Welcome to the third issue of the
newsletter. Lewis and Bonnie Wirfs asked me about tours to European Battlefields. I wrote an article for them and you.. Also in this issue is a story of the wanderings of SA Traveler. This issue contains the following information:

• Lew and Bonnies Italian Travel Tips
• Where in the World is SA Traveler
• Airhitch and Travel Ticket Discounters
• European Battlefield Tours

Bonnie and Lewis Wirfs recently returned from Italy. This picture is Bonnie in Venice. The following is their trip report to Aviano. Aviano can be reached from Lajes on Pat Ex on Wed. and Rhein Man on Thur. or from Ramstein on DC-8 on Mon. or Wed. show 1220 hrs. (the Fri. DC-8 is always full of duty pax) or C-9 medivac. on Tue. (Check it out)

Aviano AB is made of two parts:

• The runway,terminal snack bar,commissary, exchange and post office.
• Support facilities are lcated in "area 1 & 2 Lodging, and Italian dining facility are in area 1, Burger King, & ITT are in "area 2"

Area 1 and 2 are separated by a street and fences. There is a tunnel under the street connecting the two areas. The shuttle bus originates in Area 1 (lodging) at 0600 and every 30 minutes until 0815. Then 1015 until 1245 hourly until 1645. Weekends, holidays bus service is limited.

The second stop is Aviano Square (lodgings) then the terminal. Returning the bus stops at the Comm. AAFES, food court and post office then back to area 2 and 1. The bus passes thru the square in Aviano coming and going. Going from the Terminal to lodgings is not within walkable distance and there are no taxi's on base (this was unconfirmed)

Attempt to reserve space before arrival. Lodging is very limited space (new added lodging (80 rooms at least a year away) Then call upon arrival. Then if no space-a available, get off the bus at the square and walk 2 blocks to Doimo hotel. Cost is 42.00 Euros (spartan) or to the Tussi hotel (3 blocks) which is a little nicer 46+Euros. Ask for military rate. There is a good Italian resturant across the street from lodging and in both hotels. There are six+ hotels in Aviano all within walking distance.

To see Venice buy a round trip bus tickets to Pordonone from Magazine kiosk on the square. Then buy a 2nd class train tickets round trip from travel agency one block off the square. Catch bus to Pordonene at 0605 from the square to train station. Take any train except the ICE (intercity express) as most trains go to Venice.

On arrival buy all day tickets for the water bus (8 euros) locate # 81 water bus pier and ride bus to end of the Grand canal then start back and get off at interesting stops and site see returning to train station by 1600 for return train (get icream (Gellato) and board train before 1640 (check on track number) to Pordinone (sp). Take taxi to "bus station" get bus to Aviano in lane (4) and return to square. Happy and tired. Rest then go back another day if desired.Venice is an absolute mad house on a Monday (low season) and worse in summer

Now check with ITT on tours ie; Florence, Pisa, Trieste and Eagles nest are some. Spend some time on the square people watching and eating gellato If you have a 0600 show time the terminal will not call cat VI until the shuttle bus arrives at 0619


Ed Prifogle 

Hurray!! SA Traveler has made it back to the US. Read  his latest trip report

Our dear friend SA Traveler has been traveling Space A many years. The information he provides Dirk's board members has been invaluable. His unwillingness to reveal his true idenity has elicted comments from board members; however no one can question his desire to assist us.

His latest Space A Adventure started from Travis on the middle of of May to Hickam AFB, Hawaii. He could not back to Travis because of the number of people ahead of him. Remebering EDAVIS advice, he headed west to Kadena to come East. It was not successful and no one heard from him for 10 days. His last commincation was from Kadena, Okinawa where he was still stranded. He then headed to Korea. When last heard from he had been trying to return to the CONUS (preferably Travis) since May 19th. from Travis

Good Luck SA Traveler where ever you are.

AIRHITCH AND TICKET DISCOUNTERS

Air hitch is basically a "commercial" space available travel voucher program. It's value to the military space available traveler is that during certain periods of the year, because military space available travel is one way travel, and traffic increases dramatically, occasionally military travelers especially cat 6s get stranded overseas and CONUS for long periods of time.

If the military traveler purchases an air-hitch voucher prior to departing, its an insurance, that if stranded at an AMC center, they will be able to get a commericial flight back to the US.If the voucher is not used i.e. they were able to get a military flight back, the cost of the voucher is refunded to the buyer minus a $39.00 processing fee and shipping cost. In effect its a $50.00 hedge against getting stranded.

The rules for commercial space available flights have many similarities to military space avaialbe flights in that both require flexibility relative to dates and destinations.Another benefit of an Air-Hitch voucher is that there are many more departure and destination options, and may be in some instances be a cheaper way that military space available to get to your ultimate destination and return.

Air-Hitch gives military travelers a $10.00 discount when placing SPA in the code box when ordering.

There are three other sites that sell commercial Space Available Vouchers and tickets. They are:
AirHitch| Air-Tech| Air Courier

There are several other sites that require you to pay a fee to join that offer major airline discount fares from/to Europe:
Best Fares| Cheap Tickets| Cheap Flights|

In Flanders Field
By Lieut.Col. John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

There are many tours to the battlegrounds of Europe, The ITT offices and USO in Ramstein, Frankfurt, Rota, Naples, and Aviano offer tours on a frequent basis. Europe has been the major battleground for the two major conflicts of the the 20th century, WWI and WWII. As a point of reference, in WWI over 3 million soldiers lost their lives in Flanders Fields, Belgium from 1914 to 1917. View the following site for information 
Flanders Fields

See this Normandy 56k | 100k | 300k | Broadband Video. D Day was 58 years ago today, June 6th, 1944. The obvious tours are to the D-Day beaches like Normandy, or the World War II site of Bastogne. Check with the Ramstein ITT office for a tour to Bastogne. While those D-Day beaches and battlefields are a great stop for any American remembering WWII, the best Battle of Normandy museum in the area is Le Memorial in Caen, about 150 miles northwest of Paris. To truly understand the significance of the D Day read the followingLessons From Normandy Article by Ken Arnold

The museum begins the story of World War II by tracing its roots, all the way to 1918 and the slow failure of peace to take hold in Europe after World War I. Interactive audio and video displays, interspersed with actual artifacts like tanks, jeeps and weapons, describe the buildup toward the second world war and France's descent into invasion, occupation and resistance. 

Actual footage of the D-Day landing is interspersed with scenes from fictional films for a dramatic retelling of the events from both the German and the Allied perspectives. The 70-day Battle of Normandy is retold in a similar interactive manner. Galleries that follow look at the rebuilding of Europe and of hopes for peace through such events as the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The grand finale is the Nobel Peace Prize gallery, celebrating the courageous work of leaders who understand that peace is more than simply the absence of war.
D_Memorial-Caen

View some great black and white photos view the following site::
Nomandy Battlefields Photos

For detailed information on the Normandy battlefields view the following site::
Nomandy Battlefields Info-French and English

For other battlefield tours view the following:: Mildenhall Battlefield Tours|Battle of Sommes Tour|.Ramstein Verdun Tour| Kathy's Normandy Trip report