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BULLETIN BOARD SAYS: "TURKEY!"

Chuck Maki

© 2003-2011 by Author

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We were finished with tech school. When the assignments came out, we crowded around the school bulletin board there at Scott AFB, Illinois. One guy in our class from Alabama got Finland AFS, Minnesota. Boy, was I envious. I'm originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and an assignment in that kind of country would have been heaven. OK now, where is it ...where is my name... where am I headed....huh, Turkey? Turkey...hmm. All told, 4 of us were headed to Turkey. Don Kingery and I to APO 324 at KARAMURSEL and Martini and Neubauer to what I learned later was Ankara. We don't need passports either!

I was acquainted with some Turkish Air Force sergeants who were also going to tech school. When I told them, they were so happy and pleased for me but they didn't know where APO 324 was. Turns out, 324 was a very new number. The people in assignments had it but the people in the post office didn't know it and that is another story. The Turks were from Ankara as I remember it and 324 didn't ring a bell. In those days I could not pick out a single word of their conversation. It was just one long bunch of sounds. Now Turkish is a lot easier for me. As close to a second language as I have ever had, even stronger than Finnish.

I got my orders and headed home for a little bit of leave and to bring my car home. It was my first, a 1950 Ford. Then I took the Greyhound from Chicago to Charleston AFB, South Carolina. Wow, lots of traveling in such a short time for an 18 year old kid. Before joining the air force, I had only been to Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. And now a foreign country and not just an ordinary one like England or France, no, I got Turkey.

Seems as if the air force had its transport aircraft grouped by type. Going to the Mediterranean area, we got to to fly Lockheed's Super Constellation, or as the air force named it, the C-121. We boarded and found all the passenger seats facing backwards according the air force practice at the time. I think it took about 12 hours until our first stop in the Azores. Nice thing about a propeller airplane - no jet lag!

We flew from SC to the Azores where we landed, ate, and had the airplane serviced - check the oil and fill 'er up. We took off again but after being out about an hour, we had to turn back because of a problem with the aircraft. I remember the announcement that we were dropping fuel and were turning back to Lajes Field (the Azores). After some time on the ground at Lajes, we got back into the air again. It was absolutely beautiful flying over the Mediterranean Sea. I could see the occasional ship, the land and I remember being dazzled by it all. Finally we got to Wheelus Air Base near Tripoli, Libya. King Idris was the Libyan ruler at the time. This link will show you a picture of a Citroen by the BX (base exchange) and a view of enlisted barracks. I hung around Wheelus for about 3 weeks, seeing the sights, going to the beach and so on. I had sat behind a couple teen aged girls on the plane so was able to see them now and then:) Jeralyn Hayes and her sister to be exact:) I remember the food in the mess hall being bland and tasteless. Everything else was fine. I met a Libyan guard, an old guy, who had been given a dollar mpc (military payment certificate) which he asked me to exchange for him - I did and all I could get were a bunch of copper coins each about the size of a half dollar all in a roll but he was happy. One day I came back to our transient barrack and everybody but 3 of us had left. I checked in the office and learned an airplane bound for Turkey came in unexpectedly. They rounded up as many people as they could get find and shipped them out. It wasn't but a few days later and we three left as well but we flew commercial!

A British European Airways twin engined plane, the Airspeed Ambassador AS57 took us to Malta. These images show a view of a historic Maltese fortress and a view from my BEA window of Royal Air Force medium bombers. Our airplane was serial G-ALZY and I wonder what ever happened to her. I really liked that airplane a lot. I have to tell about the landing - what little multi-engine flying I had done was with the USAF except for Ozark from St. Louis to Moline (DC-3). I was accustomed to a straight in approach prior to landing. Not at Malta, no, we paralleled the field, made a sharp 180 and landed. Not air force style with one wheel then the other - nope, both wheels at the same time. And with the wing above, everybody at a window had a marvelous view. Did I say I liked that airplane? Yea, I really liked it. Why only 20 were sold is a mystery to me.

