American Eagle
MILITARY PROFESSIONAL
- Joined
- May 25, 2010
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Dear All in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2012:
I spent Christmas of 1963 and 1964 in Pakistan as a young USAF Lieutenant. We did side trips to the old US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from our periodic staff meeting trips from Karachi up to Peshawar. The Khyber Pass was nearby and the drive in those more peaceful days from our base at Badabur to Kabul was readily done in a 4 wheel drive Dodge Crew Cab truck.
Christmas Eve 1963 I was visiting my higher headquarters at Badubur, near Peshawar, looking out a large plate glass window from the Officers Club at K-2 shining in the moon light, snow on the ground all around our base. Air Chief Marshal Ashgar Khan and brought the military bag pipe band from the Frontier Division HQ nearby to play Christian Christmas carols...on bagpipes! It was actually good music and very nice.
Christmas Day 1964 I had Pakistani and European folks my age over to our USMAAG (I was not part of the USMAAG by my last 8 months in Karachi lived in their single staff officers house). We then proceeded to the beach on the Arabian Sea by car, truck and Land Rover, in a caravan, where we had a pleasant day swimming, eating picnic lunch, and listening to the BBC Christmas carols on our portable shortwave radio.
It is pleasant to recall good times in Pakistan, which then was presided over by Field Marshall Ayub Khan. Tougher times then and into now ensued, but it is still good and healthy to recall better days and hope that better days relationships will somehow, someday return between the US and Pakistan.
Merry Christmas to all this Christmas Eve day from here in Alabama, USA. To the small number of Christians in NW Pakistan, and the larger number in Karachi, we hope you have a peaceful and comforting Communion Service. Our Methodist Christmas Eve Communion service will be at 4 PM today, 24 Dec. It is now 11:30 AM Christmas Eve day here.
George L. Singleton, Colonel, USAF, Ret.
Hoover, Alabama, USA
I spent Christmas of 1963 and 1964 in Pakistan as a young USAF Lieutenant. We did side trips to the old US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from our periodic staff meeting trips from Karachi up to Peshawar. The Khyber Pass was nearby and the drive in those more peaceful days from our base at Badabur to Kabul was readily done in a 4 wheel drive Dodge Crew Cab truck.
Christmas Eve 1963 I was visiting my higher headquarters at Badubur, near Peshawar, looking out a large plate glass window from the Officers Club at K-2 shining in the moon light, snow on the ground all around our base. Air Chief Marshal Ashgar Khan and brought the military bag pipe band from the Frontier Division HQ nearby to play Christian Christmas carols...on bagpipes! It was actually good music and very nice.
Christmas Day 1964 I had Pakistani and European folks my age over to our USMAAG (I was not part of the USMAAG by my last 8 months in Karachi lived in their single staff officers house). We then proceeded to the beach on the Arabian Sea by car, truck and Land Rover, in a caravan, where we had a pleasant day swimming, eating picnic lunch, and listening to the BBC Christmas carols on our portable shortwave radio.
It is pleasant to recall good times in Pakistan, which then was presided over by Field Marshall Ayub Khan. Tougher times then and into now ensued, but it is still good and healthy to recall better days and hope that better days relationships will somehow, someday return between the US and Pakistan.
Merry Christmas to all this Christmas Eve day from here in Alabama, USA. To the small number of Christians in NW Pakistan, and the larger number in Karachi, we hope you have a peaceful and comforting Communion Service. Our Methodist Christmas Eve Communion service will be at 4 PM today, 24 Dec. It is now 11:30 AM Christmas Eve day here.
George L. Singleton, Colonel, USAF, Ret.
Hoover, Alabama, USA
