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Author Topic:  Army Question For Old Timers Like Me?
Ray Jenkins


From:
Gold Canyon Az. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2001 7:07 am    
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Anyone on the Forum ever stationed in Baumholder Germany in the early 50's,and do you remember the band,"The Blue Star Boys"?
b0b probaly would suggest an answer by e-mail.
Thanks for any help.
Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona
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Rex Blattenberger

 

From:
hendersonville, tn (nashville)
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2001 2:40 pm    
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I was stationed in Baumholder, but in 67 and 68. I replied because you mentioned that city. The only other people I ever heard mention it are Steve Smith, from Canada, and just recently, Bill Lawrence. Bill told me that he played the Officers club around that time.
I went to the NCO club and there was a ShoBud set up there.that is the first
pedal steel I ever saw.
Rex
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Pat Burns

 

From:
Branchville, N.J. USA
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2001 2:49 pm    
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...I drove through Baumholder a couple times on my way to Idar Oberstein, and thanked Sam for stationing me in Kaiserslautern...

...sorry I can't answer your question Ray, but that did bring back memories for me, too..
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Jim Saunders


From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Post  Posted 8 Sep 2001 6:15 am    
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Ray, I was in Kaiserslautern in '57 thru '59 and everything then was Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. I don't recall any straight C&W then. Incidentally, I went back to K-town 2 years ago to reminise and everything at Kleber Kasern was unchanged. I even walked the post and visited my old barracks. Pretty much as I left it.
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Smiley Roberts

 

From:
Hendersonville,Tn. 37075
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2001 1:49 pm    
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I worked "Bomb-Holder",w/ Tommy Overstreet,in the early '70's. Also,"K-Town". In fact,in the 10 yrs. I was with T.O., ('71-'81) we took 15 trips to Deutschland.

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©¿© ars longa,
mm vita brevis
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Larry Miller

 

From:
Dothan AL,USA
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2001 2:54 pm    
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Hey Smiley, I saw you and your white MSA somewhere in Germany in 1974, I can't remember where, mixed drinks were only 50 cents at the NCO club in 1974. Larry

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GO TITANS GO!!!
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Pat Burns

 

From:
Branchville, N.J. USA
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2001 3:21 pm    
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...Jim, I was on the other side of town, Vogelweh, at R.O.B. (Rhine Ordnace Barracks) with HQ 15th MP Brigade, near the BBK Haus and the strassqueens and the gypsy camp and the Opel factory...I used to drive over to Kleber all the time to drop off or pick up messages at the commo center there...had my own car, spoke enough German to get around..my favorite places were Heidelberg and Garmisch...and the Munich Oktoberfest and the Bad Durkheim Wein Fest..Smiley, I was there from '72 -'74, why didn't you stop and say hello? I loved it over there, and would go back in a second, and I often kick myself for not just staying there...as long as I didn't have to stay in Baumholder, which might as well have been Grafenwoehr...
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Bob Hayes

 

From:
Church Hill,Tenn,USA
Post  Posted 10 Sep 2001 7:27 pm    
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Ray,
Sorry to say I wasn't there when you and the Blue Boy's were...But I did play numerous shows at Baumholder..and was in the opening band there and Permisens, and a couple of other places for the Great SMILES (with out the shorts) and the Fantastic T.O. & NashvilLe Express. I was with the Shell Bolling Band plus a few more from june '75-june 78. I started my "music Career out side the Ramstien east gate at Jimmy's Club.( the K town side. We moved to the Nashville Country Club at Landstule around Cristmas '75.
But I played Volgalway, Spang. Manhiem, Darmstadt....Geisen ..everywhere...Shell ended up being an agent ..and put me with a couple of GI's and a German..and we played just about everywhere north of Stutgart..It was like being on the road..and I still had to do my military job. I was stationed at Bitburg '60-61 (being transfered from Chateroux We were treated like stars and always has accomadations at the BOQ's (Batchelor Officers Quarters.) There were always GOOD GI,local national, or traveling entertainers such as Smiley and Gang. Kris Kristoferson,Box Car Wille, and Tom Brumly were "GI Troubadors" in the 60's & 70'sWhat memories. Ray..were the Blue County Boy's a GI band? I also heard about Harold Jenkins in all of the clubs that I played in Okinawa..but I was just a GUITAR Picker then. In fact I played in 3 Bands( when I wasn't working or off to unmentionable places in SE Asia) I played in a country band, Rock 'n Roll..and a kind of Jazz Trio.
I couldn't start to count all of the military clubs and GI bars on that Island!!!!
So when I wasn't pumping Fuel,bowling,traveling or bar hoping, Iwas pickin'. I guess Mel Tillis used to pick and grin in the Orient too.. Our audience was Usually Very receptive..and easy to please..
Thanks Ray for bringing back the memories
Grouchyvet!!!
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Gene Jones

 

From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2001 3:33 am    
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Re Bob's comment:....."I also heard about Harold Jenkins in all of the clubs that I played in Okinawa..but I was just a GUITAR Picker then. In fact I played in 3 Bands( when I wasn't working or off to unmentionable places in SE Asia) I played in a country band, Rock 'n Roll..and a kind of Jazz Trio.
I couldn't start to count all of the military clubs and GI bars on that Island..."

I was also stationed in Okinawa, lived at Kadena Circle, assigned to Tori Station. Your comments about playing there were sure true....I guess I worked every military club on the Island (including White Beach when the fleet was in)...seven nights a week & twice on Saturdays and Sundays...couldn't spend all the money I made so had new equipment shipped to me and finally went back to the states with money in every pocket. It's not like that today though..I correspond with someone currently stationed there who plays steel but there isn't a venue there to work, except one civilian GI bar just outside the Kadena main gate. Your comments brought back lots of memories. www.genejones.com
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Ray Jenkins


From:
Gold Canyon Az. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2001 7:24 am    
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quote:
Ray..were the
Blue County Boy's a GI band?


Bob, yes the band were all GI except for me and another kid at the time.I was 12 yrs.old and went by my nickname "Butch" the other kid ninckname was "Snooks" We both travled with and sang with the band.I played rythum guitar ,Thumbs Carlile was stationed there at the time and taught me the chords on the guitar(Not his style of though)The name of the band was,"Blue Star Boys" 1951-1954 time frame.Thumbs did sit in with us when he wasn't out testing the "Atomic Cannon".That was indeed a highlight in my young music career.What a way to start.WOW.
Ray

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Steeling is still legal in Arizona

[This message was edited by Ray Jenkins on 11 September 2001 at 08:25 AM.]

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Bob Hayes

 

From:
Church Hill,Tenn,USA
Post  Posted 11 Sep 2001 9:59 am    
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Sorry that I got the band name wrong Ray. And Gene, I was going to Mention YOU..because you were like a legend over there. Some mama san in a little dark GI bar close to Kadena used to say.."why you not play guitar on table like that guy used to be here from I think Texas"? He vely vely good music man!!!Okinawa was pipelines, bars,and bath houses and the used jeep capital of the world. I loved the scuba diving near Moon Beach...Did you have any Lizards living at your house???There were some big ones!!! I saw the great TEX Williams at the NCO Club there..and also fell in love at least 20 times a dat with those cute Ryukin girls....Ah too be young again!!!!
Grouchyvet
By the way Gene..Harold was a genuine nice guy IMHO. You're so lucky to have been his buddy. GV
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