LOGROLLER RAMBLINGS By Dick Roan
"Little man so spic and span....where was I when the "spit" hit the fan?"
I just finished reading an email from George Franklin that caused the previous line
to fly into my thoughts. I lived at Rothwesten both town and air base for over three years and the only fighter I ever
met was the German that chased me from the "Dugout" tavern to my bus back to the base one night when I presume my mouth
must have been faster than my bier soaked brain. I had no idea that our little base was the place that fighters
and/or boxers congregated and lived among us. After all, this was the airforce.....We were lovers, not fighters.
Then I learned that Nick Mascis, was a golden gloves winner back home, lived and toured as the
champion welterweight for army/airforce. And now comes this news from George. "We had several boxers in the unit
in 1953/1954." ( I never met one.) He remembers one Rick Gomes from Connecticut. His brother was a pro. Another
fighter, Baker a golden gloves champion from TX. used to spar with Rick in Wasserkuppe.
George also remembers a fellow from Florida stationed at "the Kuppe" that enjoyed giving pain more than
boxing. One time about 100 British soldiers were transferred to Wasserkuppe and our people stationed there were told
to welcome and treat them well. It seems that one of the Limey boys from Wales considered himself a tough guy.
He liked to pick fights like our boy from Florida. So he did....picked a fight....with the our boy from the Orange state.
In a pre-emptive strike that would have made George W. proud, our boy hit him so hard he was out in one punch. And just
to make sure he wouldn't have to do it again, he polished his boots on the Limey's ribs.
To my joy, George tells us that we also had a boxer at Kassel that "seemed about a half-a-loaf off."
But then he was a lieutenant. They usually are a half a loaf off. Well, as it happened, a big black fighter
that used to spar with the pros back in the Z.I. was scheduled to fight a German fighter. When the locals found out
about the pro, they refused to send their fighter. Rather than disappoint the crowd our lieutenant decided to fight
him and knocked him out in the first round.
And to think I wasted all that time going from bar to bar, drinking cognac and coke and dancing
and other stuff when I could have been part of that......except for being chased by that drunk kraut one night.........
dick roan
Nick,
Since you also were a boxer I thought I would relate some storiesthat I remember from
the 601st.
We had several boxers in the unit in 1953/54 and I remember some of their names. One
was Rick Gomes from Conn. His brother was a pro and I saw him on TV. Another one was ? Baker who was a Golden Gloves Champ
as well..
So much for my Rambling today,. Was it not a joy to be is the 601st - Cherrished
Memories
George Franklin
