Mark Kralicek (1975)

Welcome to the 435th Oms C-130 Reunion Group  forums. Please press "Post Response" to participate in the discussion.

Mark Kralicek (1975)

Hey guys, I asked stan (the guy who did almost all the work creating this site) if there was some place on the site to talk to each other. I think this is it. I know for various reasons some of you are not on facebook where we right now have 107 RM crew chiefs (and a couple FMS and a enrouter (Stan) in our group. On facebook there is a lot of talk between the folks and I wasn't sure we could do it here but evidently we can. So, if you guys want to say something I think this is the place to do it.

First I really want to welcome every one to the site. this thing was created for all of you, so please feel free to post what you want. I encourage you to leave each other messages i  and Barry are trying to add pics and welcome everyone but also hope you can participate.

OK, with all that said, I'll try to start off a conversation I started on Facebook that seemed to get some interest. 

Souvenirs, with the great job we had, getting to fly around all Europe and the Middle East, and Africa what kind of stuff did all you guys pick up you still might have? Of course there is the German stuff, co-coo clocks etc. But how about stuff like Gold, Rugs, tapestries  from Saudi I still have a pile of tapestries and believe it or not, a broken Casio calculator watch (how I still have that is beyond me, but it's here). From Turkey, Brass lamps, hand carved wood furniture and decorations, I still have my puzzle box from Turkey. From Greece, I still have the pottery I picked up there, also a statue of a bronze Greek warrior on a marble base.  The one thing I never got there was a flokati (sp). I think everyone but me had one. Ha-Ha. One of my favorites that I wish I could still get was macadonia soap from Spain, I loved that stuff. I tried to get some last year as gifts but let me tell ya, you can't get it as cheap as we used to! I still have my bristle dart board and a couple bosun heads from England. Or how about the hanging wicker chairs in every dorm room from Italy.  What do you guys still have, or wish you would have kept? 

Mark Kralicek (1975)

I had this on Facebook but this is for you non FB guys. At about 2:55 in the clip is one of us, Randy Allen. Randy has passed away, such a shame a great guy.  This is a 7th. SOS video, not realy a crew chief video, but I'm sure you guys will remember some faces! You might need to copy and paste this to watch it.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8THOr0v1_es

Randy Jakoubek (1975)

I also have 2 Turkish lamps, Marsham pipes, A sand rose from SA, of course a wall clock (still working), lost of beer mugs and wine sampling glasses. Some wood inlay expecially one of Rothenberg ODT, my favorite german town.

But I also remember you guys bringing me (flight chief) back lots of pistachios from Turkey, I never went. I remember paying $5 a kilo.

I Saudi I remember going to town and buying 100's of black market cassette tapes at a dollar each and gold and silver by the gram. I still have a piece or two. Some was stolen at my next assignment (Altus).

I was in SA, Ryadh last year. The gold markets are still a big draw. They still sell by the gram. Oh, and I bought a watch of course but now it is a Seiko instead of the old Casio's we used to buy.

Mark Kralicek (1975)

That was the only bad part of a TDY to Turkey, every ones pistachio order! HaHa. Randy, If you can remember the saudi trip we where on one of the co-pilots of that trip, on the crew I was flying with is now a two star Gen. Gen. Micheal Kim, he was a pretty cool guy back then. He was a butter bar right seater at the time. One late night after closing the oasis we played a game of "buffalo ball" basket ball. MX vs. flight crew, I ended up running him over and giving him a bloody nose. Now I can say I gave a two star general a bloody nose. lol. By chance where you part of that game? here's a link to Gen Kim, maybe you will remember him.

 http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/108517/major-general-michael-d-kim.aspx

Barry T. Jacobson (1975)

Mark, that's a good web site. I found a cousins biography there.

http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/106691/major-general-david-william-hutchison.aspx

David, and his oldest brother Charles were both Acadamy grads at West Point and both retired as Maj. Generals. Charles stayed with the Army. They had three more brothers that served in WW II, and two more that tried to join but were denied because the family business had contracts with the Army and had to stay home to fulfill those contracts. The brother (Harry) that served in the Marine Corps will turn 103 this year. He lives a few blocks away from my house.

