First email dated 8/3/2009
I am John Flynn - Conyngham, Pa. I served with Claude Frable from January '53 until we were discharged from Fort Dix, NJ in Cctober '55. We too went through Breckenridge in January of '53. In fact we were the first group to pass through Breckenridge and go to other ASA schools. Claude and I went to Fort Devens, Ma for morse code intercept. Like you, we went to Germany but by troop ship, landed in Bremerhaven and then by train to Frankfurt and then on to Heilbronn and on to Coborg and the 332 Comm/Recon Company. On the first week in January '54, we moved to Bamberg and set up our station. I'm a 1717D, but was a diddy bopper until July '54 and then moved on to an outstation in Straubing north and west of Regensborg. I served until January '55 and was transferred with Lt Slesinger and 8 others to the 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Tolz, as an nco heading 3-man team. We conducted several recon exercises with them for several months and then returned to Straubing in August '55. I returned to Bamberg to rotate back to the states and be discharged with Claude. I would appreciate learning if this is the same Claude Frable who served with me, and if so, PLEASE send his address or how I can contact him.
Thank you again for sharing alot of old memories.
My email is: jonjoe1@pdt.net
John Flynn
Second email dated 8/4/2009
Thanks for your reply. Claude and I were good friends. He was from a small town near Stroudsburg, Pa, called Reeders. The last I heard from someone (can't recall the name) they had heard he was in Iowa. I don't know if it was Iowa City or Des Moines. I too Googled several Frables there but they didn't pan out. I have several pictures of Claude and I with other people in our company at Devens, Breckinridge and Bamberg that I thought he would enjoy seeing. At one time I had some internet talk with Slesinger and his retiree group and reunions - never attended. He retired as a Lt. Colonel. I have a good friend living near Lebanon by the name of MSGT Earl Shollenberger Ret. quite a guy. Career man. I havn't talked to him lately but he was my NCO at Straubing D/F station. He opened Bad Aibling in the early '50's and closed it in the '60's after a tour in Nam. He attends Sleshinger's reunions being a career ASA man. He speaks German fluently being Pennsylvania Dutch background and going native for many years in country.
Did you know any of the following personnel: John Gaffney from Harrisburg?, Dick Mahr?, Chuck Hand from Tyrone?, John Gaydos a teletype guy?, There were several others who I can vaguely remember. A fellow called "Pappy Wolfe", He was one of my team on one of the recons with the 10'th Sp Fcs. - A fellow from the Bronx by the last name of Prince - another by the name of Hackenberry from Altoona - Dwayne Bishop of Cleveland or Dan Ackroyd from Haverhill, Ma. The CO's were Capt. McClendon, a hell of a great CO and then Major Riley, an old Calvary officer with leather boots. He wanted to send me to Batallion in Heilbronn for 'soldier of the year". I told him "no way" that he should send John Gaffney - a real good soldier with shined boots and all the things that make a man a soldier. Maybe he did, because right after that I was transferred to the D/F station at Straubing and didn't see Bamberg untl I came back to be debriefed and return to the states for discharge.
Keep in touch. John