14th USASA Field Station - Japan
From Email Received:
That was a long time ago. I'm still in contact with others from my unit and trick. I did every job there was to do in Dolphin Section but I liked the remote DF site out on the abondoned airstrip best. From there one can see the City of Fukuoka across Hakata Bay, the practice drops of the airborne troops flying in from Camp Zama, and it was the best and clearest DF and report net anywhere. I loved that place. James Minchener wrote about "Camp Brady" in his novel Flight From Ashiya. It was the location of Ghingis Kahn's invasion of Japan in ancient times. On occasion we would go through the old quonset huts on the strip and read newspapers stuck on the walls from the Korean War period. I worked with guys named Baby Huey and Pine Cone, and Sgt Cummins. Baby Huey said to me last month that I had the clearest and cleanest Morse of any he ever heard. I can still do it but I don't know about the best. I have lotsa work stories but I'm not sure I can talk about all that. I miss guys like Jackson from Florida and Schmidt from Detroit and I often wonder what happened to them.
Currently I run a genealogy website at Lively Roots, family stuff, Lively Roots Been retired since 1987.
I hear they closed the base at the old 14th and the Japanese built a museum or some sort of tourist thing. It was one of the saddest bit of news I've heard in a long time
Gerald Lively
Add your comments or memories:
I last visited Hakata in May 1983 when we flew up from Torii Station, Okinawa to visit inlaws. The desolate base was still largly intact but was fenced off at both gates. I could see paint peeling off the buildings and vegetation growing everywhere as it had not been trimmed in many years. The antenna field was gone and the golf course had reverted to something of a grassy - plant area. I could just see the Ops building and it too was overgrown with weeds,a bit sad.
Saito had modernized a great deal, everything was paved and most all of the old shacks and bars were long gone, although a few like the Shamrock were still there but is now a dry cleaning establishment. Another bar, forgot name, is now a preschool.
I, too, remember SFC Dick Justice, who I heard several years ago had passed, 1SG 'Tiny' Wadsworth, also gone. SSG Bob Wallace died in the early 1990s, the CSMG of the base (forgot name) passed in the late 1990s. SP4 Lee Munson from 1969, who, as I recall I sold a 1964 Honda sports car for a $100.00. Moe 'The Deacon' Earhardt who was a wild dude. He PCSed to Thailand in 1970 and lived there for many years. Steve Polsnick.
Who else? Bob Keys, 05H, married a gal from Taiwan. Norm Blowers, Terry Oshima, whom I'm still in contact with. Still trying to find Dennis Schultz, 05D, who left in 1970. I knew him in Vietnam.
Those memories and friendships of many years ago have dimmed somewhat with advancing years, I'm in the twilight of my life now, just turned 70,and long retired and spend our winters in Mesa, Arizona and summers in Lakewood, Washington.
Many times I still dream of my time in Hakata and Fukuoka as some of the best in my life.
As a matter of fact I am in Fukuoka right now visiting my in-laws. To let all of you know that the base is now known as Uminonachimichi, it has a modern hotel and restaurant and spa, an aquarium, which is where the parade field, theater, BX bowling alley and em club were located.
The dependent housing area, church, Ops, and golf course is now an amusement park.
Siatozaki is not a small town anymore, the ferry dock as we knew it is gone and a new one is built along the inner bay. All the roads are paved and there are traffic lights on almost every corner, The coal slag pile is completely gone and there is a new golf course there,
Shigonoshima is a big tourist attraction now with several hotels on both sides if the island and the road has been widened and paved.
Hell of a place - more alky's than skid row
Ops building was well laid out - great cover music. Stories galore. Base was open to LNs who played golf in amongst the antenna field next to the ops building.
Spent the first half billited in H&H building great houseboys. The 2nd half was in the old wooden barraks where you had your own room with 40 other guys. The consolation was at night you were serenaded to sleep buy the delightful sound of the surf on the beach. The beach was magnificent ' hence the name 'beach combers'.
I had thousands of slides of the place, but these were lost forever in a storage mishap.
