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This page was updated: 25 FEBRUARY 2010
Look for the RED highlights for FEB. 2010 information.
(Be sure to check out the whole page as some new info. may be way down.)
LOOKING FOR PEOPLE INFORMATION:
CAN YOU HELP?
(If you are looking for Range Rat(s)/Ship Rat(s)
send me as much info as you have and it can be added to this page).
Here is how you can contact me:
Send Email to Joe
25 FEB 2010, In Feb. '10, I received an email from Bill Lewis, in Acworth GA who said he was looking for these friends from the Test Equipment Standards Lab (TESL) on the USNS Gen. H.H. Arnold (T-AGM-9) back in the mid-sixties:
Walt Latham,
Don Peckinpaugh and
Jack Eaton.
Bill also mentioned wanting to know anything about Bob Johnson who to his knowledge was the only other Mormon aboard ship at the time. (He didn't say where Johnson worked aboard the ship tho).
Can you help? If so send me the info. and I can pass it to Lewis and update these pages.
NOTE TO OTHERS ASKING FOR HELP LIKE ABOVE: It would help if when sending me an inquiry to INCLUDE the station/ship where the individual(s) worked and approximately what time frame in years that you knew them. (like Bill Lewis did for 3 of the 4 people he knew) Thanx.
25 FEB 2010, I had an entry on this page
in OCT 2006 saying that I was looking for Ernst (Ernie) Winkler, last station was Grand Turk with RCA in telemetry, moved to Pasadena CA, and lost contact with him. He was a good friend of many of us who worked for him at GTK telemetry.
- UPDATE DEC 2009, I heard from Ed Buryn from Nevada City CA who said Ernie was his roommate at Eleuthera in 1956 and they kept in touch for many years afterwards, and he had visited Ernie in Pasadena CA where he had bought an apartment building, but he cant remember the last time he saw him, probably in the late 1970s or early 80's. He feels certain that Ernie is dead otherwise he would have heard from him.
- I too had kept in correspondence with Ernie and the last I heard from him was in 1974 when his mother died, and then I heard no more from him. I would rather NOT add Ernie's name to my page of Range Rats who have died, until I know something more definite.
- I searched the social security records of people who have died and come up with 4 Ernest Winkler names (none for Ernst, which I always thought was his first name), does anyone remember what his middle name or middle initial was, or his birthday? That would narrow the search and possibly give an answer. The Who can help?
25 FEB 2010, In Dec '09 I tried to contact Glyn Reece who I knew from Ascension, (Glyn worked at Telemetry and Mils at ASC 1964-72) and he had signed the Range Rat Sign-in Book in Dec 2007, while he was working for the Union Pacific Railroad. My email came back undeliverable.
Has anyone else been in contact with Reece, and has his current email address?
(I am beginning to find out that many email addresses of the Range Rats who have signed the RR book are no longer valid. You can always check YOUR entry in the RR Sign-in Book by going to
THIS PAGE
where all the entrys are on ONE page and doing a search for your name.
If it's incorrect, send me an email, and I can update your entry
25 FEB 2010, In Mar '09 I received an email from Bruce Beadell, in Bloomington MN who was looking for email addresses of these close range rat friends of his that he lost track of over the years:
Patrick Murphy,
Marvin Mathiessen (sp?) and
Andy Roy.
Can you help? If so send me the info. and I can pass it to Bruce and update these pages.
28 AUG 2009, On 23 Aug 09 I got a nice email from Scotty Lonnie, who I knew from Ascension back in 1971-72, and he lived next door to me in one of the barracks that had a nice garden and patio. Scotty is still working on the range at Antigua. He was reminiscing about many of the people he knew from his Grand Turk days in the 1060s and 70s: A partial list is as follows : "Names I remember from my Grand Turk days were Gary Thompson Telemetry, Pete Halvorsen Telemetry, Hal Muir Telemetry, Les Mcwhirter, Telemetry, Mike Pasternack, Communications, and George Thompson, Communications."
I am wondering where the above range rats are now. If you have any info. on them please send me any email.
(NOTE: (I deleted the names of those who Scotty remembered that are still living and mentioned on my RR webpages or have signed in: Chauncey Dunn, Fred Kenny, Buddy Emard and Les Waddill).
28 AUG 2009, In Oct 08 Adolphus M. Sams of Decatur GA put an inquiry entry in the RR Sign-in Book asking about these 2 Range Rats: John McDonald Telemetry Mgr. and Charlie Fox Telemetry-Timing, both who worked on the USNS Vandenberg, from 1965 - 1972. I was able to email him back with what info. I had on McDonald and later with subsequent info on his health condition as of Nov. 2008. Does anyone have any more news about John McDonald since Nov. 2008?