Here are their memorials.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=hutch&GSmid=47279477&GRid=817789&

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=47330139

Randy J., you must have been charged a handling fee on those pitachio's. They were $7.00 for two, 1 kilo bags  in Base Op's at Hellinikon AB last I knew.

Randy Jakoubek (1975)

Mark

I think I remember Lt Kim, no I was not part of the bball game. He has done very well I see.

Barry

I always knew that I was paying a premium on those pistachios, of course Mark and others needed to make a buck or three for their trouble.

Anybody out there go to Red Flag with me? I remember spending the first 3 days with OSI trying to catch a con man who was conning one of the guys on the team out of some money.

Brian Gochenaur (1975)

I believe I went in 86 after I made Ssgt. Stayed another week to see my parents. Hopped home almost missed my flight back in Philly. 3rd red flag for me, I had 2 while at McChord. I'm still gambling!!!

Randy Jakoubek (1975)

Brian

We were there together then. I remember going to see the Red Foxx show, walking the strip(back then you could walk the whole thing), getting the fire department to wash the aircraft for us one night. It was my first time in Vegas, been back a few times.

I also took leave in conjuction and flew back commercial thanks to Uncle Sam. It sure beat the 3 day flight to get there.

Brian Gochenaur (1975)

I still remember reds opening line XXX rated,very funny back then. Good trip!!!

Brian Gochenaur (1975)

Mark,I still have a lot of memerable stuff in my man cave.Lots of beer steins,one from the 175 th year of the Octoberfest that we went to in Munich. A yard glass from England that made it home in one piece. Cookoo clock from the black forest that I only paid about 100.00 for,just had it serviced and the clock guy said it was now worth at least 800.00 I had some gold from Saudi and recently sold a gold chain that I bought for about 80.00 for 600.00. The list goes on and on,some neat stuff.

Mark Kralicek (1975)

My gold was stolen several years ago, believe it or not while I was moving two years ago I found the receipt from the shop I bought the gold from. According to the weight on the receipt I had about $2,000 in todays prices. I hope the *!+@ head that stole it at least got a good price! lol. I also had a nice rug from Saudi I planed to bring home, but it got trashed in the dorm room. a victim of a few to many parties!! I just left it, I don't know what Pup did with it, probably had to throw it out. 

Randy Jakoubek (1975)

OK I've got one for you. Who remembers the crazy things we did to those who were leaving? For me it was being taped to the picnic table between Enroute and C-130 sections. Then the fine folks at the enroute kitchen offered fresh eggs to anyone who wanted them. I had several eggs smashed on my head that day.

Mark Kralicek (1975)

Randy, best one I remember was Pete Brotherton  tying Capt. McVinney to the table and Pete shaving half his chest, arm and  leg hair off.  To this day I still can't believe Pete a Sgt., did that to our OIC, a Capt.! Capt. McVinney took it all in stride and I think he even kind of liked it, knowing his guys accepted him as one of their own. the Capt. was a good OIC, and Pete was a great guy, (RIP. Pete).

Larry Saupe (1975)

I remember that one too!  Took some hair... to remove the hair (so to speak).

Just got back from a tour at Ramstein AB (yep, still in after 32 years).  Flew in and out of Frankfurt.  Things in Germany are pretty much the same as they used to be (though the cars look a bit different) :o)  Rhein Main AB, however, is all gone now.

Was running late to catch the return flight and took the wrong exit at the airport to return the rental car and ended up in the spiral of death headed down to underground parking.  Then had to spiral back up to get out.  I remember doing this at high speed back in '85 for fun.  Had to do it again this time, due to a time crunch, which resulted in my passenger becoming more than a bit unhappy :o) 

 Headed back to Frankfurt next month (vacation) and will be staying at the old base hotel, which is now a civilian hotel.  I will try to post a few pics when I get back.

