More Musings

By Alan McKeegan / / 15 November 2023

Article originally published in 2002.

Back in July 2002, the late Al McKeegan who passed away in 2011, shared 'more musings' on his time in Arabia.

Thought a picture of my folks might help jog some of the older memories out there. Mom and Dad are Helen and Barney McKeegan who spent about 10 years in Dhahran. My dad arrived in the field in 1944. My mom and I along with my two sisters arrived in 1947. My sisters are Maureen and Sharon. Maureen was one of the founders of the original BRATS group.

Helen and Barney McKeegan

My badge picture from 1947. One of the few pieces of memorabilia that I still can find.

Aerial view of Dhahran in 1949, taken in one of the little Navions as we flew out for a pipeline check.

The Patio in 1949.

Above is a shot I took on the original Patio in 1949. Those were the days when you'd see and hear some guy jump up and scream out, "S.O.B.!!!" once in a while as a big "Scarab Bug" flew into his drink and splashed it all over him.

Dhahran teens in late 1949.

From Left to Right: Kneeling with her back to the camera is Judy Larkin, standing at the piano is Phil Braun, next standing is "Red" Harris from the air base, next standing is me, next is Sylvia Harrison (I think), next is Cynthia Fernannder, next Raye Carnrick, at the piano is Louella Beckley and "Smiley" Brooks another airman, kneeling in front is Bill Gerrard on the left, next is Joe something or other airman, and then Dave Schlieman.

Ras Tanura Power Plant Workers.

The photo above is some of the "Old Hands" from the Ras Tanura Power Plant, but I can only ID several of them... Bear with me. Okay. Left to Right: "Serby" Serbenek, next-?, Mal Phillips, ? Henderson, Bill Kidder, Ed Brady, next-?, Art Gasparreti.

Kim and our son Mark in my old Messerschmitt car.

Just found a shot of my wife Kim and our son Mark in my old Messerschmitt car. I bought the first one when we lived in the RT camp and drove it back from Khobar through a Locust swarm and a dust storm. Had to drop Kim and Mark off at the old "Coast Guard" station in Qatif so they could finish the rest of the journey on the Inter District bus. It was a thrill watching those locusts bounce off my windshield, and sweating like a steam bath inside, with the windows rolled up to keep the locusts out. Just another wonderful memory.

I did a search of the old ExPats Finder site and found a name that triggered an old memory. "Barbee" - went through the Arabic language training center when it was just starting at Sidon. That time in the camp was an interesting time and was during the time when Americans were not always welcome in the area.

Below is a photograph of three of us at the school. Can't remember Barbee's first name but I had the name "John Steele" on the back of the pic, so that must have been the other guy, beside me on the left. This was when I was on my way back to the field from my hitch in Korea for "Big Uncle" in 1955.