Page 13 - ARUBA TODAY

A13
Friday 4 January 2019

Welcome back to Aruba, Joe, Dobrodošli natrag u Arubu

Clyde Harms (R), author of “An Aruba in Libya”, meets with Joe and Marcia
Čupurdija in Marriott’s Sports Bar. Joe was a Lt. Col in the US Air Force stationed at
Wheelus Air Base in 1967 when Mrs. Harms and the children were evacuated to
Italy on a USAF C-130 during the Six Days’ War.
ORANJESTAD — Two years ago (SNF) and like his fellow Serb Novak
Joe Čupurdija, a former Lt. Col in Djoković, Joe also identifies him-
the US Air Force, and his wife Mar- self with the Serbian Diaspora. He
cia were visiting Aruba for the first always carries with him a copy of
time. That week Aruba Today pub- the American Srbobran, the oldest
lished Chapter 7 of my book “An and largest Serbian newspaper in
Aruban In Libya” and Joe sent me America and Canada, and the of-
his reaction reading in part: “... I ficial organ of the SNF.
was stationed at Wheelus Air Base
from July 1965 to December 1967. Joe became a subscriber to my
I was familiar with the Oil Compa- articles. He would send me his
nies Schools because my wife, at comments regularly and we ex-
the time, was a substitute teacher changed letters regularly.
at the Wheelus school”. Joe and his wife Marcia did re- other personally in the Marriott’s
In his first letter, Joe had written: “... turn to Aruba and the two former Sports Bar.
As Chapter 5 of the book deals with our stay was most enjoyable and contemporary Libya residents and
the “The improbable connection plan on a return visit...”. This week phantom friends finally met each The coincidences however did
of Wheelus with Aruba” and part not stop. Joe’s first letter: “...Had
of the improbable connection was a great time, in spite of the tons of
the fact that my family, from Aru- seaweed that Hurricane Matthew
ba, was evacuated from Wheelus churned up...”. This week it was Kirk
in a USAF C-130 Hercules, this was that churned up the tons of sea-
too much of a coincidence. weed.

But, there was an even greater Marcia and Joe are again having
coincidence. Joe’s email address a great time and have praised the
contained a Yugoslav word that in- restaurants that they have visited,
trigued me. My book contains two but their highest praise was for the
chapters that deal with my Yugo- home cooked Aruban dinner that
slav friends in Tripoli. Sure enough, Mrs. Milagro Harms had prepared
my suspicion was confirmed! Joe’s for them. Taking pictures of the
parents had emigrated from Yugo- spread on the table, Marcia com-
slavia to the States. One was from mented, “My friends will be jealous
Serbia, the other one was Croa- when they see this”.
tian. Another coincidence, as my
good friend Milica Marinčić was Welcome back to Aruba, Joe and
from Serbia and her husband Vlad- Marcia. We look forward to your
imir Cvek was from Croatia. Born in next visit to our Dushi Aruba.
the United States, Joe is a member As a proud member of the Serb National Federation, Joe always carries with him
of the Serb National Federation the latest copy of the SRBOBRAN, the official organ of the Federation. By Clyde Harms q