Sidi Slimane Air Base

Morocco / Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen / Sidi Slimane /
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BAFRA Nº 5
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidi_Slimane_Air_Base
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Coordinates:   34°14'20"N   6°4'1"W

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  • It changed a lot since then. that small town is about 250,000 now. local people still talk about the american presence back in the 50s and 60s.
  • i like it vry mach
  • I spent 6 months on the airbasein 1954, I came to the town from Tangier by train and was met by a bus from the base. I never saw the town again I did see Rabat, Meknes, Mariketch and Casablanca from which I left for the US. I am glad to have had the experience.
  • I was there in 1957 TDY from Little Rock AFB, Arkansas.
  • I was stationed there in 1962 until august 1963 as a fire protection specialist with the 3906 Civil Engineering Squadron. We were all extended an extra 90 days due the base closing. The best part of the tour was traveling all over the country and seeing all the different cultures. I particularly enjoyed Tangier, which I lucked out on seeing when I first arrived in country. It seems nobody wanted to go so I got a seat. The scariest moment was when a combat defenseman shot a B-47 in the alert area,. Whether or not it was intentional or not we never found out. I'm sure he paid a high price for his actions. I still have some souveniers from my stay, including tapestries, water smoking pipes and shepards lighters.
  • I was stationed there in 1956 with the 3906th Air Police. Our quarters were called "Dallas" huts and were of plywood construction and accomodated (8) G.I.'s. My most vivid memory was the time General LeMay held his SAC pilot briefing there. I was posted at the base theater and the general pulled up in a Buick staff car. I opened his door and popped a salute (which he did not return). He walked straight over to Col. Ramputti, our base commander, and told him that when he closed the theater doors they were to remain closed until he open them. Within a about a minute, after the general had closed the theater doors, another Buick staff car arrived and out of it stepped the biggest full-bird colonel I had ever seen. He stood about six feet six and had a chest full of medals and ribbons. I was standing at the theater door at parade rest position. "Out of my way, airman!" he ordered. "I'm sorry, sir, but I have my orders," I said. "What if I just walk right through you?" he said, fiercely. "Then I would have to use my weapon I replied," dropping my hand down upon the butt of my .45 sidearm. "What?" he said, "You would shoot a high-ranking, air force officer?" I kind of gulped and said, "If I have to, sir." And I did not allow him entry. After the meeting adjourned I reported the incident to colonel Ramputti. Then I returned to my hut. I was soon told to report to my Air Police commanding officer, Major Gilleland. He asked if I had prevented Colonel So and So from attending General LeMays SAC briefing. I said that I had, fearing a severe reprimand. "Well, it's a damn good thing you did!" he said. Apparently it was a test, the kind of thing General LeMay was famous for.
  • i was in the 3906th air police that same year. the johnson i remember was from rhode island and he was a lot of fun. the 3906 air police won the base football championship that year. johnson played on the team. kehoe, lee, almond to name some. by the way, my name is mach, wally mach. i put another 18 years in air national guard and have a total of 22 years active and guard time.
  • I WAS THERE IN 1957-58 WITH 5TH ADS AS A LOAD CREW LEADER. REMEMBER THOSE LONG HOT DAYS AND NIGHTS ON THE ALERT PADS DOING THOSE UP AND DOWNERS WORKED WITH EOD IN THE OLD BOMB DUMP ELIMINATING OLD WW-2 MUNITIONS.
  • I keep looking for Johnson to return to this web site. I guess he had his say. The year I spent in Sidi Slimane Air Base was one of the happy years in my life. We had a great time traveling around and on base. But the real reason is -as Mathew Broderick said in Biloxi Blues - "beause we were young."
  • I was an Air Force brat at Sidi Slimane 1957-1959. My father was an NCO, and when we first arrived in Morocco, we lived in Port Lyautey among the arabs because there was no available housing at Sidi Slimane. We moved to the Air Base in late 1957 and I spent 5th and sixth grades there. It was a good place for kids, lot to do and safe on the base (I can't say the same for downtown Port Lyautey). I remember spending most of my time at the pool and at the base library, and mostly I remember the heat, no such thing as air conditioning back then. My mother worked as a waitress in the NCO club, and unfortunately, my father spent a lot of time there drinking. We had moved there from France and a lot of his NCO buddies, drinkers all, had also transferred. I think they picked up those habits in WWII on air bases in England. I also spent a week with the family in Tangiers and I remember how beautiful it was.
  • Hey.good to hear from a dependent. Tangiers, Rabat and Casablanca were fun places to visit. You brats are the best mannered folks that I know. My brother has four of them. I remember the dependents gate was one of my favorite places to be posted. I was in the 3906 Air Police. I spent the year 1956 in Morocco. Just missed you.
  • My dad named ali aitcadi he worked on the generators at sidi sliman he use to ride his bike from port lyaute which is kenitra now he is about 5 feet 5 i was wondering if anyone knew him
  • أنا أحب كتيرا مدينة سيدى سليمان
  • I was also an Air Force brat...my father did two tours in Morocco...one at Sidi Slimane (1958-60) and one in Marrakech 1954-56). Most of my memories are from Sidi Slimane. He was an engineer and worked at the receiver site somewhere in the middle of nowhere but the guys had a nice ping pong table set up for entertainment there and they all had a great time. We started out in Port Lyautey since base housing was short...great experience and beautiful memories of meydia beach and the Palace restaurant in downtown Port Lyautey. After getting housing on base at Sidi Slimane we were always at the base pool, NCO club, movie theater, church, etc. Also recall a beautiful trip to Happy Valley but have no idea where that was. I have so many memories...like one day walked to the end of our street in Port Lyautey and where the street ended, sand began. Off in the distance were silouettes of camel caravans. I didn't realize it then but it was the edge of the Sahara. It's nice to reminesse with others who were there. w
  • Oh, one more thing I recall...on the drive from Port Lyautey to Sidi Slimane there were these little straw huts and there was always something burning...very exotic incense type smells. Funny what you remember as a child.
