Just found out about your name - location service. Very happy to see so many people who still remember Kagnew. My tour at Kagnew started in June '68 and lasted thru June '70 with many happy moments inbetween. The name is John Calhoun, ex-DoD tech rep to STONEHOUSE. Until I get an address on the internet this one will do. The home location is 13546 Tombaugh Ave., Alliance, Ohio. It would be nice to hear from those who are left from those days. Thanks for the coordination effort.

I spent two tours at Kagnew Station. I was there from 1964 to 1966. I went to Viet Nam for a year then came back to Kagnew in 1967 and went home in early 1968. While I was there I was a 72B40, teletype and cryptograph. We worked in the secret room with the coded door. I would appreciate it if you would include my name on the Kagnew Station Roster. Thank you for keeping this page alive. Your Kagnew friend, Ronald Lowe

My name is Jimmy Padgett and I was an MP assigned to Guard Company. I arrived on Jan 12 1969 (The day Broadway Joe made good on his promise) and stayed until mid Aug 69 when I 1049'd for Nam. I left on the same flight with Cpl Ron Jablonski, also an MP (lost contact). My address is: Rt #1 Box 538B, Sparks, GA 31647. Tel: 912-549-6136. I really enjoyed the pages!

I was there 1948 -1852: James "Okie" O'Connor. Absolutely Great job, page and computerized "get together"-keep it going. Thanx, Okie

I arrived in Asmara 13 Dec 67 as an E2, assigned to work at Stonehouse as a draftsman. I didn't get my security clearance until Apr 68, so I was placed in other quot;hi-tech" jobs. After coming on your site I tried to write down as many names of those I knew when there. The list keeps growing! Some of them are: Charlie Poat, Tom Lewis, Jeff George, Wayne Schildmeier, SFC Walter Phillips, Cpt. Warren Schrensker, Frank Regan, Pete Landrum, Eric Stevens, Ernie and wife Odina Miller, Del Weisi (Civ), Paul Curtis, Will Williams, Lt Kenneth Bowles, Jim Holler, John Calhoun (Civ), Tom McCandless, ad infinitum. So many memories, so little time. It would be great to hear from anyone at Stonehouse when I was there. I remember with much fondness the Honda 305 I had and all the trips we made and boony riding around Asmara. I can honestly say it was the best time of my life. Since then I have had my own business as a printed circuit designer, and since 1991 I have done missionary work in Nigeria. If anyone ever thought it was bad in Asmara, you ought to go to Nigeria! Just returned from there July 97. Keep up the good work on the page. I've come back so many times just to read the same thing. But will continue to return hoping for new names and stories. God Bless all you Kagnew Vets!

I live in Frederick, Maryland, and would like to hear from other Finance folks stationed there.

Actually, John was not in Kagnew, but his father was there during the years indicated. John sent this message: Searching for John Billy Taylor who was stationed at Kagnew Station 1957-59. Was a cook in HQ's Co. Born in Lake Charles, LA 1937-39? Anyone with info can contact me or Larry Freeman, my father, and his best friend at the time. My father can be reached by calling (405)391-3122.

(Liz sent information on her husband, John because she wanted to suprise him for his birthday.) I have been writing to you for my husband. My name is Liz and I found your Email address through a friend of our daughter's who knew we had been in Asmara. My husband's birthday is September 8th. I am going to surprise him with all this information. John was a first SGT in Stractcom, worked down the mountain at the Gura sight. I was thrilled to find this web page on the net. John and I loved Asmara, the people and their country. We had many wonderful friends locally. One day we would like to return! John would like to find a buddy by the name of Ken Middlebrook. How do we go about getting him on your roster? Great web page! Thank you, Rick for making this possible for those of us who care. Liz Storlie

Hello Dennis. My name is Billy Ray Lowery. I was in Asmara from Jan. 61 untill March 63. I was extended because of the cuban crisis. Anyone remember that. I have a lot of fond memories of Asmara. I remember the All Star basketball team from the Post that played the 7th Fleet champs and soundly defeated them. I remember the Oasis Club and all the fun dances with the Italian Ladies from Downtown. I remember Reggie Young was and still is one of the best guitar players that I have ever heard. Does anyone remember Papa Negri? He was an Italian mechanic Downtown. Does anyone remember Jon Lewis? I think he lives in the Spokane, Washinton area. I remember the many trips to Masawa and the Red Sea. If anyone is interested in getting in touch with me my address is 422 Hardin Blvd. Indianapolis, In. 46241 My phone number is 317-243-8402. My e-mail address is blowery@on-net. Please call or send me a message anytime. Also I would be interested in going back to Asmara for a visit sometime in the near future. Sincerly Yours, Billy R. Lowery

