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People found by this web site in 2000
QUICK WORK! On the 1950s Search page, in November 2000, we asked for these airmen's names. On 10 December 2000, Bill Roper - Bill.Roper(a)dana.com - came up with the goods!
Bill has also sent this supplementary information: A little more information on Picadilly Express. In April of 1958 RAF Manston in Kent closed. The 92nd Ftr. Bomb. Sqd was based at Manston in Kent and with its closing the 92nd airplanes and airmen were transferred to Bentwaters. In this picture, two of the airmen and the F84F aircraft were with the 92nd. Huey Curet and I were with the 92nd at Manston since May of 1956. We both left Bentwaters in December 1959. As for the person in the back ground (legs only) can't put a name to them! Bill - after 40-something years, it's not surprising you can't name "the legs!"
From: Mike Doss battdaddy(a)hotmail.com I received an email from Raymond Dedrick's daughter. She found the search we did for missing 79th personnel on the Linn Barringer's Bentwaters site. Raymond lives in California. I haven't been able to talk with him yet, but his daughter Gina says he stays busy at the airport flying now. He has his pilots license, and flies all the time. Sounds like he is having a good time. Send him a card or give him a call. If any of you have changed addresses, or phone numbers, please let me know. Keep in touch for the next reunion. Merry Christmas, and Cheers, Mike Doss Raymond C. Dedrick
From: Wayne P. O'Keefe okeefe5(a)gis.net Hello Linn, Thanks to you and your website, I found a sister I never knew about (or should I say she found me). Her name is Stacey and she resides in Florida. Stacey found me through my posting on the Bentwaters' website. We are both excited and nervous. Stacey and I plan to meet one day, hopefully in sunny Florida and not in cold Massachusetts, or maybe in England. In additon to Stacey finding her brother, she also has found her mother and another sister. She has also discovered the name of her father. As for me, I have yet to find my father, but I have renewed faith as a result of finding out about Stacey.
From:cdalldorf-at-sbcglobal.net ...Speaking of your website, I am meeting Nick Cirenese who was a Technical Sergeant in Aircraft Fuel Systems at the 81st FMS when I arrived in 1977. We got along quite well when I was there and he left for the states in 1979. We had been in touch on and off through the past 20 years but his son Steve saw your website (I don't think Nick is a PC owner) and showed it to his Dad. Nick saw the picture of Corner Cottage and saw some of my remembrances and sent me an e-mail. He and his wife Maureen (I believe she is a native of Hadleigh) came to San Francisco for a holiday yesterday and I will get to see Nick tomorrow for the first time in 21 years! I am meeting them in the Napa Valley and we will do some wine tasting and have lunch. I'll send you a picture for your SUCCESS page! Chuck AND THEN... From: cdalldorf-at-sbcglobal.net Thanks to your website, I had a great reunion with Nick Cirenese and his wife, Maureen a fortnight ago in the Napa Valley. At long last, here are photographs.
