Eugene (gino) stellabuto

A Karamürsel Survivor

 

 

 

then
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

now


 

     I graduated in 1958 from Punxsutawney Pa high school and joined the AF in November 58.  After basic at Lackland, went to school at Shepard AFB in Wichata Falls Tx.   From there I was shipped to Vandenberg AFB in Apr 59 till Sept 59.  I was then shipped to Karamursel along with 15 other members in my group. During my stay there got an R&R to Athens for 3 days. I made it to Istanbul just about any time I had 3 days off and money in my pocket. One thing I do remember is that being from where the groundhog comes out and see his shadow and predicts 6 more weeks of winter that on Feb 2nd, and again on the 4th of 1961 we had snow for the first time while I was there. It wasn't much but I got the blame from my buddies for that one. I did a stint at KTUS, for about 3 months before I left, but do not remember any of the names that are listed of people that worked there. Sorry Guys. We got a new chaplain before I left and to my surprise he was from my hometown. Left there in march of 1961 and took a delay in Germany before returning to the ZI and ran into an old neighbor that was stationed in Weisbaden. They say its a small world and I found that during my stint in the Air Force as I ran into school friends at Lackland, Shepard and Vandenberg, not to say I saw over 20 when I was stationed at Ft Meade. I was at Ft Geo G Meade till I was discharged on Nov 2nd of 1962.

 
     Shortly after leaving the AF, I married a girl named Dolores I met from the same town that my mother and grandparents lived. They all knew each other before either of us was born. She was a personnel manager for SS Kresges for 15 years before she passed away at the age of 45 in 1985. We didn't have any children and I am still single now.


     I went to work For Bendix in communications at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Md. for 3 years before returning to Ft Meade and working at my same job as a civilian on the same shift for the same bosses. Did a year there and went to work at TRW field Engineering in D.C. till May of 1968 when I left there for Pittsburgh to work for the Post Office. Transferred to Detroit where I live now so that my wife could be with her sisters, which are all deceased now. I retired from the Post Office in March of 1996 and worked a few part-time jobs till about 2 years ago and finally retired for good.
I bought a 1957 Chev Bel Air about 30 years ago and I am involved with several car clubs that do cruises or shows a few nights a week.