Kagnew Station Bulletin Board Page


	Kagnew Station Bulletin Board

May 1st
Dave Henderson has a couple of unique items. They are Kagnew Gazelles in bound books. Here is his message:

I have every issue of the Kagnew Gazelle from 9 Jan 1970 to 10 Sep 1971. These are the issues when I worked for the Gazelle as a writer or editor.

Il Poligrafico, our Gazelle contract printer-vendor, bound these issues in hardback for me just before I left in 1972.

Does someone have the resources to scan and create pdf's of these? The scanning needs to be done professionally and with care to preserve the book binding.

I am, understandably, cautious about letting this history out of my hands. But I would like to make this Kagnew historical data available to others via the kaganewstation.com website.

There is an Adobe Acrobat process to OCR the text and to create indexes that can be searched. Searches of this data would be a wonderful addition to the website.

(click for larger image)

I could scan them but it would be a big job and require quite a bit of time. If anyone has any suggestions or resources that could help Dave get these Gazelles scanned, please email me.
Rick (link on home page)

April 10th
I have come up with a program to make peoples photos into DVD programs that will show on the "Net" or TV and is very easy to use. It is called ProShow Gold and is from a company out of Austin. I wanted to let you know and maybe look at my show of the hunting trip of Sudan. Being computer person that you are, I think this would help a lot of the guys put their photos into programs for generations to come.

I am NOT affiliated with them in any way. Here is a link to the Proshow by Photodex and it does sometimes require a viewer to be loaded if it is not already done.

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?bm=156424

I would be happy to help any Kagnewite privately AT NO CHARGE to prepare their photos. I am going to write a "How to pamphlet".

If you have any questions please .
Al Rayl

Updated March 9th
I'm nearly finished with the move to the new computer. I've got all email moved and I'm doing email completely from the new computer. Believe me that was quite a job. Pack-ratting emails for years creates quite a load of email.

I also have all the Kagnew files moved and what little I've been able to update have also been on the new computer so I am making progress. All of Ralph's pictures have been scanned and I will soon be converting them for use on the page. I have a lot of "old file" cleanup to do and plan to spread that out so I can get back to work on the page.

While I'm at that task, I was thinking about a slight reorganization of the menus on the home page and re-grouping the pages. This would help you navigate to where you want to go easier, and possibly find some things you didn't even know existed on the page.

The new machine is great, I'm not sitting here waiting for the computer to do something every time I click so everything should be much easier. Thanks for your patience in this big conversion, and a "HUGE" thanks to the sponsors for making this possible. (They didn't help make it possible, they DID make it possible-thanks guys!)

March 3rd
Thanks to the sponsors, I've been in the process of getting everything moved over to a new computer, getting software and hardware installed, and generally trying to get everything to work. The new machine has Vista so it's been a challenge at times. In the midst of this I have been scanning 30 manila envelopes of official government photos of Kagnew Station from the mid 60s, purchased by Ralph Reinhold on ebay.

I am still working on the small things in this computer move so all work on the web page has been drastically reduced or halted completely. That includes any emails with special requests. Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be able to get a handle on all this and get back to normal. So if you aren't seeing updates from items you sent in, there's a good reason. I'll get to them eventually so have patience. I do this all on what little free time I can find and I have a family that stands in the way some times.

A big thank you to all the sponsors who helped make this possible. It looks like I'll be good for another 5 years now!
Rick

August 20th
The Kagnew Map page is back under construction and I NEED YOUR HELP! I've been going back through the site and my emails to find pictures and information but I need everything I can get.

If you have "ANY" pictures of Kagnew buildings inside and out, or you just have specific information about a building and it's use, please contact me so I can include it in this project. This is going to turn into a great historical document about Kagnew, every bit of information is important. Nothing is trivial so if you have anything you'd like to share or contribute to the piecing together of Kagnew's buildings, please let me know.

As I build on this, I will have a page in conjunction with the map that will have specific questions or picture needs listed so I hope you will all check in occasionally and see if there is someway you can help.

Over the 10 years I've been doing this page, I couldn't have done it without your help. Here's your chance to do it again.
Thanks, Rick

August 20th
Don't forget to check out the 2007 reunion calendar and try to make one if it's in your area. Personally, I've made more friends at the two I was able to attend than I did the entire 18 months I was at Kagnew. Ask anyone, they are worth it so get involved.