We met on Sunday September 17, 2000 in St. Helena, California and drove around to various wineries throughout the Napa Valley. Nick and his wife Maureen are from the Detroit, Michigan area and had never been to this part of the world before. We had a great time and I look forward to seeing the Cirenese's again soon. Nick was a Technical Sergeant and the Master Sergeant. We both served in the Aircraft Fuel Systems, 81st Field Maintenance Squadron, 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge. As always Linn, thanks for your role in all of this...isn't it amazing??? Cheers, Chuck Dalldorf
Dear Jim, Maureen and Linn, Thank you for devoting pages on your web site to the American servicemen stationed at RAF bases Bentwaters - Woodbridge and the wonderful English people living in East Anglia. Your web pages are clearly a labor of love. They do bring about the re-connection of friends and relatives. As an example: Due directly to Linn Barringer's and Jim and Maureen Tansy's web sites, as well as the efforts of former RAF Bentwaters airman, their wives, former-wives (not mine) and grown children in the US and in the UK, I have "found" Dave Conley and Ray Marino, both of whom had no idea that they were "lost" <grin>. Dave is retired USAF living in Dover, Delaware and Ray is retired USAF in Pennsylvania. I had been actively looking for Dave and Ray for over twenty years. Saw each for the last time in mid 1960's: Dave when he and I drove his MGB from New York to San Diego and Ray at a reception given by his parents in New York City. Part One: Dave Conley - Bob Mcvey a former Bentwaters fire dept airman and Bob's wife Margaret (an Ipswich girl) had kept in touch with Dave's (former-wife) Margaret (Conley) Horsman. The Mcveys saw my message on your web pages. They wrote to Margaret, now living back in Ipswich. Margaret, most graciously, sent me an e-mail (what a surprise that was) and then she called Dave with my telephone number. He and I have spoken several times by phone and are planning to meet at the first opportunity. Margaret and I are continuing our friendship by email. Part Two: Ray Marino - Two former B/W-W/B families, neither of whom knew me, saw my message on your web pages and contacted each other. One couple lives in Washington State (the wife is a cousin of Sheila, Ray's former-wife, and also an Ipswich girl). The Washington folks got in touch with neighbors of Sheila in Texas (he's former Bentwaters hospital, she from Ipswich). After they confirmed with Sheila that it was the right Ray Marino, both sent me email instructions on how to contact Ray in Pennsylvania. Ray and I are meeting here in South Florida on May 24-29th, 2000. We will catch-up on 34+ years, trace the whereabouts of other "missing" friends and toast those most beautiful of English Roses, the girls of East Anglia. I have spent many hours reviewing my years in England and was sure that I had squeezed-out every possible memory from those days. But after only a few brief "conversations" with Dave, Ray and Margaret there have been set off a flood tide of "hidden" memories of places and people. What an adventure! My searching process has an underlying goal that is more than just locating old USAF buddies from RAF Bentwaters. When I rotated back in August 1964, I did not know that my girlfriend in Ipswich was pregnant. She did contact me in the US but I ignored her letter and was sure that I would also be able to ignore my conscience. Through your site's Missing Persons pages I can see there is an overlay of interconnectiveness - a bond - between the people from Bentwaters and East Anglia. As I travel this pathway I've discovered that I am not the only one seeking to make amends for, or to try and make sense of, the pieces of life's puzzle. I have "met" strangers who were seeking someone and it has turned out that I had personal knowledge of those being sought. Could it be that my friends have 36 year old knowledge that will permit a grownup "child" to connect with their parent? Thanks Linn, Jim and Maureen for putting up some markers along the way. Warm regards from sunny Miami Steve Krulin [webmaster(a)tropic-lawyer.com]
From: Ron Burrell
Hello Garrick in Florida (seen above somewhere other
than Florida, I suspect), Garrick, did you work at the dining hall at WB? Or were you in Security Police? I used to eat there when I was at WB 81st EMS Age Shop in the 1980's. They served up some real good food. Your name sounds a bit familiar. We made a trip over to Bentwaters and Woodbridge base in 1990 and 1991. Did we meet then? I will be ringing up Donna this evening. Is there anything that you would like to say to her? I will relay the message no charge. :-) Cheerio for now
Sent: 22 February 2000 21:25 I just received a email from Terry and Kathy Priddy
who had a posting on your memories page. They are at Lakenheath.
I sent them a howdy doo and a photo of their daughter out of the
1983 Reflections yearbook. I remember Kathy from her working the
four seasons at Woodbridge base when I was last there. They are
at Lakenheath. They also gave me the name of a British girl named
Daphne who worked at the Bentwaters BX for nearly 30 years. She
lives in Woodbridge, or did, but even the Priddy's couldn't remember
her surname. Daphne worked in the BX back in 1962 when I went
in to buy Pam's engagement ring. The last time I saw Daphne at
the BX at Bentwaters was in 1990, or 1991.