Also need any info on Range Rat Charlie Fox, send me an email so I can post it here on this website.
21 FEB. 2009, In Jan 09 Jim H. Cook of Rochester NY put an entry in the RR Sign-in Book asking about these Range Rats: Dickie E. Lee, Radar tech at GBI and Radar Leader at Ascension and Pretoria. Brother of Bob Lee at Ascension same time. Arnold Beland, sent to Little Carter Cay in Sept 1960 to work on the MPS-25, then to Pretoria in Apr 1962. He married a S.A.girl and went to Australia and started a TV service store, had 4 boys I believe. Bob Lawson, in communications at Pretoria, then GBI then to Alaska. Glenn Keeler, TTR at Ascenion, married a British nurse at ASC then went with RCA communications in Alaska. Finally John Kobolecki (spelling?) who worked at TTR radar on ASC then to the Andros Range.
If you have any info on any of these Range Rats, send me an email so I can post it here on this website.
21 FEB. 2009, LA TATE HOY FOUND In Aug 2008, I listed Tate's name below as wanting to find him, as we were friends down at Antigua in the early '60s. In Oct 2008 his daughter googled her fathers name and found this webpage and Tate emailed me. So it was good to find another "lost" range rat. You can see his Range Rat Sign-in Book entry dated: 30 Oct 2008
14 SEPTEMBER 2008, In August Bob Bonner a PAA weatherman wrote: "A fellow who worked at Grand Turk in the PanAM weather station was a good friend of mine by the name of Dennis Davies. He was married to a South African girl from Cape Town. I was on the trip to Cape Town on the Timber Hitch or Coastal Crusader and I believe it was in 1960 and Dennis met his wife there on that trip. I've tried the internet but cannot get and solid leads of where he might be today".
- UPDATE ON DAVIES, 28 AUG 2009, I heard from Bonner in July 09 that Davies has passed away, this was his email message: "Frank O'Leary who I knew on the range happened to see the info that I was looking for info on Davies and told me Dennis had passed away a few years ago. With Franks info I was able to talk to Dennis's wife in Hawaii and indeed Dennis passed away in 2006. You can add Dennis Davies to the list of departed rangerats, that list is getting to damn long for my liking.
03 AUGUST 2008, Quite a few years ago Wayne Witham asked me if I had any any information on RCA employee Dave Powell, such as his current address or phone number. Wayne said Dave was Down Range for several years at Mahe Seychelles from 1965-1968, but not sure where he moved to up-range from there but was certain he remained on the Range. It's taken me 3 years to get this put on my website!! (a request that just fell thru the cracks, sorry Wayne). Howabout it folks, anybody know Dave Powell and where he is or what happened to him?
If you have any info. send it to me and I can publish it here and pass it on to Witham.
03 AUGUST 2008, Joe Frasketi (thats me): is looking for range rat friends from long ago: When I worked at Antigua telemetry back in 1961 I knew Don Akerberg (or was it Dan?) he was the Telemetry Manager there, Shelby Copeland the Chief Technician, other tech's like me: Harry Hillman, Steve Fischler and Bill Karnopp. I also remember Andre Champagne, he was old back then and most likely passed on by now, anybody remember him and what happened to him after he left the range?
Two others ANT techs that I hung around with were La Tate Hoy, (NOW LOCATED, SEE 21 FEB 09 ENTRY) and Gene Hilst (his last known address was Beloit Wisc), I kept it touch with them after they left the range but lost contact years ago.
- 09 AUGUST 2008, Bob Johnson wrote: "Shelby Copeland and Harry Hillman transferred to GBI telemetry in the spring of 1962. Steve Fischler was transferred to GBI telemetry in the fall of 1962. Biil Karnopp stayed at Antigua telemetry until late summer of 1965 and the transferred to Pretoria and remained there until the station shut down, which I believe happened in 1970. In 1983 my daughter and I stopped in a Burger King here in Ventura CA and in walked Bill Karnopp. Evidently he was laid off after the Pretoria shut down and ended up working at the Navy telemetry site at Pt. Mugu. THe last time I saw Bill was at the Oxnard airport in June of 1995. He is no longer listed in the phone book, so I assume he has retired and went back to Kansas.
