Monday, December 19, 2011

Happy Birthday AFRTS

Finally it's done!  Thanks to all.  It's quite a story.  Happy 70th Birthday AFRTS!



If you'd like a 441k uncompressed wav of this let me know.  Rebroadcast is encouraged, if you do then please let me know. afrts@live.com

If you're not already on the mailing list, let me know.  Weekly I send out updates,
afrts@live.com

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Feliz Navidad de Puerto Rico

Ramey AB, Puerto Rico

Ralph Gebes sent along some 1971 memories from AFCN.  Ramey was (mostly) closed with a 1973 base alignment.  Time for "Radio Strikes Back"

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Happy Birthday AFRTS

The birthday greetings are going to be a big part of our history and so far it tells an important part of our story.



Still time to get yours in!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Thanks again!

It's been almost four years since I started doing this.  I'd like to thank you for stopping by.  Our AFRTS stories are something that I really don't want to see in the dumpster.  Thanks for sharing.  For the hundreds of you that stop by, we get a chance to tell a story again.  It's nice to be able to share the airchecks.  Every one of the AFRTS-LA stars that I could find have said it's okay to post their material and I appreciate it.

If you'd like to share your memories I think we'd all appreciate it.  Any requests?

70th anniversary of AFRTS is 2012 and my audio piece about our history is almost done.  Take a second and record a birthday greeting.  You are the story.

At the end of the month we're taking our first vacation in years.  Going to visit the in-laws in Europe.  I'll probably be cut off from the internet then.  By New Year the updates will start again.

If you're not already on the mailing list, let me know.  Weekly updates on what's happening here.

If you enjoy the page, please tell a friend.

Happy Holidays!
Thom

Thursday, December 1, 2011

What AFRTS meant to me

At the age of 15 / 16 a person is very susceptive for new influences - in many aspects. This is also true for the preference of musical styles - we like, what we hear and share this with others.

In Germany the musical scene in the mid-sixties was only mainstream-pop from England and Germany. My first contact to a completely+ different sound as in 1966, after I tuned-in (by chance) AFN Bremerhaven on my small transistor-radio.

The music was of overwhelming force and tempo. It was "Bluegrass"-music. From that day on, I stayed tuned to AFN and recorded some music with a microphone from the loudspeaker.  Suddenly I became aware of the many styles of music that I had never heard of before. Country-Music, Soul, Jazz , Latino-Music - even Polka, Easy-Listening. I liked them all , and I still do today.  It was not only the music, it was also the DJs. Their laid-back style, the sometimes intoxicating way of announcing the titles was completely new to me.

So I began to record not only the music but also some of the DJ's talk on my tape-machine, later on cassettes. My favourite DJs were Herman Griffith, Wolfman Jack, Roland Bynum, Charlie Tuna, Gene Weed, Vance Graham and of course Chris Noel.

I learned some aspects of American life and still today it is easier for me to translate spoken American English than British English. As a German civillian this helped me, especially in my job. So all this is my reason to thank AFRTS for producing the shows that not only entertained the American forces but also a German boy and maybe many others too, around the world.

Congratulations and Good Luck AFRTS !

Guenther Schoenlau