(Very sorry, Rocco. This is your original email to John Harris. You got lost in his move and our take-over. We just all hope you will forgive us for being so late putting you on here!) Just came across your page, it was real surprise and it brought back some old memories of Happy Hour in the Oasis Club.. and the Mellotti Beer down town. Ohh can't forget those Ethi Cokes --actually got to like them after 12 months or so.. I came to Asmara After a tour of GOOD Ole Phu Bai, RVN. It sure was a welcome change. My tour at Kagnew, Tract-C was from June of 1969 to Dec 1970. I met a lot of good folks over there, some American GI's, some Misplaced Italians and some Ethiopian locals. I have some pictures of downtown and around Kagnew, and one or two of the G.I. Hotel in Masawa.. if you want a few I can send either in graphics format or copies of pictures. Let me Know... The Old car in one of your photo's was owned at one time buy a buddy of mine, I think it was and old FIAT, geez I can see his face but can't come up with a name yet. One Other Friend, Bill Brunn, owned a real oldie, an Italian made car called a Ballila or something like that...I had a Ducati for a while but swapped it for a yello 1942 4 cylinder original Ford JEEP-- top speed 48 MPH.... downhill. Took that baby to Mekale through Adigrat and Adi Ugri...Folks thought it a miracle that it made it down and back. Well if you come across any ASA types who Worked in Tract C in 1969-70 time frame, give them my name and maybe we could hook up sometime.

Arrived Sept. 1967. Married (on Post) to girl from back home April 68. Kitty (new wife) and I lived off post near US Consulate and I think what was called Track A. I worked trick work at Track C NMSD for several months then went over to Stonehouse. While at Stonehouse spent more time than I anticipated guarding construction workers from the roof and a three level scaffold. Eventually mission came up and then no more sunlight unless running the 85'. I also recall a new Lt. had a map and list of all the items imprinted in the track of the 150' which each new trick operator had to confirm no new imprints. Kitty worked at the hospital as an x-ray tech for a year or so and then worked in the PX. We ETSed from Kagnew in August 71 and ended up in California. We are still in contact with some Kagnew people and over the years have made some new Eritrian friends here in northern California. Kitty and I have many fond memories of the people and places from our years in Ethopia. We know much has changed in Asmara but still hope to return some day. We would enjoy hearing from any of those friends from the past.

I was in the ASA and stationed at Kagnew briefly from Dec. 1971 to April 1972, received a year early out and just recently started realizing how much fun I had while stationed there. I received my Asmaritis Training while TDY at Masawa and most certainly would have died if a medic there had not injected some miracle cure that at least made me aware of which end what was coming from! I also had to fly back up the mountain with a Major who was earning his flight time and believed the only way to fly was in a strategic pattern, zig zagging all the way up. I was sitting on the side of the chopper with the wonderful view of the desert and sky alternating. Don't know how I held it, but I did! There are so many things I remember from such a short time, what a wonderful place! The Asmara Grand Prix, dirt biking, gigging sting rays, the times the emperor came to town, going to the movies and enjoying the sections missing from the film strips, the 1 pm rains you could set your watch by. It goes on and on! Thanks for the opportunity to share some.

I was in Asmara from 6/54 to 1/67. First with the Guard Detachment and then with the Engineers. Retired from the Federal Government in 1989 and now live Deming, New Mex. Yep like most of the guys on here I still have good memories of Kagnew Station.... Does anyone from that time know Ron Weise, Utica, NM or Phil Gillette, Marshfield, Ma. Same time frame as me. Thanks for a real nice page, enjoy it very much. Ed Murphy

My name is Elliot Sachs. I was assigned to Guard Co. (MP) between June '67 and August '68. My tour was cut short due to medical reasons and was medivac'd out on a C-141 to Germany (twice) and then finally 'home' to Valley Forge Army Hospital, PA. I thought Kagnew and Ethiopia were, in retrospect, a great experience for me. At 19 years old and never having gone out in the world it was something else. Like many of you, the experience has and always will never to be forgotten. When I read the stories on the home pages they really have the same theme running thru them. I'm sure there's enough material here to write a book. I served under Joe Gilliam and remember him well. I am looking for some fellow MP's: Harold Felker; Jim Beach both out of Maryland and Billy Brooks from Crandall,Ga. After leaving thru the main gates at Kagnew I waved goodbye to the MP standing at the gate. I knew it was the last time i'd see the place. While I had many memories to take back with me, another more sobering experience was at Valley Forge. Getting off the plane I remember coffins coming down the ramp behind me. The hallways at Valley Forge were literally filled with casualties from Nam. You name the injury, it was there. Young soldiers, old soldiers. Amputees, facial disfigurements and of course the mental injuries you couldn't see. It made you think real hard about why people could maim and kill one another by the hundreds of thousands and just keep right on doing it. I guess it doesn't speak well for mankind. I suppose that's why for the last twenty odd years or so I have worked with the handicapped. But above it all, I will always remember Kagnew and the cherished memories of that forgotten world in the clouds. Its terrific that a few hardworking guys like Dennis, John, and Rick, to name a few, have resurrected Ethiopia for us old timers. Don't stop!

