Bayrak Garrison

Turkey / Ankara /
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A.k.a. Manzarali base. A former US Army Security Agency Field Station. The ASA station was turned over to the Turkish Air Force in 1968. Operating 1962-1978

Youtube video Manzarali base end 60's:
www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&v=h-kPAdlfuQ8&gl=US
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   39°39'39"N   32°42'37"E

Comments

  • Ah, this brings back old memories. Sine the Statute of Limitations has run out; We listened in on the old Soviet Union here. Some of out Stacked Rhombic antennae were the size of several soccer fields and could detect the traits of an individual Soviet Army radio. If we suddenly heard that radio in a new place we knew the military unit it belonged to had moved too. This bare windy hilltop had excellent reception for transmissions from the Baikonur Rocketry base.
  • The Turkish Air Force took it over as we left in 1968. I was one of the last few out the gate.
  • The high, dry, windy site required that the pool be heated. Otherwise too many soldiers got sick using the chill waters.
  • Very interesting work and off base activities working with the Turkish villagers. Enjoyed being assigned here from 1965-1967.
  • fond memories of this piece of land. left there in '63 . Got introduced to 'rockie' for the first time!! :-0 bad drink.
  • looking for Joe Kelly, Bob Kennedy, John Biehl....what a group from 60-62'
  • to kidkebec - wonder who is it? joe or bob, was there in 60-62 when they played there game of tag all over the place
  • I left on 31 Mar '68, and was the last 05H to leave Det 27. I missed the little Italian quartet that used to play at the NCO club. I think the singer was named Lili.
  • Why do you talk so much about our missions, etc?
  • Great seeing this map. We've had quite a discussion over time at MerhabaTurkey.com regarding the location of Site 23, as it was relatively easy to be mislead since it is often described as near the town of Golbasi (which is just south of Manzarali Station/Site 23) but in northeastern Turkey's there's ANOTHER town called Golbasi and a Lake of that name as well which led my interns to confusion. Finally, just the other day a friend wrote me who had been on a tour of Turkey in 1999 and had visited the old Site 23 haunt. He mentioned it was near a freeway, so we started checking and found it just down D260 from Ankara about 19 miles. We have the info on our main page at our site ( www.merhabaturkey.com/index2.html.
  • You can find the site easily on Google Earth. I was there in 1962 and 1963. The buildings are still up, including our barracks. The nearest village, where I taught English, was Cherkezhuyuk (English spelling). Itseems to be called Gokchehoyuk now. Just follow Route 260 south from Ankara to the village, then left to the site. Jim Thompson
  • I don't know about the closing date of 1978 but I was there for the opening in 1960. We were in Air Force barracks in downtown Ankara several blocks from the American embassy until construction was completed in summer 1960. I left in 1961.
  • I grow in there , I mean, I was a kid, and we lived for almost 9 years. Such a beautiful place to be .. Oh, that was around 1990-1999 :)
  • I lived in Ankara from 1966-1967, then when quarters became available we moved to the site until we turned the base over in 1968. My father MSGT Joseph D Gaquin was with finance with ASA.
  • I was sent to the site in 1960. I was never at the older location in Ankara except on a clean-up crew when the other guys left the buildings they were housed in. I worked in the headquarters building until 1962 and kept the books for the NCO club. I remember the 058's getting very drunk at night.
  • It closed in 1968.I left on 31 Mar 68. and as far I know, I was he last 05H to leave.
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This article was last modified 8 years ago