Back in 1980 or '81 a girl named Stefania Somethingorother joined our high school class for a few months. Her family had moved from Oman where her father had been stationed (she said), and it made for an interesting story. Now, though, I wonder - a guy stationed in Oman, just across the Gulf of Oman from Iran, at the end of the Iran hostage crisis (there's a link for you youngins), is suddenly sent to a perfectly quiet little Illinois farm town of 800... what the heck was going on?
I was reminded of that by the obituary of David Smiley, who, among his other improbable activities, served as the commander of the Sultan of Oman's armed forces.
Not that close to Scott or Chanute either.
ReplyDeleteMust have been a company man.
That's all I can figure. Someone posted to Chanute AFB would surely live in Rantoul, a good two hours away from Findlay, and Scott AFB is even farther.
ReplyDeleteWait! Her last name was Erikson or a cognate. And bang - google reveals Hanne & Jens Eriksen, authorities on the birds of Oman. Hmm...
http://www.pi.ac.ae/PI_ACA/cor/faculty_staff/jeriksen.php - I don't know if he's connected to the classmate I remembered.
ReplyDeleteI guess either one fits.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was not a bad time to get out of the area.