March 25th
The roster has grown so much that the listing requests by a range of years had gotten very large. I have broken the year range searches into two and three year groups to narrow your searches. I also modifed the program to put the years of the search on the result page so you will know exactly what you requested. Please note that this will list people whose first year of their tour(s) falls into the range. For instance, someone that was there during 63-64 will be searched using 1963 because that is the year their tour started. And if someone did a long stretch, for example from 63-68, they will still be searched using 1963 as the base year. The database is not set up to search every year a person was at Kagnew so this was my second best option.

March 5th
The Kagnew Station Message Forums page has been revised and completed. Anyone who wishes to use the message boards will be required to complete a one-time registration for access. Complete details are on the forum page.

Thanks for you patience to help keep the spammers out and the boards clean.

January 30th
William Borndahl sent in information about a what looks like a very exciting railway tour in Eritrea, with a side trip to Cairo. The trip leaves London's Heathrow Airport October 30th. The price is 1895. Euros and you can find information on their website - The Railway Touring Company (Eritrean Trip). Even if it's impossible to go, check out web site and read about the tour. Some of it should bring back some memories!

November 20th (Updated 1/04/07)
Dan Carr, Ralph Reinhold and Dan Glassner have emailed me about the new Google Earth program, which is free at google.com. I installed it and was amazed at the satellite pictures of Asmara I could zoom in on. If you haven't tried it yet, go to google.com and get the free download and start searching the earth for those familiar spots. If you can't wait, check out the new "Google Earth" page on the Kagnew page and see what we're talking about.

November 15th
I was working at the backlog of emails and I noticed a note I had sent myself when I came across an old newspaper article about the change of command at Kagnew. It was from a newspaper in Maryland talking about a Col. Malone taking command at Kagnew and replace Col. Keene. I thought it might be interesting to see if I could put together a list of Radio Marina/Kagnew commanders over the years. This is definitely another area where I'm going to need your help. If you remember who was commander while you were there please send me as much as you know, name, rank, years etc. and I'll take it from there. As it grows and we tweak the information, maybe we can put this together. Just email me with anything you know....thanks, Rick

October 22nd
Art Adolphsen has been working on a little project at home, redoing a jeep of the 1952 era. He says he took a few liberties but I think the end results are cool.

June 15th
Jim Courtney sent in a link to an interesting article on the New York Times site. It is an article about the obituary of Haile Selassie which was printed August 25, 1975.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0723.html

Thanks for sending it in Jim....Rick

February 27th
George "Zazz" Zasadil, my co-conspirator in the inaugural '99 Kagnew Reunion in St. Pete, FL, and the webmaster of the 4th USASAFS web site sent me a note and asked that it be posted--Rick

My Two Cents

At times, we may forget to realize that some of the less important things in our lives are very meaningful. Friendships that have somehow endured during past 4 decades now seem to be important. Bonding, once again, with former members of an elite group of travelers, is now of prime importance to us, as individuals.

Rick: You have helped to make all this possible. Without the Kagnew Station Homepage none of this (Annual 1965-1969 Group Reunions) would have been possible. I get a lot of undeserved credit for your hard work, and I do defer the credit to you. I also credit Dennis (Jack) Horner, whose piety caused me to create the 4th USASAFS Website. I have received negative comments about my Site from some former Kagnewites as well as a death threat from a young Eritrean attending college here in the US.

I looked at your Reunion Page tonight, for the first time in years. Do you realize what you have done for others, Linda Caudell – for example? It’s amazing. Over 2100 on the roster, wow! When I first signed up in July 1997 there were slightly more than 100 on the list. Through your homepage I have reunited with several of my old “Kagnew Station” friends.

This year’s reunion on Maryland’s Eastern Shore will probably be my last. I feel that I have little time left (Years of bad habits are catching up with me). And I want to share that time with old friends and my family (I’m spending 3 days with my son in Maryland before Reunion).
Zazz
"Watchin' the sun bake all of those tourists covered with oil"

Margo Kelly, Executive Director of the Eritrean Development Foundation has informed me that her foundation is selling 2006 EDF calendars with photos from Eritrea and various development projects they support there. If you are interested in purchasing one, please contact Margo by email (EDFInc1976 "at" aol.com - replace the "at" with @) or by telephone at (202) 783-3273.

Frank Morgan has sent in a note about the Eritrean Development Foundation:

Rick,
The Eritrean people, singularly intelligent, hard-working and long suffering need help in many directions. As we all know, the country itself is poor in terms of ariable land, and beset with drought for the past several years. A number of Veterans of Radio Marina/Kagnew Station have donated, through the Eritrean Development Foundation, money for the purchase of sorely needed textbooks etc. It was my intention to bring this effort to the attention of as many of the people who have served there, and ask their help in this "bootstrap" operation. I ask your help in getting this message out to anyone who might be willing to contribute to this effort.

