Dave and Joel:

Yes, the simple search/replace of '#' with '' fixes things up after
import. I just thought there was an embedded way or setting that I had
overlooked that would have enabled recognition of the #..# form of the
date as a date. 'Write #n' does this, 'Print #n' does not (but
'Print' has the disadvantage of expanding tabs to spaces.)

I'm sure this output format is an artifact of an earlier database
convention of Microsoft's, I just can't recall which it is at the
moment. But evidently it's one that Excel, 2003 version, no longer
recognizes.

Thanks for your help.

-- Roy Zider