- 14 SEPTEMBER 2008, More news about Bill Karnopp:
In March 2008 Ray Miller wrote from Hanapepe, Hawaii and said: "I'm an Apollo RR from the tracking ship USNS Mercury T-AGM-21. Was the Group Leader on the FPS-16 until NASA released us from support requirements. When I left the USNS Mercury I ended up at the Pacific Missile Range Facility on the island of Kauai in Hawaii in '71. When I got here Bill Karnopp was a tech on the MPS-25 S/N-5 radar that he followed up here from Pretoria, SA. Bill and I worked together for about 3 years and then he left for other pastures. I don't have a clue where he might be today". That Karnopp, sure gets around. Does anyone have any info. on where Bill is today?
If anyone has additional info. on these these RCA troops, send it to me and I can publish it here. Would be nice to find out where they are now.
18 JUNE 2008, Dick Maniag is looking for: Norm Williams, Jack Cain, Wendell W.Thompson.
If you have any info. send it to me and I can publish it here and will contact Dick.
UPDATE Jack Tolman wrote in June 2008: "I'm trying to find L.M. (Tex) Boyd and Robert E. Lee, Tex was my leader on the Costal Crusader in Recife and Robert E. Lee was a friend of both Tex and myself on Ascension."
If you have any info. send it to me and I can publish it here and will contact Jack.
03 AUGUST 2008, Bob Johnson sent in some news, not good about Robert E. Lee, as follows: "If the Robert E. Lee that Jack Tolman is looking for is the Bob Lee that I knew at Mahe', well Bob died of heart failure in the early 80's. My wife used to correspond with Bob's wife, but she
remarried sometime after Bob's death and we were told she moved
to Mississippi and we lost contact with her."
This information was passed on to Tolman and he said it sounded like the Bob he knew and sorry to hear about his death. He hopes Tex is still alive and someone can provide info on his whereabouts.
14 MAY 2008, HOOT RINGO FOUND! Dennis Dyer of Melbourne FL sent me some info on Hoot saying that Hoot winters near Cocoa FL and gave me a phone number, which I passed this info to Mary Lynn Thorne. She was able to then contact Hoot and this is what she emailed me: "Joe, I found Hoot Ringo. He is 84, older than I thought he would be, but he is still alive and relatively active. Bud is dead. Bud was younger than Hoot. His telephone number is in Rockledge FL. He doesn't have a computer and don't want one. ha! Thanks for the info. Mary Lynn Thorne".
John Kish from Rockledge FL has also reported that "Hoot Ringo went to Virginia and built a cabin in the mountains and settled in there." (Maybe his summer home? but this has not been checked out yet).
- ON 23 FEB 2008, Two old timers have mentioned "Hoot Ringo" when they signed the RR book. Rodger Fowler, said: With the encouragement of Hoot and Bud Ringo in 1956 my brother and I started our employment with RCA. Mary Lynn Thorne, who goes way back in Range history, said she was in Range Survallience with Hoot Ringo in 1955 and asks: Does anybody know anything about Hoot Ringo?
See my 14 MAY 2008 entry, Another UP-RANGER found!
21 FEB 2008, A while back before Scotty Fetterman died, he wrote me about a list of all the Trinidad troops who were stationed there, and when he was making his list he had heard that Ron Blackburn still have an old personnel roster from Trinidad but he didnt know where Ron was.
Is anyone in contact with Ron Blackburn?, or know his whereabouts (living or dead), if so, send any info to me: Joe Frasketi (my email link is near the top of page and at the bottom of this page).
14 MAY 2008 UPDATE, Dennis Dyer of Melbourne FL says Ron Blackburn is still around and lives someplace in North Melbourne.
SEPT 2007, Dick Maniag is looking for Robert (bob) Tarian (or it might be spelled Taran) of tech school and Antigua. If you have any info. send it to me and I can publish it here and will contact Dick.
MAY 2007, SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ON BUD CREECH:
An Air Force buddy of Bud Creech found this website on April 28th (and signed the Guest book, because he was not a range rat) only to find out that Bud had died in Aug. 2006, here is what he wrote: "I have been searching for Lorne D. Creech since 1956 or so. 'Bud' and I were in the US Air Force in 1950 to 1951 through
school, etc. I believe his call was W4NMO, Mine was W3RYJ. When
he went down-range, I lost contact.... Anyone having any more
information about 'Bud' and family, I would sure appreciate
hearing more details. I'm so sorry to found he died in August,
2006. He was worth knowing... a good person... miss you Bud.." signed Jim Reed, Dushore, PA 18614, If you would like to contact Jim
click HERE
MAY 2007, Charlie Wright signed the RR Sign-in book 28 Mar. 2007 and asked does anyone know whatever happened to Warren Way - the "Pig Roast King" - and Al Huff (two more "real characters")? If you have any info. send it to me and I can publish it here and contact Charlie.