For additional information, please contact:
Margo Kelly
Eritrean Development Foundation
1012, 14 St. NW (Suite 1030)
Washington, DC 20005

Thank you Rick and salutations to all the guys who may have served in Eritrea.
Franco (Frank Morgan)

I've been working on the roster because people listed on the "Outside" page weren't showing up in searches. That is because they weren't listed in the database. I have entered all their names now so you will see them during searches. On their individual listing will be a hotlink to the location on the "Outside" page where you will see details about them. Note that their email link will be in the search results and not the "Outside" page. This eliminates the chance that their email address will be harvested by spammers.

Through Dave Nelson and Joe Wilder I've received the link to a web page that you should take a few minutes and check out. It is a Flash slide show presentation entitled, "A Tribute To All Who Now Serve." It is worth the time.

Don Molinelli, who was with the Ethiopia-US Mapping Mission in 1967-68, just sent me a note saying they now have their Mapping Mission web site online. The link is on the "Links" page as well as below so check it out.

Don also tells me that the Mapping Mission had a Liaison Office at Kagnew the whole time it was in operation. There have been Mapping Mission guys listed on the page for some time so it's nice to see that they now have their own web site. Congratulations guys!

Any questions about it can be directed to the host, Lee Miller, at:

leemiller "at" ethi-usmappingmission "dot" com (please replace with "@" and ".")
Thanks! Don M.

www.ethi-usmappingmission.com

I have a new page that will be strictly for Kagnew veterans only, a "classifieds" page. I'll post items that Kagnew veterans have for sale or want to purchase, and if you own a business, I'll list your company and a brief description of your products you're selling.

There will be a couple of rules (Hey, it's free, there have to be some rules!):

1. The page is LIMITED TO MILITARY VETERANS who served at Kagnew.
2. Items to sell or purchase MUST BE RELATED to Kagnew or Eritrea/Ethiopia.

There are no execeptions to the rules, just another service to the veterans who served, compliments of the Kagnew Home Page. Please send me a note giving me the information about your business and I'll see what I can do to get your information posted.

Our own Ed White, who recently went back to Asmara and has contributed a ton of pictures to the Kagnew page, has informed me he's published a book about his experiences and realtionships while at Kagnew. It's entitled "An African Treasure, A True Story from the Horn of Africa." What's important is that Ed tells me all author royalties are being donated to Letekidan's children and the Comboni nuns who help with the orphanage in Asmara! You can find the web page for this book and contact information at: http://users.starpower.net/whitee/bookcover/treasure.html

Think I'll order one myself -- Rick.

In a recent issue of "Travel + Leisure" magazine there is an article entitled, "SEE IT NOW." It says "Wondering where to go in the coming year? Visit one of these 12 places around the globe--before it disappears, or gets remodeled, or becomes impossibly overcrowded after years of inaccessibility."

Here is one of the twelve!

The Modernist architecture of Asmara, Eritrea, now being rediscovered
When a 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia ended in 1993, visitors began returning to see the astounding collection of 1920's and 30's Italian designs, built during Benito Musilini's failed imperial expansion. With a loan from the World Bank, the government is now preserving hundreds of the sleek, streamlined buildings in the capital city. The greatest concentration of Art Deco is along the old Viale Mussolini, now called Hartnet Avenue.
Travel + Leisure
January 2004

Mick McCombs has run across an online article at CBS News about an ex-Kagnewite. After his experience at Kagnew, Hugh Downey has been working for years trying to make Africa a better place for local citizens. You can read the article at: CBS News Sunday Morning.

Also check out Hugh's web page, "LALMBA" at www.lalmba.org.

For those of you who read Italian, Francesco DeLeonardis has sent me a web site (http://www.ilchichingiolo.it/)devoted to Asmarites in Italy. Even if you don't, nose around anyway and check out the "Album" link for pictures.

If you happen to be around Aurora, CO, Dick Lilienthal tells us there's a restaurant where you can get some "lamb in berebere sauce." Or how about a combo of "zigni, zebhi dohro and allicha begee?" It's called the Massawa Cafe and is located at 1842 S. Parker Rd. in Aurora. If you get a chance to stop by, let us know how it was.
Menu Inside
Menu Outside

George Zasadil's 4th USASAFS, Kagnew Station Homepage has moved to a new home at:

http://www.geozazz.com/kagnew.htm

New pictures have been added to the Photo Page and new stories added to Spook's Alley. A reunion is being planned for 1965-1969 Kagnew Station Alumni, (if you knew Larry "Spook" McKay you don't want to miss this reunion) more information is available in the reunion section of the RE-UP Page!

