In 1967, it was called Schilling Manor. Previously, it had been Schilling Air Force Base. The Air Force closed it down a few years earlier. I seem to recall a sign either at the entrance or on the base referring to Schilling Manor as "Home of the Waiting Wives".
In those days, its purpose was to house the families of military service members serving overseas, particularly Viet Nam. It was self-contained community of schools, playgrounds, church, community center, commissary, post exchange, and medical center. For those who did not drive, there was some shuttle bus service to these facilities. We arrived in November, 1967 and lived on Richmond Court. Though we lived there about 13 months, it was memorable time for both internal and external events.
There are many recollections of those 13 months. In particular, I recall the diversity of our neighbors which included mothers who were: American Indian, German, British, Japanese, Korean, as well as American. It was a veritable cornucopia of diversity. We live in military housing yet the house had a garage and basement. As this was Kansas, tornadoes were a threat though I do not recall one while we lived there.
School was in walking distance and we came home for lunch consisting typically of PBJ and Lipton chicken noodle soup which was perfect for those cold Kansas winter days. My 4th grade teacher's fiance was serving in Viet Nam. I enjoyed school very much in those days. I recall the principal who, much to the chagrin of teachers, played Game 7 of the '68 World Series over the school's PA system. In those days, the World Series was played during the day. Our teacher proceeded with instruction despite this. I have no idea what she covered that afternoon as I had focused soley on the Tigers' Mickey Lolich pitching his team to victory despite going on short rest from his Game 5 win a few days earlier.
I recall that the local paper, the Salina Journal, an afternoon edition did not publish baseball boxscores daily, just on Sundays. I felt out of touch with my Red Sox.
In those days, some fathers sent back jackets from their assigned places. Most kids my age wore such jackets emblazened on the back with the names: Da Nang, Mekong Delta, Pleiku, Cam Rahn Bay, etc.
The move from Land Avenue in Tampa to Richmond Court in Salina seemed to be a natural progression. There was a common bond among families: their fathers were serving overseas. As I reflect upon this, we were living in a community of single parent households though temporary in nature. I realized then that Viet Nam had impacted the lives of many others besides my family.
More on the Schilling Manor days tomorrow.
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As a young Army wife and mother, I lived on Schilling Manor from July 1974 until September 1975. I so enjoyed the camaraderie of the other waiting wives, while my husband was stationed on the DMZ, in Korea.
ReplyDeleteSusie Burke Morgan
any photos of the base
DeleteI was a kid living there. 10th grade (9th second time around). I remember it as wild times where we ran the farm. Mom's hated me, & no Dad's to kick my butt. All told, Schilling was a different kind of living that changed how I saw the world greatly. We always knew when the telegrams were delivered & it was accepted part of life when our friends moved on a few weeks later. We had 2 primary depties that worked Schilling in 69-70. One I only remember as Loren, a huge guy who more often than not, was a dad figure than a cop. Then we had a lil guy we all called Barney Fife for obvious reasons. Life was rough for Barney, he wasn't allowed to shoot us.
ReplyDeleteWe were among the first to arrive @ Schilling Manor, the famous "Home of the Waiting Wives" sign was at the entrance. The swimming pool had just opened, virtually all buildings were shuttered/boarded up in that military way. I was a paperboy delivering the Salina Journal, some days with only 14 pages total. I dreaded delivering in the Kansas winter at 3 am Sunday morning as an 11 year old kid with 200+ papers to fold, bundle, CARRY & deliver. But it gave me a little bit of pocket money to go to the roller skating rink off base, my only entertainment. Had to walk everywhere except school, there was a school bus. I was in 6th grade, the teacher's name I will never forget, Mr. Lehman (he was about the only adult who was decent to me, God bless him, worked hard to educate us & always told us we could ask him *anything* and he would answer us honestly - I hope he has/had a good life. Families would suddenly move out, as their Dad/husband had just been killed. I too had a beautiful silk jackets that many Dads sent from Vietnam. Spent many days in class writing letters to Dad, missing him badly, trying not to cry as I just knew he would die. I will never forget picking Dad up when he finally returned, I was shocked at how long his chest hair had gotten, he said the Army told him it was "from the heat" in Vietnam - the real culprit was his exposure to the infamous "Agent Orange," which later took his life - he died just 4 days after his 51st birthday. Dad worked so hard getting the house ready in the short time he had before leaving, getting a TV antenna up, a window air conditioner (at our expense, grrr) installed, tuning up the family Corvair & all the other things to make it as easy and comfortable for us as possible - he was an amazing man. Oddly, even though I was the paperboy I can't remember the name of the street we lived on! I have read that ladies's book about Schilling Manor that is on Amazon, I'm glad she wrote it though it really did not portray the life that I knew there. The military establishment couldn't have cared less about the families living there during that time, just getting the swimming pool running took numerous donations of time, money & equipment, with little help from the military - I'd like to thank those wives, dependents, servicemen, etc., who lobbied for & worked so hard to get that pool opened. Schilling Manor certainly could have been worse - we could have been completely alone, but we had the company of other kids who were just as miserable & afraid of losing their Dads - thank GOD for their friendship, and my first girlfriend. My heart goes out to all who lived there, anxiously awaiting the day your fathers would come home - nobody who wasn't there can understand how lonely life was in the first year or two. I thank those who worked to make our time there the best it could be with such limited resources, it is a debt I shall never be able to repay - but please know that I greatly appreciate it, THANK YOU *wonderful* people.