Lota time gone / lota friends passed on. Visited the site in 1991. But thats another story.....Later
Michael E. Solan MD Maj MC USAR
Hey Rick Steiniger from Miami, Ohio I bunked across the isle from you in trick 3.I remember riding behind Max Markowitz on his motorcycle and you on your's going to the DF site along the ocean.
I stumbled on this site when I was doing research on some of the USO shows we had. I was specifically looking for Johnny Cash. I didn't remember that he came to the 14th, I was thinking it was at Itazuke!
Got over to Japan just in time for the restrictions for the Cuban Crisis and the Berlin Wall.
I had a motorcycle (Honda 305 Superhawk), was an instructor in the Kyushu Timing Association (KTA), traveled all over Southern Japan including Hiroshima and Nagasaki (no we weren't sadistic, they were two cities you could get to in a day's ride).
Regards,
Rick Steiniger
To Don Fulton ;A fellow 14th alumni, Gus Cone, has a roster of many of the people who served at the 14th. His list goes back in to the 50's and includes some of the guys who closed the base We have had many reunions over the years, (every 2 years) in various locations to accomodate East Coast and West Coast, and central US people too. Next one is planned for the fall of 2012 in GeorgiaContact Gus Cone at guscone@msn.comBest to you
Dean
Went sailing from the service club and actually made it far out into the bay and back again. The club also checked out bikes, so a bunch of us rode out to the north beach on Shikanoshima (Deer Island). The Saitozaki ferry was a pleasure to ride into Fukuoka.
My time in the ASA was 59 to May 63. I extended a year. I was 057 with the guys in the little room next to Col Dohlstrom's office(?) -- north side.
Before Hakata, I was in the PI at Clark AFB for all of 6 weeks, which was 4 weeks too long. Six 056 overstaffers at the 9th USASA at Clark were sent to other fields stations, and I went to the Fighting 14th. At Hakata after about 6 months, I OJT'd from 056 to 057 so that I could go on straight days when my wife came over.
Once some hillbilly singer came over and performed at the base theater under the USO program. Everybody went nuts to see him perform. I was staying in the Trick 4 barracks across the street directly north of the theaters, but as I didn't go as I don't like country music. The guy was some character by the name of Johnny Cash. Kinda wish I had gone across the street to see him now.
For those making contact with ASAer's for the first time, there are some ASA Yahoo groups for corresponding, and I'm a member of one. But there are so many youngsters on them now -- at least compared to the time that I was in.
Stationed at Hakata Base '70-'72 or until we closed the base. Worked at Ops as a O5H (ditty bopper) on rotating shifts etc.
Lived in The Beach House as the locals called it on the water just down from the Ferry Docks. Moved on base the last part of the tour. Had a son born (41 yrs ago) in Sasebo and loved the country.
Remember SFC Dick Justice, SFC William McIntyre, SSG Don Bostic and there are a few more that are trying to come to my mind. :)
Currently working for the Air Force as a test engineer and getting older as many of you reading this are.
Would like to find a search data base for the 114th USASAFS if one exists.
AR SK
Don
Couldn't think of anything else for a title. Hakata was a long time ago, and far away. April '64 to Dec 67. Trick 4.
The best tour and best days of my life. Too much booze, too many motorcycles (7), too many overnighters, too many bloody mids, too little money. That's always a problem, ha. I was an 05D Sigint type. RFP, DF, dah-did-dah-dah. Diana pads. DF Site, site dogs. Beach house. Larry Cruze, Gary Devol, Andy Harvey, 'Beg'nap. Bzzzz.
Khaki shorts, knee socks, dress shoes, house boys (Chisai), Shiganoshima (Shika no Shima or 'deer island'?)
The 410 area. The antenna field, Ops building, burn bags, morse code ops. that were really good, Oie. The airfield, PSP, sea food heaven Mess Hall, 'Fuchan' the motorcycle guy. Man what memories! I could go on and on if I had time and more brain cells. Loved the place.