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Kagnew Station |
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Kagnew Station |
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| I have spent many hours enjoying the Kagnew website, downloading
many of the scrapbook docs and photos, and just reading stories, guestbook
entries, etc. Through the site I have made contact with several Asmara vets,
mostly of Radio Marina vintage (because that's where I was billeted during most
of my tour). Furthermore, I have learned things about Eritrea, Asmara, Kagnew
Station, and the Eritrean people, that I did not know (and likely would not
have fully understood or appreciated) while I was stationed there. I only just
found kagnewstation.com about a year ago, and then almost by
accident. Kagnew was an unusual duty assignment. Those of us who didn't hate Kagnew Station and its host city, loved it instead (at least after-the-fact!). It was a microcosm of American life embedded in an environment totally different from America, and we bonded in some strange way to both the microcosm and its contrasting environment. Now, we seem to harbor a special nostalgia for the place, the time, and the people (American and Eritrean) who shared that place and time with us. We consider ourselves lucky, for various reasons, to have been there. We can also consider ourselves lucky to have access to this very successful website. It's a forum; but it's also an electronic museum, open 24/ 7 / 365, welcoming any and all who have interest or connection with Kagnew, its mission, its denizens or its environs. For those of us who have spent a few very late evenings, into the wee hours of the morning, immersed in the scrapbook section, it can begin to feel like a virtual reality experience! Part of the site's success comes from the large volume of material contributed by Asmara vets and other patrons, and there is much more out there. But all of that could never be appreciated if there were no webmaster and sponsors, who give their time, effort and resources to maintain and support this site, and organize the contributed material. Thank you. Larry Henty, USASRU9, 1956-1958 |
| Larry, First let me apologize for not responding sooner... I must heartily agree with you that the Kagnew website is a remarkable bit of nostalgia for those of us who were fortunate enough to experience Asmara. I, for one, regret that I was unable to appreciate all of the delights that East Africa in general and Eritrea in particular had to offer. I have to chalk it up to the inevitable self-adsorption and immaturity of an American in their early twenties. Maybe someday, I'll be able to revisit Asmara. However, until then, the website has not only allowed me to refresh my memories of Kagnew, but also to continue friendships that began there. Exchanging email and phone calls with others that I never knew (like yourself) has just been an additional bonus. My small contribution to the maintenance of the website pales in comparison to the tremendous amount of labor and love that Rick Fortney puts into the site. All of our thanks must go to Rick. He has sacrificed his precious time and money to make the site our own personal cache of memories. Words can't express my appreciation to him. I salute him. (And those who knew-me-when know that, for me, a military salute ran counter to my nature. 8') Thanks again, Rick... Jack Creamer ASA Co. A, Stonehouse 1970-1971 |