(Marshall is another who got misplaced in the move of the Kagnew Home Page....Sorry Marshall, hope you're still with us.) Hi, what a treat to see Kagnew with its own homepage. I served at Kagnew with ASA (admin weanie) in ''71-''72. I'm looking forward to monitoring the page for any old chums. I have some photos of Asmara and Kagnew tucked away somewhere. Ed Murphy

Can not believe I found you guys. INCREDIBLE. Directed the Kagnew chorale and the base chapel choir. Would like to locate other chorale members if possible. Sang command performance for Haille Selassie IN 1969. Played golf on that rock course. Now live in Houston, Texas. Will contact you again, near future. Definitely add my name to your roster.

I am Bill Custance. I left the CONUS for Asmaara on my 21st birthday, what a gift from the Navy. The bureau knew so much about the place they told me it was in Turkey. I was a RM2 at NCU3 from Dec 58 until March 1961. My 1st wife joined me in march of 1960, couldn't accompany me when I first went as E5 didn't catch up to me until after I got to Asmara. I Started out at the transmitter site for over a year then moved to the receiver site. I still have some photos of Asmara, plus a lot of color slides.

Retired as a RMC(SS) USN in 1974 and my wife Dorothy and I settled in Phoenix Az., countryside looks a lot like Eritria.

Rick,
I was an SP4 assigned to HQ Company and worked for a short time at the APO and then for most of my tour at the Education Center which was co-located with Civilian Personel just inside the main gate on the right side as you left the post. I arrived at Kagnew Station in January, 1963 and was transferred to Torii Station on the island of Okinawa in July, 1964.

The web site is great and brings back many fond memories. Will add more at a later date.
Ciao,
Dale

Hi, there. Enjoyed your web page. Please add me to the 1968, 1969 and 1970 pages. I started as a 31S30 at Tract C, but was excess in my MOS and worked in the signal maintenance office for nearly a year. In 1969 I moved to the TAREX office, then went into the Comm Center and was sent to the 7th Army NCO academy in Bad Toelz. On my return, I was promoted as a communicator (72B40) and transferred to the 371st RRU in Vietnam, supporting the First Cavalry Division.

Rick,
I arrived at Kagnew Station in the fall of 1970, assigned to Company A, ASA. For the first few months, I woked out at Tract "C" as a clerk for a Sgt. Potter. Then, I took over as editor of the Gazelle after Tom Horton left. For those who were there at the time, they might recall me as that dumb-ass editor who put the SABA Queen legs on the cover of the Sept. 24, 1971 issue as part of a contest to match the legs with the faces inside. Very bad idea! I remained editor of the Gazelle until leaving Kagnew and the Army in January 1972.

I'm still in journalism and cover the aerospace industry (Boeing!) for my paper, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. I've written two best-selling books: the first, "Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire'' was published in 1992; my second book, "Overdrive: Bill Gates and the Race to Control Cyberspace'' was published in 1997.

What a terrific idea .. a web site for Kagnew veterans. When I first heard about the site the other night, I must have spent 3 hours looking up names and stories and other tidbits... and then more hours remembering. How ironic. Just this past July 4th, I threw a party at my place to watch the fireworks on Lake Union in Seattle where I live, and one of my guests -- who I had never met before, started telling me about how she and her ex-husband were stationed at Kagnew in the late 1960s. In all the years since I left that African outpost, she was the first person I had run into who had been there. And now, just a couple months later, I discover the web site. It all brings back great memories-- of playing golf at that crazy course with the sand greens that had to be packed down by a pull sled before you putted, then "playing through'' the Ethiopian mounted police who liked to thunder down the rocky fairways, to riding my dirt bike in the hills outside of town, to that terrific switch-back drive down to Masawa for some water skiing on the Red Sea... It was a unique and wonderful experience -- in or out of the Army -- and one i still treasure. I fondly recall the morning i left for the states and my discharge from the Army. The base radio station was playing "Leaving on a Jet Plane'' as I boarded the Ethiopian Air Lines 737 headed for Athens and New York's Kennedy airport. I knew I was leaving behind some of the best times of my life.
James Wallace

Rick,
I found your site last night while showing my family pictures of Lalibela and Gondar. Of the 397 people you have on the roster, I could remember only Lew Colwell and Dave Marcos really well - but it's been almost 30 years. The photos are really interesting. People don't look anything like my mental image. It's an interesting trip down memory lane. I was in ASA at Tact C from '67 to '70.

I have an entry for the maternity ward, too. My son, Robert I Stacy, was born to me and Maria Stacy on 12/15/68.
-Bob