Donald Possien:  

FELLOW CLASSMATES, TWO AND ONE HALF YEARS AFTER GRADUATION I ENLISTED IN THE AIR FORCE. SERVED FOR FOUR YEARS ON ACTIVE DUTY AND THEN ANOTHER THREE YEARS INACTIVE RESERVE BACK HOME. MY BASIC TRAINING WAS AT WHAT WAS THEN CALLED - SAMPSON AIR BASE OFF LAKE SENICA, NEW YORK. AFTER BASIC I FLEW TO LOWRY AIR FORCE BASE, DENVER COLORADO WHERE I ATTENDED PRIMARY MUNITIONS SCHOOL FOR FOUR MONTHS. THEN BACK HOME FOR MY FIRST LEAVE. AFTER 30 DAYS LEAVE I REPORTED TO MCGUIRE AFB, NEW JERSEY WHERE I WAITED FOR A TROOP SHIP TO TAKE ME TO NORTH AFRICA. AFTER NINE DAYS AT SEA WE ARRIVED AT OUR NEW POSTING. "NOUASSEUR" AIR DEPOT IS IN NORTH AFRICA, 24 MILES FROM THE FABLED CITY OF - CASABLANCA. WHAT A WONDERFULL DUTY IN THE LAND OF CAMELS, SAND, AND SCORPIONS AND FIERCE BERBER TRIBESMEN FROM THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS. EVERY THREE MONTHS WE HAD A ONE DAY DUTY AT THE PORT OF - FEDALA UNLOADING A REFRIGERATION SHIP, WHICH WE THEN TOOK INTO THE CITY FOR STORAGE IN A FROZEN FOOD WAREHOUSE. DURING WORK BREAKS WE ROAMED ABOUT CASABLANCA AND SOMETIMES STOPPED AT A STAND TO DRINK SWEET TEA. ON OCCATION WE PASSED THE HOTEL WHERE THE FAMOUSE - GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON HAD HIS HEADQUARTERS. AFTER 18 AND 1/2 MONTHS IN FRENCH MORROCO, I FLEW HOME TO TO WESTOVER AFB IN MASSACHUSETTS. THEN A TRAIN TO NEW YORK CITY AND A TAXI TO PEQUANNOCK, NEW JERSEY FOR A 38 DAY LEAVE. THE LAST 18 MONTHS OF MY ENLISTMENT WAS AT - SUFFOLK COUNTY AFB ON LONG ISLAND. HERE I ENJOYED THE BEST LIVING ACCOMODATIONS ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF OUR BARRACKS. IN THE EVENING HOURS I COULD LOOK OUT AND WATCH THE - F-86 SABRE JETS COMING DOWN THE RUNWAY. A SIGHT AND SOUND I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN IN ALL THESE YEARS. THE JETS WOULD LIFT OFF IN PAIRS WHEN THE AFTERBURNERS KICKED IN AS THEY SCREAMED INTO THE NIG...Expand for more