JAN 2007, Joe Frasketi (thats me): is looking for range rat friends from long ago: Bengt H. (Ben) Johnson who hails from Dedham MA, and was a marine; Clarence L. Dillingham(of Cliffside NC) and Earl Satterfield (from Belleville IL), all 3 I knew from Grand Turk in the late 50's & early 60's; Jack Moody who I knew from St. Lucia and Grand Turk in the late 50's & early 60's. He was from Darwood MD and I believe he moved to VA after leaving the range. Jack had a son William Lee Moody and a daughter Michelle Lynne Moody. Anyone who has any info. on these troops please send an email to me so I can post it on this page. If you are in contact with them, let them know about my Range Rat page and Sign-in book. Can you help?
JAN 2007, Hal Lund: asked about a couple of ham radio friends from the range: Rick Dawson who was on Ascension; & Bud Clabough who was on San Sal, Ascension and Mahe. Anyone who has any info. on these troops please send an email to me so I can post it on this page. If you are in contact with them, let them know about my Range Rat page and Sign-in book. Can you help?
JAN 2007, Jack Bendick: who worked at Antigua & Ascension recently wrote that he wants to know if anybody know the whereabouts of Cliff Barnard or Bill Karnopp? Anyone who has any info. on these troops please send an email to me so I can post it on this page, or notify them to sign the Range Rat Sign-in Book.
JAN 2007, Fred Matos: who signed the Range Rat book Jan 2006 is looking for these range rats he used to work with: Chuck Mullin, Tony Juarez, Marco Terrasez (spelling?), and Al Larew. Anyone who has any info. on these guys please send an email to me so I can post it on this page, or have them sign the Range Rat Sign-in Book.
OCT 2006, Dan Searle: who signed the Range Rat book today is looking for these range rats: Frank Rose, Bill Genaw, Grady Jones, Dave Beierle, Fred Thompson, Ray (Kit) Fenimore, Ray Kelley, Carl Pyle, and George Beasley. Anyone who has any info. on these guys please send an email to me so I can post it on this page
OCT 2006, Joe Frasketi (thats me!) says I am looking for Ernst (Ernie) Winkler, last station was Grand Turk with RCA in telemetry, moved to Pasadena CA, and lost contact with him.
AUG 2006, RANGE RAT FOUND!: Marty Gilligan was looking for Billy Joe Volner who was both on St. Lucia and Grand Turk during the late 1950s and 60s. And he has been found, see entry at Feb 13, 2006 on the Range Rat Introduction page.
AUG 2006: Way back in Jan. 2006 Marty Gilligan was inquiring about anything on Charlie Kefner, who worked in communications on Ascension. He wasnt sure of the spelling and said it could be spelled a dozen different ways. Does anybody remember Charlie and the correct spelling of his name? Or if you know where he is, send me an email.
MAR. 2006, Bill Gasell of Ocala FL signed the RR sign-in book on 20 March 06, said he worked for Pan Am on Grand Turk (two different tours), Mayaguana, Ascension, and ended up running domestic satellite tracking stations at Vero Beach. and asks: Does anyone remember these folks from mid to late '50's? Sid O'Neal, "Doc" Roberts, Lamar Morgan, Bill Scales, Hank Petron, "Jake" Jacobson, Don Price (Domestic Satellites), Barbara Julian (Secy. in Range Bases office), Karl Kreeb, Dick Purcell. Would be nice to locate some of the range rat folk! Anybody have any clews out there? send me an email and I can post it on these pages, and if they are still living, why now invite them to check in and sign the Range Rat sign in book.
EARLY 2005: These are names of people who worked at the Dominican Republic Tracking Station in 1956/57, Joe Frasketi (thats me) had their names written on slides I had taken while I was stationed there: Ray Smith; Jim Westridge; Terry Lane; Jack Manass (Spelling ?); Lou Perry; 'Red' Jones; Jerry Smith; John Fought; John 'Red' Durham; Randy Lundy; Paul Leofsky; Doudy; and Winestein.
OCT 2005, NEW INFORMATION on Dominical Republic Tracking Station Personnel: Bud Creech said that "Terry Lane now lives in N. Miami Beach; John 'Red' Durham lives in Florida somewhere and that 'Red's wife Estela Durham was hit by a car in Santo Domingo and killed qute a few years ago. Also Randy Lundy died some 6 or 7 years ago".
Anyone having additional info. on Randy Lundy please send it along. Maybe Terry Lane and 'Red' Durham will eventually sign in.
Here is how you can contact me:
Send Email to Joe
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