I'm setting up this page at the suggestion of Hank Lambeth who, along with John McGinnis, has some "real vibrant army related memories " of that historic day.
We invite anyone else who wishes to do so to send in their stories as well.
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Sat, December 5, 2009 11:17:38 AM
From: "cal_105@peoplepc.com"
To: sinop3@eccoh.com
Cc: cbmays006@hotmail.com
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The Day Kennedy was Shot by C B Mays, Fort Worth, Texas

On November 22, 1963, the day Kennedy was shot, I was a twenty-two year old PFC stationed at TUSLOG Detachment 4-1, the Aviation and Liaison Section in Ankara, Turkey.
We provided support/liaison for Detachment 4, our parent unit, at Sinope {Army Security Agency]. I had been in Turkey since October 1962 . Most of our support, was provided by the Air Force in Ankara. We got limited support from Site 23 [Detachment 27-U S Army Security Agency] located about 30 miles outside Ankara, We ate Air Force food, lived in the Air Force Billets, shopped at the Air Force AFEX , and etc. I remember that when I received the news I was at a movie in an Air Force theater. It was at night about 2100 hours or so.
I used to be able to remember the name of the movie, but can’t recall it now after 46 years. I seem to remember that Lucille Ball and either Henry Fonda, or James Stewart starred in it, but have not been able to identify the title. It seemed to have the name mountain in its title. The movie was cut off abruptly, and an announcement was made by someone in the theater that the President had been shot and all personnel were to return to their resudences for further instructions. [I remember seeing the rest of the movie about ten years later on television]
At the time of the incident , I thought that they were referring to the President of Turkey, Ismet Inonu, since someone had shot at him just a few days before and tried to assassinate him on the streets of Ankara , but missed. I went to our office which was located near 110 Ataturk Boulevard, just across the street from the American Embassy in a building with the NSA. We had an old teletype machine that was picking up the news accounts as they came out of Dallas. I soon found out that that it was our President [Kennedy] who had been assassinated.
There were a lot of rumors etc, that the Russians were involved. We were placed on alert, and there was talk about how we would evacuate Turkey in case the Russians attacked. I remember that the 6th U S Navy Fleet would pick us up in Adana or southern Turkey. We would destroy all of our equipment. However, by the next morning, it begin to appear that the Russians were not involved. I remember that that night we listened on shortwave radio to Lyndon Johnson make a speech to the nation and the world.
I remember that during the rest of my tour [to May 15, 1964], the Turkish people were especially nice to us, and many express their condolences to military personnel. Later, I went to a Turkish movie theater to see a French movie, and when an news account was screened with an image of Kennedy standing at the Berlin Wall , the Turkish audience give him a standing ovation. That mean a lot to us Americans at the time.
When I left New York in late 1962, I had left Idle wild International Airport, but when I returned in 1964 is had been renamed Kennedy International Airport.
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Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:27:19 -0400
From: Robert Welsh n3rw@voicenet.com
Subject: Where I was when Kennedy was shot

I was the 283 in P-Van at that time. I was on my regular swing shift, took a break with some of the other 283s by having a coffee in the office just to your right as you entered the Ops building. Having had too much coffee, I headed for the toilet, sticking my face into the maintenance room. An LT, whom I don't remember, and several other EMs were standing by a rack-mounted R-390. I asked, "what's up?" The LT answered, "the Prez has been shot." Considering the occasional boredom quotient during swings, I just grunted and continued walking to the bathroom.

After relieving myself, I headed back to the office to continue our gab-fest. Exiting the bathroom, there were non-shift EMs racing into the Ops building. I about-faced and went into room 3 checking with Capt Cummings who was the Ops officer on swings. Just then, a teletype printed out from the machine in the center of the room. It read,
"SECRET *****
It is reported the President is dead.
End of Transmission"

Wow, what a message. Capt Cummings ordered my P-Van operator George and me to fire the van up and begin scanning. It was the most RF silent night that I observed in a year at Det 4. Our shift was extended through mids...it sure was a long night.

I also remember that the next morning, a Turkish military unit set up sand-bags (?) and a machine gun at the main gate. Guess the Turks figured it was a coup. Guess they didn't understand our system of government.

I'll never forget that night. It is still clear as a bell in my memory; as is just about everything that occurred that year. All-in-all, I wouldn't trade that year for anything! From Sinop, I was assigned to 2nd USASA Field Station, Two Rock CA. Another great year in a much friendlier locale. At least at Two Rock, they allowed a ham radio operator like me to be on the air-not so in Turkey!

ex-SP5 Rob Welsh, Sinop 62-63
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From: "Henry A. Lambeth" halambeth@cox.net
Subject: Sinop Site, "Where were you when..." page
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 19:25:07 -0500
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I was working out of Headquarters Co. 319th. USASA Bn., Rothwesten on Nov. 22. 1963. We (about five or six of us) were on TDY, making a somewhat routine "Maintenance Assistance" circuit around the "British Zone" (area North and East of Kassel, including the sites at Saint Andraesburg, Helmstedt and Lubeck). We were at our assigned station, Helmstedt, Germany. We had just finished up a day of routine, gotten cleaned up and headed for the NCO Club on-site there. I was a newly promoted Sp.5, having previously done a tour at Sinop, Det.4 and pretty close on the "cold war" thingy. In reality, I just did what was expected and "routine". This was not to be a routine day!

Sometime around 6-8PM (1800-2000 Hrs) a gaggle of us were headed into the NCO club on the base at Helmstedt. Seems, as best I can recall, the club was on the second floor of the building, not terribly far from our billet. In any event, just as we opened the door to enter the club, someone came scurrying out, saying, "Someone shot at President Kennedy". I have that moment and phrase etched, forever, in my mind. An understatement for sure.

During the ensuing hours of confusion, we were reacting to a bunch of shit-house-rumors! Finally someone in our "party" decided that we were all in jeopardy of being caught committing a court-martial offense. (We had left Rothwesten without drawing our combat equipment; M14, gas mask, steel pot,etc,), up to this time nobody had ever informed us that this was required. One of our party was a senior NCO (Staff Sgt. or thereabout) named Zeigler who was traveling in his new Chevy Impala Convertible(the rest of us were driving or riding in deuce-and-a-halves). Well Zeigler and a guy named Benny Curd (sp?) jumped in the Chevy and made the run back to Rothwesten, drew all our "combat gear" and high-tailed it back to Helmstedt in time get us covered. Everyone was somewhat concerned about the situation vis-a-vie the Ruskies. However, as we all know, the situation cooled down and we all went on with our lives.

Henry (Hank) Lambeth
Sinop '62-'63
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