From: Larry Hammer Llarhamm2(a)AOL.COM
Sent: Thursday, December 25, 2003 9:31 PM

My name is Larry Hammer and I was assigned to RAF Woodbridge from Feb 71 thru Dec 74.
I worked many a night on the flightline at Woodbridge Base. For over 4 years at Woodbridge, I never saw any UFOs. However, something far more problematic to the American Service Personnel were the ghosts which inhabit the Base. We had many people which refused under the threat of Court Martial or Article 15 punishment to work alone or at night due to the various ghostly paranormal activity on the base.
I know a lot of attention has been aimed at the UFO incident however, the ghosts were there a long time before and will be there a long time after the UFO incident.
Capt Larry Hammer

From: Paul Kurzinski (pekeagle(a)earthlink.net)
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 3:35 PM

The Aerial shots are terrific Linn. My hat is off to "Madd Dogg" Maddox. They bring back some really fine memories.

The attached picture is me and my crew taken October 1968 in the large hangar. Left-to-right Kurzinski, Adkins, Jackobsen, Revierre. Jackobson married a fine English gal, and is the one we are searching for. Believe he is living in and around Bentwaters somewhere.
Best personal regards,
Paul Kuzinski
RAF Bentwaters
Ex-A1C 91 TFS Weapons Load Certification Crew Chief
Jan-'66 through Jan-'69.

From: Michael Mahoney [design(a)blueyonder.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 9:56 AM
Dear Linn,
Thank you so much for all your efforts on the Woodbridge/Bentwaters and Bushmasters sites. You brought tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat.
Like many brats, I still have dreams about "going home" to places that no longer exist.
Thanks so much for letting me go home home again. I'm tearing again.
Will drop you another line with a few remembrances of an Air Force Brat's point of view of Woodbridge form 58-60... the longest we had ever lived in one place.
My Dad was MSGT. JP Mahoney 81st FMS. P 36 and 46 of the 1959 Yearbook. (see it here.)
I was especially thrilled to see the pic of the Voodoo Medicine Man patch. Mine disappeared, along with my flight jacket.
Boy, this has been some visit, tonight.
Thanks again, my friend.
Mike Mahoney

From: larry pegg [mailto:l.pegg(a)worldnet.att.net]
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 7:24 PM
Subject: Re: 78th bushmasters
LINN; I have exchanged emails with Bingaham, through your web site.
I started strapping BINGAMAN in at BERGSTROM AFB in 1958, if my math is correct that would be 45 years ago, I think he is probably 4/5 years older than I am so he is 70 ish. It is kinda strange don't you think, I mean I never  ever in my wildest dreams would have thought I would have the chance to talk to him again. Our conversation back then would be "Hi CAPT, how are you today," if he was on a bomb run he would say, here is my LABS and he would hand them to me, we would do a pre flight, WALK AROUND, I would show him the fluid levels, OXY level, we would both count the points on the tires and confirm the count was right, we then would check the fuel load together and then if we had bombs on board we checked the bomb rack and safety pin removal, we would have small remarks like the weather, what was going on in the world, how long his flight would be and then I would follow him up the ladder, after he sat down I would take his sholder straps and drop them over his sholders so he could lace them onto his lap belt, he would snap the buckle, I would check it, he would then indicate he was ready to start #1, I would back off the ladder, help him CRANK up #1, then back up the ladder when #1 was running, again we both checked fuel loads, I would open the LABS PANEL if on a bomb run and dial in his labs, he would do a radio check, with his helmet on and give me the ok to start # 2, I would lightly tap his helmet that I was going down the ladder and remove the ladder, give him the crank sign and he would crank #2, when #2 was running and he was ready to move out, I would pull the chocks from the main landing gear, step out front to the left where he could see me and wave him out of the revettement and on his way to the runway. I think I could still do it today, it is so clear in my mind.
REGARDS   LARRY PEGG

Here's the email Larry sent to Bingaman:
" HELLO CAPT BINGAMAN;  It is very nice to hear of you again, this is ole STAFF/ SGT PEGG, I don't know if you remember me or not but I have strapped you in my F-101 on several occasions, I was in C FLIGHT just out side the ORDERLY ROOM AND OPS, just outside COL SIMPSONS office window. I remember you well sir, I trust you went on to higher ranks, I left the flight line about the time you rotated stateside, I was transferred to the MAINT HANGAR. I hope your visit to the 78th Bushmasters site brought back some good memories for you and I hope you will revisit as we add stuff as we go. Those of us that founded the 78th-bushmasters site are planning a reunion in DAYTON OHIO in SEPT, we have invited RICHARD ZIEMBA, LT AL ZIEMBAS son to attend and would like to extend the invitation to you as well, you will be able to see some memories eyeball to eyeball, MARK FERRARA who was the FLIGHT CLERK will be there, MANOS, WAFFORD, BALES, MILLER, FRYE, REED, WRIGHT, VASQUEZ,POWELL, LOPES & others, some of those guys were at the GROVE with you, the rest of us were from BERGSTROM. Well sir come if you can, if you are interested I will send you the details.  My wife & I just returned from a trip to RAF WOODBRIDGE & RAF BENTWATERS last sept, we spent a few days with Mr. LINN BARRINGER, our webmaster and the webmaster of www.bentwaters.org . Linn has done a real big, great job helping the yanks find buddies, he is a great guy and has a lot of information on his site for us all. Thanks again for signing our guest book, please come back often.
R egards
STAFF/SGT JOHN L.PEGG ( LARRY)  a founder / 78th bushmasters"

(Editor's Note: Larry Pegg passed away since writing this to me and didn't make it to the reunion, but I'm sure his widow, Becky, will be happy that Larry's memories are still very worthy of publication.)