For those of you that wonder if the Kagnew page is helping people find each other, here's another note:

Thanks to you and your web site, I have located one of my friends from my days at Kagnew-Stratcom. I have tried and failed for the last few years but after reading some of the success stories of some of the other guys on this site, this time I didn't give up. So my advice to everyone is don't give up.

OK folks the Asmara American web site is back up. After much work trying to get it back on ATT I finally said the hell with it and put it on geocities. Check it out as it has a couple of new things added to it. The get listed page works now so if you want to add a new member you can fill out the form and it will come to me and I will put it up. Also I have added a "In Memory Of" page. If you know of anyone who needs to be added to this page let me know. You can send the info to me along with some info on them and I will post it. There is even a guest book now so don't be afraid to put it out there. Along with this page I have been doing something else. Its located at http://www.geocities.com/mbrat61_64/main.html.

As a couple of you know I have been borrowing the yearbooks that are available and scanning them, I then put them on a CD. I have been taking the CD's and making a copy for the individual who donated the use of the book and another for archives in case some one wants a copy (for a reasonable price) as we all misplace things now and then. I make one more copy of it and send it to Dr. Thomas Drysdale in the name of The Asmara Alumni. He is the head of the American Overseas Schools Historical Society (AOSHS), You can check out there site thru the links page. I have so far copied books for the school years of 1963-1964, 1964-1965, 1965-1966, 1966-1967, 1970-1971, and 1971-1972. If you have any of the books that are not listed and would like a copy of it on CD then send me an e-mail and let me know what years you have and we can make arrangements.

Other than that take a look at things and let me know if you see any problems or if you have any sugestions. I will update the reunion page votes in a couple of days and there will be another anouncement on it from another one of us at that time.
Have a good day and enjoy the site.
Gary Gordon

John Leeger has written a book about his experiences (as he remembers them!) at Kagnew. John was at Kagnew Station from July, 1968 until December, 1969 as an Arabic linguist, Radio Traffic Analyst, (OJT-trained) cryptanalyst and in charge of the Saudi section on days for the last year or so of that tour. He says they were told in Basic Training by the powers that were that only one person in ten qualified for the ASA. Then, in the ASA we were told that only one in ten of us were good enough for language school. That's where the book's title came from, "One in a Hundred."

John also says it was written as a "fun book" and latest reviews coming in say everyone has enjoyed reading it. I have checked with the two major web sites and here's a link to the book. There appears to be a hard and soft cover version, and the B&N prices seems to be a little less at this time. If you're interested check out the sites for yourself and just key in "Leeger" in the search box to find the book.

Try online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

If you decide to purchase it, let me know what you think about it.
Rick

Thanks to the Kagnew page, I can report another reunion of friends from Kagnew. Dean Tiernan and Linda Caudell-Feagan have informed me that they were able to have a reunion after not seeing each other for 28 years! Linda has agreed to send in a story on this reunion and I plan to post it here soon. For now though, check out these photos of Dean and Linda in:

[1973] and [2001]
Here's a note from Linda:

Thanks to you and your amazing website, we found each other after more than 28 years! We had planned to be at the Kagnew Reunion, but September 11th prevented both of us from flying to Orlando. But we had a wonderful reunion in November in San Francisco! Because of you, old friends have reunited once again. We can't thank you enough! We think you'll enjoy the attached pictures -- 1973 and 2001!

Linda Caudell-Feagan and Dean Tiernan

Randy Rowley has just sent in an old Asmara map with a legend locating various buildings around Asmara. Since I've got a collection of maps I've decided to open a Kagnew map page strictly for maps of the area and Randy's map is the first to be posted. As I rework some of the maps they will be added to this page. Some are quite large so I will let you know on the page what you're getting into by trying to view them. Reducing them in size to allow quicker downloads would only decrease their quality to the point they most likely be unreadable. Enjoy the new addition to the page.
Rick

I recently acquired a map of Eritrea which is very good and as far as I know is the best one commercially available today. It's about 2x2 1/2 feet, scale 1:900,000. Map distance from Asmara-Massawa is three inches. It's available from ITMB Publishing, 345 W Broadway, Vancouver BC, Canada V5Y 1P8, 604-879-3621. They have a web site, www.itmb.com , but you can't order on the web, have to phone. They also sell a map of Ethiopia, similar size but larger scale (1:2,000,000). Maps are $8.95; I ordered both and with p/h added they cost $24; came in about a week.

