TUSLOG Det. 3-2, Samsun, Turkey

Memories and Photographs

Background

Hi, I'm George Campbell. Back in 1967-8, I was stationed at this base in Turkey, while a Russian linguist
 in the USAF. Located on the Black Sea Coast of Turkey, the mission of the base remains classified, 
and the base, which operated from the early 1960s through the early 1970s, is no longer there. 
A Turkish military base now occupies the former TUSLOG site. There were only about 4-500 people 
stationed there at any given time, so it was a fairly close-knit group, and I'm hoping to establish some 
contact with former residents, particularly during the same period in which I was there.

This page is dedicated to photos and links relating to TUSLOG Det. 3-2. If you have additional photos 
or stories to tell about the time you were there, please email them to me by clicking one of the email links 
on this page. I'll post as many stories and photos as I can.

Another page on this site deals with the Russian Language school at Skytop (updated 1/22/07),
Syracuse University. Click here to jump to that page.

If you know someone who was stationed at TUSLOG Det. 3-2, please let them know about
 these pages so they can share the experience.

Links to Other TUSLOG Det. 3-2 Info and Photos

Samsun Photos Below (New Names Added on 4/7/08)

Here's Baker Flight, from the Fall of 1967, sent to the site by Phil Hart. We don't have many
I.D.s for this group. Fourth from the right, front row, is Norm Phileon (sp).  Phil Hart is third from the right
in the back row. Know someone else? Click any of the email links on this page.

Remember the rough-and-tumble football from Sam? Here's the Base Championship team
from 1967, Able Flight, of course. Phil Hart, a Baker Flight guy, sent this photo. He was a Middle 
Linebacker on the Able team, since Baker Flight was too lazy to field a team. Terry Powell is number 69. 
Mike Decker is Number 8 or 3, second from right in the front row. Phil Hart is wearing number 32. Number 9 is Mike Hannah, TN.
Number 85 is Bob Weberg, from Wells, MI. Number 62 (far right front row) is Joe Roginsky. On the far left,
back row, is Tom Brannon, Oak Ridge, TN. To his right is John Skalski, Chicago. Thanks to Jerry Miller for 
the most recent IDs!

Able Flight also won the Championship in Football in 1968. Here they all are. Oh, it was flag football,
but in name only, as I recall. Thanks to Phil Hart for these great photos! Thanks to Jerry Miller, Back row, far left
is Bob Weberg. Third from left, back row, is Barney Kleeber, NY. Fifth in that row is Mike Hannah. Next to right 
in back row is John Skalski. Third from left in the front row is Joe Roginski. Far right, front row is Patrick Maloney, Chicago.

A great aerial shot of TUSLOG DET 3-2, courtesy of John Laughrey, who was there when 
the big transfer happened, starting in 1969. He was Operations Maintenance Officer.

Also from John Laughrey, this is a terrific aerial view of the Upper Ops area. Thanks, John!

From Don Dowling, a photo of a Det. 3-2 baseball team, perhaps "B" trick, from 1959. Don
knows some of the names, but can't put them with positions in the photo. Last names in the 
team include Eldridge, Carpenter, Cooper, Carlson, Huston, Rhodes, Phemp, and Levesque.
If you have more info, please let me know. Don't they look nice in their Class "A"s?

Now, here's a pretty picture of some Short-timers from Dog Trick in December, 1967.
 Looks like the party has been going on for a while, eh? 
Back row, left to right: Buddy Thompson, Denny McGuire, Don Rolek, T. Nather. 
Front row, left to right: Ray Roussin, Paul Taniff. 
Out of the picture, with the camera, is Frank Horvath, who contributed this photo.

Samsun Bears Basketball Team -- Dog Flight, `66-`67. 
Back row, left to right: Rod D., Mike Hannah, Cliff Carey, Richard Studwell, Rich Lee. 
Front row, left to right: Buddy Thompson., Wesley, Ray Rousso, Lennie F. 
Photo courtesy of Cliff Carey, who apologizes for not having all the last names. 
If you can help, please click the Email link and let Cliff know. Additional names from Frank Horvath.

Able Trick -- ~1968, Photo Courtesy of Harvey Madison.

Names and Positions: 
5-? Schroeder
7-Val Norman

8-George Trudel
10-? Frese
11-Oliver Shilling
12-Ted Kaczowka
14-Jack Bray
15-Marty Straganic (sp?)
18-Bill Boston
16- Peter Moran 
17- Harvey Madison
21- Thomas Harris
22-Clement Krasa
16- ? Walker
27-Mike Trinkle
29 - Nick Turner
George Campbell  I was out of the group for the photo.

Recognize someone? See yourself? Send their Flight designation, name and position and I'll post it here.
 I recognize several folks from my Syracuse U. class by their faces, but can't remember their names. Where 
first names are not known, I've inserted a question mark.
Thanks to Jim Summerlin and Jack Bray for the latest IDs. Thanks to George Trudel for additional info!