From: Ron
Burrell Subject: US/UK People Search - 1980s to Closure; John Vest looking for ET Spencer. He has been found. His email address is g787(a)epix.net. I just had a "howdy boss" email from him. Ron
This is more than a little self-congratulatory but, well, it's the kind of excitement that this type of web site brings about sometimes. The following is extracted from an email that Sarge Ron Burrell (yeah, him AGAIN) sent to Joe Koczan and some others ( jkoczan(a)lucent.com, esland(a)erols.com, aberning(a)evansville.net, red4by(a)gateway.net, RGoo955391(a)aol.com ) Hello Joe and to all you former Bentwaters troopers I am sitting here amazed at how Linn and Jim's webpages on Bentwaters are putting people back together again. First of all, a thanks to Ray Goosman who signed the Tansey Pages. I communicated with him last Sept 99 and found out that he worked with my brother-in-law in the 2164th Comm Sqdn. Then Ray passed along these webpages to Joe Koczan who worked in the Bentwaters AGE shop back in 1962. It was so funny when I got an email from his asking if I was the Ron Burrell who was at Bentwaters. Well, Joe and I have been exhanging emails and the names just keep popping up in our heads. It takes awhile after 38 years. I sent him a photo of me and Pam and he instantly recognizes my wife Pam, but is unsure about me. Well, put a extra 50 pounds on a body, thin out the hair some, and color it mostly grey and it is anyones guess who they might have been. I made a phone call to Rodney Ritz in Florida this evening and said "Hello, this is Ron from Bentwaters, the year 1963." I also told him that I had spoken to Mac recently (Sergeant McRobbie in Michigan). Joe, I read your email to Rodney Ritz and think that mentioning names brought back alot of memories for him. Rodney mentioned Sgt Canazarro, who was once my supervisor, and said they called him "Bilko" as his greatest strength was his ability to scrounge. We never stole anything in the air force. Ha! I hinted to Rodney to get online ie computer or Webtv Plus. I also said how sorry I was to learn that he lost his wife recently and he thanked me. I am going to take a little break now and try to find a photo to attach to this email..... Here it is below. (click on the image to see a larger picture)
It was taken in March 1999 at the former Lowry AFB in Denver. Robin Olds signed my AF commendation award in 1963, and again 37 years later. He is pretty active for being 78 years young. It was great seeing him again and he posed for some pictures with us. Robin is second from right in the photo. I am wearing the white Airman Memorial hat in the pic. Linn has done a tremendous job of putting together a webpage for the enjoyment of thousands of former Bentwaters and Woodbridge base airmen. Also, Jim and Maureen Tansey's pages have been great too especially with its guestbook and names compiled of former airmen stationed at BW/WB bases. DO have a look at Jim's RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge pages at http://www.sinosa.com/~tanseyj/. Take care everybody and keep in touch. For Don LaBarre. Where did we meet at last? I have been racking my brain. Was it at Woodbridge base in the early 1980's, or maybe Kirtland AFB? Cheerio to all, and good night PS If anyone would like Sergeant McRobbie's or Sergeant Ritz's mailing address and telephone number, please contact me. I am sure they would be thrilled to hear from you.
From: Paul & Kathy Topolosky topolosk(a)iland.net
Linn, Once again your pages have put me in touch with an old friend. A British civilian I worked with at Woodbridge named Erroll Frost saw my name on one of your pages and contacted me after 10 years. He lived in Eyke when I was there in the mid 80s and he now lives in the old base housing on Bentwaters. Once again, thank you very much. Paul Topolosky "Top"
From: heather.rice(a)comcast.net
Hello Linn, Yes I did indeed hook up with an old friend again
through your Web Pages although I wouldn't call it news worthy,
Thanks anyway. Heather Troy Heather, |
I
am afraid that you have found the father of the BAG NASTY lady,
who yes indeed did work at the dining hall at Woodbridge base.
I wonder now if there was not any place that Donna didn't work
on the twin bases.
FOR TWELVE YEARS this site has collected contributions for Twin Bases of RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, England
Copyright © 1995-2008 Linn Barringer, All Rights Reserved. Bentwaters.org was RENAMED and re-launched as TwinBases.org.uk 14 January 2007