  • I served with the 324th Interceptors sqdn at Sidi in 1959 and 1960. The burning mentioned by Linda Robinson was the Eucalyptus piles they burned to make charcoal. Happy Valley was a nice hill side garden of beautiful flowers. I can't find it on the internet anymore. It was over close to Mckneze. It was a good assignment, having my wife and family with me helped. My youngest daughter was born at the Navy base.
  • My father served there. Navy EOD 1957 - 1958. If anyone knew the EOD guys, there were two teams. My father was on team 2 and I have been unable to track down the other two team members. I have located all of the team 1 members.
  • I was at the 735 AC&W Sq about 40 miles west of Sidi Air Base. I was there from Feb 58 to Feb 59. All our mail and rations, hospital, etc was Thrum Sidi Slimane Air Base. I was an Air Policeman and served with the Air Force 1955-1986.
  • I'm confused - my father was with 56th Air Rescue Squadron at Sidi Slimane when I was was in 4th and 5th grades. Our tour was cut short in 1959 and I thought it was because the USAF was kicked out of Morocco at that time? We lived in red top housing when all the eucalyptus trees there were 'topped' at about twenty feet and then the lumber was hauled away to make charcoal as mentioned above - but not before we made some great log forts!
  • I'm a brat born at Port Lyautey in 1957. My father was stationed at Sidi Slimane, Air Force, 1955-1958 in Finance, last name Fitzhugh. Anyone know him? My mother was a French Algerian he met on base; they were married 40 years when they passed. Would love to hear more stories of where they began their love story.
  • I was there 62-63. Got extended 90 days for the base closing and then got a relief of 30 days and got back in Aug 63. I'm amazed at the comments herein. I was miserable there. The only good thing I remember was that I learned to play double deck pinochle. Played a lot of it. Winter of 62 the furnace in my barracks had problems and we spent the winter without heat. Lived in sweats in the barracks. Also winter in Morocco is the rainy season. They got a years rain in a couple of months. Flooded everything. There were men up in the Atlas watching a dam which they feared might break. It didn't. Good thing they said if it did the concrete barracks would have been under water up to the third floor. Sidi was designated a support base for the flood relief. We all got an Air Force Outstanding Unit award for that. Glad some found it an enjoyable tour, I didn't.
  • Trying to find an old buddy of mine who was stationed there in the late 1950's. His name is Jimmie Robbins; he worked at the Base Chapel. He was a Chaplain's Assistant. Anyone remember him? Where he might be now?
  • I lived in the Red Tops from Jan. 1961 to July 1963 that's when the base closed. The base officially closed September,1963.
  • My family was stationed at Sidi from Jan. 961 to July 1963, we also lived in the Red Tops. The base officially closed in September of 1963.
  • Loved it. I was flown home from the high school at Port when the flood came and had to sort pork out of the emergency ratios on the flight line for the rest of the week. I had a great time over there.
  • I was stationed their in 6l-62. God was it hot with not much to do. Lived in one of those Dallas Huts. Don't remember if it had and kind of A/C. Went on a couple of trips on a military bus site seeing. Lot of card playing every night and drinking. Was sure glad to get out of their. I was getting married as soon as I got back.
  • Carol, about where did you reside in the Redtops? Or, do you recall your neighbors?
  • Remember, 31 Jan, 1958, and the burning B-47 on the runway. I was watching it burn from the parking lot across from the restaurant for some time, when the APs stopped and told me to get the hell off the base, there was a bomb on board. I did, and returned to our radar site north of there and found my bunk had been given to a patient from the base hospital until they could return.
  • I was with the 735, it was 40 miles north, as I drove the ration truck for some months and watched a B-47 burn on the runway on 31 January, 1958, otherwise I was Movements and Identification on the hill.
  • Do you know who was on that plane do you remember Maj Joseph Harry Jacoby died A few months later at GP AF?
  • Happy Valley..now that brings back memories growing up an Air Force brat. My dad was station there from 1956 - 1960. Happy Valley was one of those "day trips" we would take every Sunday. Just pick a direction and go. My folks took us everywhere and I loved it! I remember the French Foreign Legion troops pulling up in half-tracks army vehicles, taking a Moroccan out of his house and placing him in between the soldiers and driving off when we were downtown Sidi Slimane. It was the war for independence that got us transferred to Offutt AFB, NE in 1960. Like they said back then, "Once you get on it, you can't get Offutt". We were there for 8 years, the longest I've have every lived in one spot as a brat. Rob Talley
  • My Dad, then Major William Armstrong was the first 56th ARS Commnder when Unit formed up in November 1951 at Sidi. Mom and I arrived in 1952 and PCSed back to the States in1953. It was quite a grand adventure for me as a 7-year boy..
  • You're welcome again
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This article was last modified 10 years ago