From: John Lopez [mailto:ipswich62(a)msn.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 4:26 PM
Dear Linn and Larry, Thank you for a bit of visual memory of the 7519th Support Sq insignia. I appreciate Larry forwarding it to me, that was very kind of him.
I did want to tell you that the Thumbnail photo of Eyke with the red kiosk in front of the store brought vivid memories of me being stranded at Eyke due to the heavy snow blocking the way to RAF Bentwaters. I waited in the kiosk until the snowplow from Bentwaters cleared the road. When I drove through to Bentwaters, the snow fences on either side of the road were so high that it felt like driving through a tunnel.
If I remember correctly, it was December 26, 1962 (Boxing Day), the day after I had proposed marriage to my beloved, who I had only seen and dated once before. Love at first sight, you might say, 40 years ago, and still head over heels over this Jewel from Suffolk.
I enjoy your website very much and your dedication to bringing "kindred spirits" together.
Cheerio, John.

From: Granees(a)aol.com [mailto:Granees(a)aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 3:28 PM
Hi - my name is Dick Spera. I spent 3 years at Woodbridge, 1953-56. I returned to the USA in '54, got married and my wife later joined me. I was there in the F84G, F and F100 days. We lived on base in an 18' trailer. The bathroom was a converted broom closet. We really did enjoy that living.
Despite the horrendous damp, cold, rain, fog which seemed to persist every day, we enjoyed it. We enjoyed the town of Woodbridge, a pub that offered great food, darts and a way to relax. We found a beautiful restaurant called the Heath (I think) that had a huge fireplace. My wife and I loved to go there, sit by the fire and just forget everything. (ed. including the name of the restaurant!!)
I look back to Woodbridge a lot. I was young, but found a lot of great friends. We enjoyed trips to London and other places. Back then, my single days, we lived in quonset huts. Ours was just up the hill from the main gate. The shower room was quite large and "haunted" at times. The story was that if you were in there by yourself or so, you could seemingly hear voices of the crews that had stopped there. Stories of young men being killed by air raids and such.
I, along with 3 other guys slept in a blockhouse called a drying room. The roof was 18" off the walls. It was a bitterly cold room and the little tent stove was of no avail. I had 9 blankets doubled with one over them to hold them in place. We slept in several layers of clothing. But, the funny thing was we never had to go outside to see if it snowed. Bullet holes in the roof let snow in and on one blue blanket it was like a fringe.
So, I've seen your work over the years and just wanted to say it is tremendous. I just looked at the aerial shot of Woodbridge and can't believe its growth - yet I know that was an eventual thing.
And, one more thing - I recall when the IRA hid in trees and "attacked" us for several days. One of my "roommates" was severely beaten. I fully believe that one came in my hut, got in the bunk next to me and pulled down a mattress to keep warm. Very early he got up and left. I never saw his face - just tho't one of my guys had come in, missed his bunk and wound up there. Still a mystery.
Anyway - your site is very well done and enjoyed by all of us, no doubt.
Thanks so much for your dedication.
M. Richard Spera, Raeford, NC

From: Capt. Paul Aranha [mailto:captaina(a)coralwave.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 8:29 PM
Subject: Fuel Tank
This is a fuel tank that dropped from an T-33 (from Bentwaters) and just missed the classroom in which I was being educated. It sounded like the Iron Curtain had fallen down. I think I charged 1/- each for prints. I know I made a lot of extra cash that day. I am a somewhat active Old Woodbridgian. I am very impressed, and also delighted, with how much good stuff there is about Woodbridge on the Web - and how much is put there by you. Well done! Paul Aranha

From: wendy3 [mailto:wendy3(a)alltel.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 4:03 PM
To: linn(a)barringer.co.uk
Subject: Hi Linn
I would like to contribute this photo of my husband Ernie Killcrece & a friend Walt Pilch ( both from Pittsburgh,PA ). Ernie (my husband) is on the right.
They were both Security Police at Woodbridge in the early 60's.
We were married in Watton, Norfolk on June 17 '67, my Dad was stationed there with the R.A.F.
We think the photo is from the summer of '66 & was taken infront of CSC. Both guys were on "B" shift & both were A1C. Walt Pilch was in UK from '64-'67 & Ernie from '64 - '68.
Yes Linn I am English, I was taking a hairdressing course at Ipswich Civic College when I met Ernie.
We came back to the States in April '68. My Dad, in the R.A.F. stationed at Watton at the time .
My parents & brother & family all now live in Grundisburgh. I'm sure you are familiar with the village as it's fairly close to Woodbridge.
We really enjoy your web site,thanks. Wendy Killcrece.