ReplyDeleteWe left there in 1971. I went to junior high and started high school there. I would ride my bicycle into town on the back roads. I would go over to the cafe by the private plane hanger and listen to the flight controllers on the radio. I enjoyed the place. The schools had the best school lunches ever.
ReplyDeleteI've been back several times, but the Salina history museum wrote us off--we're missing--so I won't go back again. The city is a base town even today. The history covered the base before it was Shilling Manor and after. The base was actually closed to the public to prevent the sheriff's deputies from bothering the wives.
We never thought dad wasn't coming back, but kids would turn up missing at the bus stop. They moved to the next assignment. The dad of the family in the other apartment of our duplex was MIA. A college professor said that he would write people up MIA, because it was easier than writing them up dead. Little did he know that a wife has to wait seven years before her husband is "legally dead." But, yes, we supported each other like we had in Europe or all the other places DoD dependents end up.
I lived at Schilling Manor three different times while my dad served in Viet Nam and did two tours in Korea. I lived on Arkansas, Hartford and Georgia Sts. We first moved there in 67. The second moved must have been 71. The last move was in 75. My parents were in the middle of a divorce around 77. SM was scheduled to close as a military waiting wives base so we were forced to move into Salina. My sisters and I graduated from Salina South. My days at Schilling have forever changed my life. I spent many lonely days there longing for my dad to come back. I knew many kids in the same boat. I have visited many times when I come back to Salina. My two sisters still live in Salina while my mom lives in Wichita.
DeleteMy family also lived in the Schilling Manor neighborhood. We lived there for one year on Juneau St. It was during the very turbulent 1968 year which included Dr. King's, and RFK"s assassination. Chicago had it's political issues as well that year. But Schilling Manor was in the eye of the hurricane despite what was happening around us. My dad was in his last year of service, joining in 1948. The Air Force kept him for another year before retiring to Ohio to begin his career at civilian life. He had already had seven kids by the time he retired. I remember little of Kansas, not too many memories can be made in a year. I do remember walking my blonde friend and holding her hand as we walked across a little bridge to go to elementary school while both my brothers laughed. It was such an innocent time while young. The heartland of America then. Two big oceans to the right and left of you. I still have a document my dad saved from Schilling Manor, for a broken window pane to be replaced. They had a good Cinema also, we saw Planet Of The Apes, The Brass Bottle,mostly 20th Century Fox movies that I can remember. I mostly remember the fields, and the base, and my little blonde friend as well.
ReplyDeleteLived on Lansing Court in 68 and 69. I was in 4th and 5th grade. Had a tornado blow through while we lived there.
ReplyDeletedo you have photos of the base
DeleteWe lived on Lansing Ct as well. 72-73
DeleteI lived there 1969, was in 5th grade. First cul-de-sac past the elementary school, don't recall the name. The Gardella's lived next door and the Kraaks were on our court too. I remember their son loved baseball, the Cardinals I think...haven't thought of this place in years, not sure what drove me to look it up today.
DeleteWe lived on Lansing Ct 72-73 as well.