Going civilian air after the military is a rough way to go :) I had my first caviar with BEA - I am still amazed that I ate it knowing how reluctant I had been to try strange foods in the past. Because our connection wasn't until the next day, BEA gave us the choice of an overnight in Rome or in Valletta. A guy from Wheelus who was going on leave recommended Malta and we listened and hung around with him and it was great. No wonder the Royal Navy liked Malta so much. Those teeny tiny little bars were such friendly places. The next day we continued on the same type of airplane to Ciampino Airport at Rome. After we got there, we had lunch courtesy of BEA. I thought I should have spaghetti in the country where they should know how to make it right. It was Friday and it was the first AND last time I'd had spaghetti with fish as the meat portion. We had to switch terminals. Pan American was on the other side of the airport so again courtesy of BEA, we took a taxi around the perimeter. If you have ever had a ride in an Italian taxicab, Fiats of course, you have survived something fun. We had to use two cabs so naturally we had a race:)

Our next plane was a grand and glorious DC-7C, her name was Clipper Rainbow of Pan American World Airways. I don't remember much about the plane except that our first stop would be at Istanbul. ISTANBUL, can you believe it! We were now flying at night so there was not much to see. I do remember it feeling like those flying scenes from movies. The engines droning on steadily - not the kind of airplane noise experienced on a jet, not at all.

I remember one of our trio being an Airman First (E-4 in those days) who was returning to Diyarbakir Air Base in eastern Turkey. All of us were ticketed to Diyarbakir because the people in the transportation office back at Wheelus had no idea where APO 324 was. My APO was 324 and his was 294 and he knew where he was headed and he was not enthusiastic about Diyarb, no, not at all.

I, a fresh young Personnel Specialist (73230), suddenly became worried. What if upon arrival at Diyarbakir AFB some wheeler-dealer personnel sergeant would decide to keep me since there I was. Anyway, at Istanbul we had an one hour layover and everybody got off the aircraft. I found a very nice Turkish guy who helped me call TUSLOG. This guy not only placed the call because I didn't even understand the telephone system, he also paid for it! And now I can say in his language çok tesekkür edirim. Anyway, I got hold of TUSLOG in Istanbul and asked if I should leave the plane in Istanbul for APO 324. Yes they said and they had a car going our there to pick up another passenger and we will take you into town as well. Good thing because I was absolutely flat broke. Malta was too much for my budget and after being taken care of so nicely by the USAF, who expected to need money, right?

I make the connection with the air force station wagon and am taken to what later I learned to be the Kahan Building, just about 2 blocks from the Hilton. I find the transient quarters and learn that it will cost me one dollar. Well, all I had was change in my pocket and not enough to make up a dollar. The Staff Sergeant in charge takes pity upon me and tells me to pay him when I get into town (which I did although it was about two months later. We Finns have a thing about paying our debts).

The bad news first - APO 324 is not Istanbul (APO 380) but someplace called Mainsite. The good news is that a sergeant was driving an air force ambulance to the base and he would take me with him. Next day I met with him and tossed my duffle bag into the back and we took off. I have the vaguest memory of crossing the Bosphorus. We had to stay with the ambulance. It is likely we crossed over to Kartal. We drove for a while and I could see a lot of open water at our right side (it's the Bay of Izmit). He points across the water and he says that's Mainsite (I see nothing). We were still somewhere opposite the base when the ambulance breaks down. I guess it was a hand-me-down from the air force in Germany. I think to myself, "thanks guys". Anyway, this being a 4x4, the rear driveshaft had broken where it joined with the universal joint somewhere behind the transmission. No tools of course, not even any wire. If we had some baling wire, me, being an old farm kid, could have tried to tie the shaft in a cradle affair and the sergeant could have continued on the front wheel drive.

The sergeant gives me some coins and tells me to find a telephone and call the base. Well, here I am, in Turkey less than 24 hours in the country and it's back to the telephone again. Fortunately the base chaplain, Captain Robert Mossey, happened by in his car. He takes me and my duffle bag with him. The sergeant stays with the vehicle confident that we will call for a tow from the base. The Captain and I go first to the US NAVY contingent at the Turkish Naval base at Golçuk on the eastern end of the Bay of Izmit. I imagine a call is made for the tow and then we are given lunch by the navy. The chaplain and the U.S. naval officer are friends. It seems that each of them brought his car to Turkey but the license plates went missing from one of the cars so one guy gave the other his front plate. In those early days, a number plate was enough. After lunch it was about a half hour more and we are at Hava Alani Karamursel (KARAMURSEL Air Field in Turkish) where I'm to remain for 2 years. Oh yes, later that evening I noticed the ambulance being towed onto the base. And that's the story of how I got to my duty assignment in Turkey.

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