Hancock Field, Syracuse: Old Base Housing (Adams, Montauk: theatre, elementary school, vehicles)

[Dawniebeth]

Its funny that no one ever busted Rusty on that one! Interesting utube...sad.

I am still looking for a couple of people that lived on base and went to school at NSHS. I went to the reunion page and saw Dorothea Valahos senior picture but nothing else. Her brother Tom was dreamy!!!! If anyone sees this and knows her please give her my info. Thanks

[ckhthankgod]

another article about the housing:Old base housing makes area near Hancock Airport an eyesore - Today - syracuse.com

[Dawniebeth]

Thanks for the link. Even as bad as it looks, it can not take my great childhood memories of my home town away.

[amp4]

Hello all,

I, too, was a Hancock kid from '72-'74. The Delta Dart at the main gate is a fond memory. My dad was a USAF officer and worked at the SAGE bldg; he was part of the Disaster Preparedness Unit. At the time I always thought that unit was for natural disasters; was I ever wrong. We lived on Bedford circle-east end of it. We had the swamp in back and I managed to lose a few kites to it and loved picking cattails in the fall. I remember the CE truck coming around and fogging for the mosquitos.

Does anyone remember the tornado that came through around that time ? My Dad had a shed on the south end of our quarters (at the front of the driveway) with many treasures he acquired while we were stationed in Sembach AFB. The shed was found in pieces across the back yards of the center units. The whole world was Hancock; we played in the drainage swales between Bedford and Barrington and in the trenches CE dug when they put tar along the slab foundations.

Who remembers haircuts at the barber? Either at the base barber or at Mr. C's. I think the base barber gave two haircuts--"whitewalls" or "high and tights".

I made a few friends at Hancock and was always sad when they and their families were transferred to such far away places as Iceland. Anyone remember Halloween on Bedford ? We lived next door to one of the Base Chaplains-Chaplain Jordan. Mrs. Jordan put on quite a Halloween display as a wicked witch complete with the dry ice fog and painted scales on her hands. I remember Colonel Peterson's (sp) dark orange Citroen. Most families had funky cars that they brought over from duty in Europe. We had a Volvo wagon.

I spent Kindergarten at Riordan. My teacher was Miss Kemplan. Those were the days before the PC crowd decided it was proper to ID females as Ms.Some memories of Riordan are complete with the huge oak doors and the chicken wire and paper mache Clifford the Big Red Dog in the library. The rope cargo net in the gym was cool too.

If anyone out there was at Hancock at the same time, please reply; I'd be interested in hearing your memories.

Take care

[chakkuri]

Welcome Amp4,

I was at Hancock and a 4th grader at Riordan around the same time you were. We were stationed there in 1973-74 and lived on Montauk Circle.

Actually, my sister was in Miss Kemplan's kindergarten class that year. My brother was in first grade but I forgot who his teacher was. I was upstairs in what they called a "team room." This was two classrooms combined into one with two teachers - Mrs. Grasse and Mrs. Mako.

The gym at Riordan was one of the better ones I remember in all the schools I went to. I also remember the gym uniforms they had us girls wear. They were one piece knit suits with blue shorts and white/blue striped tops and they had zippers up the back!

Remember the art classroom in the basement? I remember we were doing paper mache crafts and I made myself some bracelets. I loved the art class more than anything!

I remember Halloween that year and that we did our trick-or-treating around the circle. It was one of the last years I was allowed to trick-or-treat because I was too tall for my age and my mom didn't think it looked right. (Sigh......)

[amp4]

I vaguely remember the Art Room in the basement. Riordan was a cool place. After '74 we moved off Base and I went to Allen Road Elementary. Not the same.

[piccione]

I was stationed at Hancock Field From 1981-1983. I was in Supply for the 4789th ABG. I also lived on Montauk Circle. I was the last active duty Airman there. I remember having to clean out the fire dept. (after they had all left) and I knew NOTHING about that equipment! I called the Fire dept. on the Air National Guard side and asked if they could use any of the equipment and they could! Thank God for them! Alot of the Carpenters, Electricians, and plumbers tools went to the Air National Guard side also.

[lenrios]

[SIZE=3]Hi all, my name is Len Rios. I got curious about Hancock Field, googled it and found you guys sharing memories. I was stationed at Hancock in 1975-1976. I was one of the AFB Security Police guys. My hanging buddy was Lou Cartagena, who helped maintain the base gym and recreational fields. The recreational hall and gym were some of the few places where I'd run into the Hancock Field brats. I drove a Gran Torino (cherry red w/ white top & white interior) and being 18 years old, at the time, I remember giving a driving lesson to one of the brats and securing a great friendship until I left. I always regretted not keeping in touch with her and hope the last thirty-some years treated her good. It's a shame the county couldn't find a way to make use of the Field, she deserved better. I remember finding a WWII plan of the Field, when it was a bomber field, and using it when I drove around on patrol to search out the old runways and markers. That knowledge came in handy whenever I was confined to base, which was more often than I liked. I had a great time there. Thanks for the memories.[/SIZE]

[stapletonb4]

hey all...if you belong to facebook, you should look up our group "Hancock Field Kids"
love it!

[Jim Ryan]

Let's see, Peter and Penny Jernigan, Judy Timmons, Donald Pru or Prue, Linda something...Jim Ryan and Michele Ryan, Mr. Hershey, the 6th grade teacher....I miss that place!