. He gave her his phone number on post. Needless to say she had no more problems with them the entire time she taught there.
While on tour we had the Lebanon crisis. They flew out half the battalion to Lebanon in 1958, Aug. I think. The ones left in Radio Repair had to pull 16 hrs on duty and 8 off. We had a cot in our room that when we got tired we could go lay down and sleep. They would ring us on the red phone to have us come change out a receiver/tape deck or whatever needed done. Can’t remember how long we did this. If I am correct it was a couple of months.
One of the stories that came back was a guy in the group was assigned to guard duty. He got things slightly wrong. Instead of yelling halt 3 times then shooting, he shot 3 times then yelled halt. One thing he had going he was a good shot. He killed a donkey!!! Not a good thing in that country, guess the army had to pay dearly for the jackass.
Another time I was working mids when I came out of the RR room and heard a clang on the big doors, so being a dumb kid I ran out to see what was going on. I went to the guard shack at the gate and found 2 very white face SP’s. They had been practicing quick draw and shoot. Well the one forgot to remove the one bullet left when you pull the clip out. It missed the other guy by a whisker, went out the window pane, breaking it of course and lodging high up in the hanger door. They did not know what they were going to do. They could cover the shot bullet, but the pane and all. I went back in and got the key to the machine shop and got a pane they had over there and the glazing compound. They had the pane put in and glazed when I went out the next morning. As far as I knew that was the end of it. I never got searched when I went out and they were on.
I will close for now (saying) that time I spent in Bad Aibling I wouldn’t change or take anything for. It was one of the best times in my life. My wife and I got to tour the western Europe, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, Holland, last but not least Luxemburg.”
In a separate e-mail Loren is trying to locate some of his former comrades, none of which are on our mailing list. He’s interested in contacting John Prell (sp) George Mortimer, Sgt. Hackett, WO Deming and a fellow named Johannsen. Loren was in the 180th radio repair section during the 57-60 time frame.
Arizona Army Security Agency former military, friends and family will meet for dinner at the Manda Le Restaurant, 3455 Canyon de Flores South, Sierra Vista, AZ, at 6 p.m. April 8th for fellowship and entertainment. Contact Dave Waldmann, dwaldmann@cox.net, or Bill Colberg, wcolberg@cox.net, before April 5th if you can join the group or have any questions.
NEW CONTACTS
Loren Dee Ayers – Bad Aibling 57-60
LOST CONTACTS
Supporting Member William J. Benner (Coburg 61-63) wjbenner(at)ameritech.net
TAPS
Mary E. Bromble (wife of our deceased ASA Lifer Edward W. Bromble) passed away on June 25, 2009. During WW-II Mary was a WAC intercept operator at Two Rock Ranch Station, California, where she met and married Ed. Mary was an active volunteer in the Army Community Services at Fort Meade. She wrote and published “Gerald’s Herald,” a newsletter for surviving members of her WAC Company, of which there were only 9 remaining at the time of her death.