DeleteWe lived on Trenton Court from Jan 72 to June 73
ReplyDeleteLived on Trenton Court 75 to 78
DeleteI lived there in 1972 -1973 Gary Swensen Chaplain Assistant.
DeleteWe lived at 115 Boston Court from Nov 69 to Dec 70. I went to Roosevelt-Lincoln middle school. We kids at Schilling had a ball!
ReplyDeleteWe lived there around 1970. Perhaps arriving in 1969. I know we lived on Denver Street and I attended school at Sunflower School. I think many of the streets as well as the school have since been renamed. As kids we knew that if a official looking military vehicle was parked in front of your house it was most likely bad news as this happened to a couple of our neighbors. I also remember missing my dad. In fact we had a calendar of the 50 states on our refrigerator and colored in a state each day on the last 50 days until dad was supposed to come home. I recall waiting at the Salina airport watching as his plane landed. It seems like we found plenty to keep ourselves busy there too. My mom and our neighbor across the street used to take us to a lake somewhere near Salina. It was always fun but honestly I don't remember the name of it. I do remember huddling in the bathroom as a tornado hit the base but our house was spared.
ReplyDeleteLake Kanapolis
DeleteLake Kanapolis
DeleteI lived on Trenton Court from 67-69.
ReplyDeleteWe lived there from the Summer of 69 through the Summer of 1970 while Dad was in VietNam. Mom, me and the three siblings. As a 12-13 year old by we pretty much ran free. I remember Creature Features on Friday nights, tornadoes, playing on the creek and playing baseball for the Salina Optimists.
ReplyDeleteI took over the Schilling Manor Sub-post Dental Clinic as the NCOIC in June 1975 until I was reasigned to the US Army Dental Activity- Vicenza, Italy in April 1976. I worked with 2 Dental Officers, 1 Civilian Dental Assistant, and 1 Enlisted Dental Specialist. I also took all Dental X-Rays, ordered all dental supplies, completed all administrative reports, and every Friday I performed Dental Hygien cleanings. I loved my time there and our Quarters on Austin Street.
ReplyDeleteI took over the Schilling Manor Sub-post Dental Clinic as the NCOIC in June 1975 until I was reasigned to the US Army Dental Activity- Vicenza, Italy in April 1976. I worked with 2 Dental Officers, 1 Civilian Dental Assistant, and 1 Enlisted Dental Specialist. I also took all Dental X-Rays, ordered all dental supplies, completed all administrative reports, and every Friday I performed Dental Hygien cleanings. I loved my time there and our Quarters on Austin Street.
ReplyDeleteI was there in 1972-1973 GarySwensen garyswensen@icloud.com
DeleteI babysat for a member of the dentist office at Schilling. Lived on post with my French waiting wives mom and two sisters
ReplyDeleteI lived in schilling manor 72 to 73 while my dad was in Vietnam. My mom had to work nights at a frozen pizza factory as the military messed up my dads pay. I went to 10th grade at a Salina high school. I don’t remember the street we lived on. We had a basement and a garage. It was a rough year. My brother and I took care of out two young brothers. I enjoyed playing pool and ping pong at the youth center. We lived across the street from a British blended family that had a cute set of twin boys.
ReplyDeleteLooking for anyone who lived on base from 1972-1973 I was the (Only) Chaplains Assistant serving both Catholic and Protestant Chaplins as there was a Shortage of Chaplain Assistants back then..Lots more to tell.. Rose Wren ( Her Husband) in Vietnam and her huge family (George Wren her Son) and many others I knew made it a HUGE family surrounding..I was there for other reasons, but I-got Recruited and Worked as a Chaplains Assistant O.J.T. I picked up kids on Sunday School with the Bus.. Went on Youth trips to Kansas City with Chaplins and Chaperons..My office was in the Schilling Chapel..I rushed Steve Merkedel to Fort Riley one night as his Appendix were about to Burst
ReplyDelete..A FAST Trip in my new Chevy 145 miles an hour on Interstate 70 with Two Kansas Highway Patrol one in front one in back of me..Steve Merkedels Appendix …BURST just as they took Steve out of my car at Irwin Army Hospital at Fort Riley, Kansas….Gary Swensen garyswensen@icloud.com
PEACE BE WITH YOU