Tchuse.

Mark Kralicek (1975)

Hi Larry, Please try to get pics.  The pics I have seen there is nothing recognizable left, It'll be interesting to hear what you see "on base".  I remember the ramps also, in Pups VW, good times for sure. I envy you being able to see everything again.

If any of you guys used to go to the "Bier Hause" downtown I found some interesting pics of it. It is no longer the Bier Hause, now it is a latin dance club, called Chango Latin Palace. I guess everything has to change, but I have some great memories with some great friends, American and German in that place and it's hard not to see it exactly as I remember it. Bill Helliwell, Dink you still remember "Momma" and the way she could carry 9 mugs of beer? And how about Huey, the bouncer? Him and I became good friends, even went to dinner at his place a couple times. I helped him into a ambulance one night when some Turks ganged up on him and beat him up pretty bad.

Here are a couple links to see what it looks like now, sorry I can't get the links to work right, you have to copy and paste to your browser.

 http://latinpalace-chango.de/index.php?id=500  

And here is a link to google maps street view  https://www.google.com/maps/@50.106886,8.666102,3a,75y,169.8h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1su46ugKo-Qs0yxy5bL7pBQw!2e0

Larry Saupe (1975)

Hey All:

Just got back from vacation (last part of which ended in Frankfurt).  To end the trip we booked our hotel room at the old base hotel.  It is now called the "Inter City Hotel" and has undergone a major make-over.  Very nice actually.  The room comes with subway passes and there is shuttle service to and from the airport.

Tried to walk around a bit but most of the old base is now just flightline and several area's are roped off.

The Berlin Airlift arch's are still there though with a nice tribute to the base on a plackard.

Here are some pics I took during our last day there.

http://s733.photobucket.com/user/LSaupe/library/Rhein%20Main 

Also took a side trip to Zeppelinheim.  The Zeppelin museum is still there, however, I was unable to find the resteraunt we used to walk to now and again.

Hope all are having a great summer,

Larry

Stephen Sutton (1975)

Thanks for posting these up.

Mark Kralicek (1975)

Thanks Larry.  Kind of sad to see. Hope you had a great trip, I hope to make it  back to Germany some time.

Larry Saupe (1975)

Great tribute to the Herk as she turns 60 later this year!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/19/after-60-years-c-130-still-magnificent-machine/

Mark Kralicek (1975)

Hello everybody, I have some bad news. Another one of our gang has passed away. William "Dink" Helliwell has passed away easter Sunday of a heart attack. He was 51 years old.  Bill was living in Cabot AR. his obituary can be found at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=144828620

Rip Bill, you where a great guy, outstanding crew chief and above all a terrific friend!

Birth:  Feb. 14, 1964 Wurzburg Würzburger Stadtkreis Bavaria (Bayern), Germany Death:  Apr. 5, 2015, USA William ("Bill") Lawrence Helliwell, 51, of Cabot died Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015. He was born February 14, 1964, in Wurzburg, Germany. Bill began his life-long career in aviation while serving his country as a Crew Chief in the United States Air Force for six years. He also served in the Arkansas Air National Guard and retired in 2009. At the time of his death, Bill was a Project Administrator for Fed Ex Express in Memphis, Tennessee.  Bill was a loving son, husband and father and a good friend. He put the needs of others, especially family, before his own. He was dedicated to his career and respected by colleagues. Friends and family knew him for his good-natured dry and sarcastic sense of humor. He loved watching football and playing golf.  Bill was preceded in death by his father, Harry D. Helliwell, Sr.  Visitation will be 9:30 until 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 13, 2015, with funeral services beginning 10:30 a.m. in the chapel of Moore's Cabot Funeral Home. Burial will follow at the Arkansas State Veteran's Cemetery. The family requests that donations be made to the American Heart Association in Bill's memory.