Dog Trick, 1967 

From left:

Front row

1 - Steve Shoub (with dark glasses and cigarette)
2 - Bumgarner (Baumgardner?)
3 - Frank Horvath
4 - Gary Williams
5 - Jim Vanghel
6 - Ron Lias (trick cut-up)
7 - Ray Roussin
9 - Jim P.
10 - Merle (Spears/Spears?)

Middle Row

1 - Milton Clare
2 - Buddy Thompson
3- In baseball cap, Bob Michals
11 - John R. Cook
13 - Andy Fineman (in blues)
End of Row - Lt. or Capt. Jackland Stephenson
Guy in fatigues between two guys in khakis is Ron Surguine, now in Ft. Wayne, IN

Back Row

Center (in flight cap) - "Froggy" (Dramen?)

Recognize someone? See yourself? Send their Flight designation, name and position and I'll post it here.
 I recognize several folks from my Syracuse U. class by their faces, but can't remember their names. 
Thanks to Jim Summerlin  and Steve Piotrowski for the latest IDs.

Able Trick -- 1962. Photo submitted by Dave de Wey

The SSGT at left front is Gene Gomes. The A1C standing in front with hands on hips is Joe Ondek.
To his left is SSGT Jim McCoy. Dave de Way is the tallest guy standing in front of the window at the 
back. Recognize someone else? Email me (link above), and I'll add the info!

Contact Request: Is there a Joe Ondek in this photo from 1962? Do you see yourself there? Well, Joan, someone you
knew back in those days would like to contact you. If you see this, Email Me with your email address, and I'll forward it to
Joan, so she can contact you.

A Farmer and Oxen -- Courtesy Doug Morris

This panoramic view of Samsun Harbor shows, from West to East, what we all saw from the Base. 
You'll have to scroll horizontally to see the entire view. Sorry about the size. 
Below are the individual photos, much larger, which you can print and use to make your own panorama.

Another Panoramic view of Samsun, but shot recently, to show the remarkable growth. Photo by Ibrahim Yazicioglu

Samsun 1, the Westmost view. These houses were just outside the East fence of the compound.

Samsun 2. More houses just off the base, plus the harbor, showing some of the cranes used to unload ships.

Samsun 3. The remainder of the harbor. Note the main coastal highway.

Samsun 4. The remainder of the city. The kids in the foreground were part of the group of children
who hung around the fence, sometimes sneaking onto the base.

Samsun 5. The easternmost of the photos, looking almost due South. In the foreground, you can
see on of the Turkish askeri soldiers who guarded the base from intrusion by locals. In the far
background, you can just see the southern operations area. We rode buses to work.

The rear of Able Trick's barracks at Samsun. More urchins. Some of us couldn't resist handing
out goodies to these kids.

Touch football was a big deal at TUSLOG Det. 3-2. Here's the Fall 1967 Able Trick Flag Football team, with Goulon,
the bear's cage just behind the dugout. Able Trick's team were Base Champions that year. Go Able! 
Photo identification by Barry Sparkes.

Tom Brannon Writes: I happened across a different picture of the team, and I had the forethought to write down 
within a short time the names on the back. In the picture shown on the site, the guy on left bending under the 
dugout roof is Mike Hanna, from Selmer, Tn. The guy closet to Mike is probably Bob Weberg, from Mich. 
The guy seated next to Bob, sitting on the back of the bench is Terry Powell, from Hannibal, Mo. 
The guy in white sitting on the rail is Ssgt. Guy Payne, mission supervisor of 'A' flight. 
The person whose head appears to the right of Guy Payne's right shoulder is I believe Barry Sparkes, Holyoke, Ma. 
That one is a bit of a guess; I wish I had the original photo in my hands. Moving to the right of Barry, the guy 
looking at the camera is Mike Decker, from Penn. The guy dressed in street clothes sitting on the rail is most 
probably Charley Gerrish, from Brownville Jct., Maine. Now, if you look near Charley's left foot, there's a guy in a 
white sweatshirt, sitting in the dugout. If the vertical and horizontal bars of the dugout were crosshairs on a rifle 
telescope, he would be a goner! That's me, Tom Brannon, from Oak Ridge, Tn, and now from Atlanta. 
Last, but not least, the guy standing in front of the dugout, facing into the dugout with his hands on his hips is Al Libby, 
from Boston. I remember him playing in the outfield during softball, he had an arm like a cannon, and could throw a 
strike over the plate from center field.

Small villages like this are scattered throughout Turkey. this one was across the valley from
the base, to the West.

These guys hung out on the top of the roof of a house just off the east
fence a lot. I never did figure out why, but they were there a lot.

Good Conduct Award from Samsun...thanks to Marty Mintz

Two guys outside Mess Hall, 1960...thanks to Marty Mintz (pictured on right)

Can do what? Thanks to Marty Mintz (in photo)

Lower Ops, 1960. Thanks to Marty Mintz