I've seen only two other maps that I would more like to possess, and the chances of obtaining either are near-zero. One was a large roll-down wall map that the Italians produced in the late 1930s (when Eritrea's boundaries were extended well south into Ethiopia). Covered with place names. I saw just two of them, in Ethiopian military and/or police offices. The other was a set of overlapping maps that hung in a corridor of the embassy in 1993-95. They were much smaller scale, not so hot for place names but covered with contours; I could follow every twist and turn of the Massawa road. They were produced by some U.S. government agency -- I think CIA, but possibly Defense Mapping Agency -- and, although labeled unclassified, bore an infuriating notation that they were nevertheless not available to the general public.

Larry Bucher
162 West Pine St
Spearfish SD 57783-8632

Thought I'd put the word out (for the benefit of those Kagnewites residing in this neck of the woods) that there is a very nice little Eritrean restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana. It's called the "Red Sea Restaurant" and is located at 404 East 4th Street (south side of 4th Street between Grant Street and Indiana Avenue) near the Indiana University campus.

Our IU student daughter discovered it, recently, and we went there for lunch the other day. Unfortunately, they don't have Melotti (or, even, Saint George) but have GOOOOOD zigani - the kind that makes sweat pool in your ears and drip off your nose and fart like a mule for 36 hours! Got done eating, went out the door, and starting looking for a gherri cart to take me home!
Jim Hinds, Columbus, Indiana

Soon it will be the second anniversary of the 4thUSASAFS (Kagnew Station) Homepage. This web site was originally developed to augment the Kagnew Station Homepage (created by John Harris and Mike Doran and inherited and maintained by Rick Fortney). The basic premise of this web site was that it was to be an outlet for humorous stories associated with the time that we spent in a place vastly differing in cultural and social mores than we were accustomed to at that time in our lives. These recollections, which are permanently etched upon our memories, deserve to be recorded for posterity. Where better to do so than the World Wide Web! The 4thUSASAFS Homepage policy is to print any story that has been submitted, regardless of content, editing only for spelling and syntax. Although it is preferred that the author's name be posted, pseudonyms are accepted to protect the author's anonymity. This is primarily an ASA web site, dedicated to the ASA personnel who served at Kagnew Station. However, any individual that experienced being at Kagnew Station is welcome to participate in the expansion of the site. The duty roster (Roll Call), however, is limited to ASA personnel only. If you haven't visited Kagnew Station 4th USASAFS Homepage you can do by clicking the underlined web site title.
Thanks again, Zazz

I just got to see an advance copy of the world's only Eritrean cook book. The woman who wrote it was in Asmara in 1996, and included a very nice history which brought my knowledge of Asmara up-to-date.

The nice thing is that the book includes a lot of recipes from the well-liked Italian restaurants in town that were there in the old days - - plus the favorite local dishes. It talks about how to actually make ingera and mix spices, and so on. Too bad it wasn't available before Christmas, because it would have made a nice gift for folks who were at Kagnew. Even the jacket is a painting by an Asmara artist!

The name is, "A Taste of Eritrea," from a NYC publisher, Hippocrene. It's available on-line from Amazon.com and BN.com (Barnes & Noble.)
Rick Warren

Talk about a Kagnew family tree, check out this note from Marge Perry about her involvement with Kagnew Station!

Here's a note from John Hirsh on a special video about Kagnew you can buy:

A videotape of Kagnew Station about 1967 including shots of Kagnew Station, the Mess Hall, the late Haile Selassie, University of Asmara, GIs of Company B, the Airport, downtown Asmara, dancing outside the Oasis Club and a gherry cart driver is available at Editran, 6812 West Calumet Rd., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53223-4022. Cost is about $5.50. Email at editran@editraninc.com or phone number (414) 357-6477 or FAX (414) 357-6575 or call 1-800-906-3696. Ask for John Hirsh's Ethiopia or Eritrea tape.

Years ago Helix-PhotoArt in Milwaukee originally put the film together. When I found out about the Kagnew Web Page, I asked Editran to make videotape transfers from film and generic music was added. I sent a lot of copies around the country. But I later decided it would be easier for someone to get a copy from Editran. Incidentally, I don't get any bonus from Editran. Editran has a library of my Kagnew videotape. When you call they make the videotape and forward it to you.