stationed in germany during vietnam war stationed in germany during vietnam war

". was told," you are going to Germany, get your wives in german class". This was because they had relatives (brothers) already serving in Vietnam. Patches, In 1968 you could volunteer for the draft and serve 2 years active duty. Many veterans struggled with feeling that their experience didnt measure up. During the era of the Vietnam War, American troops and facilities were neglected forcing Engineers to marshal their slender resources augmented by host nation contributions to keep American forces ready for war and take care of Army and Air Force personnel and their families. We have four children, plenty of grandchildren, both biological and through marriages, and five great-grandchildren. Its ironic because we were there to protect them. They left their families to fight in a war that wasnt popular. During that time, I was assigned to the sick officers quarters, sadly watching many men pass away. Vietnam War Ukrainian soldiers find remains of German WWII soldiers, LGBTQ+ rights situation at home drives young Slovaks abroad, Remembering the horrors of Colonia Dignidad in Chile. Only about one out of seven were combat troops, said historian Chris Appy, history professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. After the defeat of Germany, the relatively small American force in Europe was preoccupied with the administration and reconstruction of their former foe. Some 20 years later, US President George W. Bush went to war with Iraq over its alleged program to develop weapons of mass destruction. I expected it would be worse in Vietnam, but it was a more satisfying experience, Shkurti said. Since his older two brothers were already serving in Vietnam he was not allowed to go. One colonel joked, If we ever really got attacked, the V.C. 4) The Alps Swiss, German or French. An official website of the United States government, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters Website, About the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters Website, Historical Vignette 105 - Engineers Played an Important Role in Europe During the Cold War, Deactivated Nuclear Power Plant Program (DNPPP), Regional Environmental and Energy Offices REEOs, Industry Information Re: COVID-19 Support, Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans, Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, G-1 Reserve Component Augmentation, Office of Human Resources Directorate, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Please switch auto forms mode to off. But in Vietnam, the Cold War became an inferno. I am focused on peace and conflict reduction on a global and local scale, he said. Youre in the hot seat. In response to this fear, the United States deployed large forces to West Germany. You would think (serving in Germany) would be a great duty, but it wasnt.. Most of all, Army bands will strive to honor General George Washington's observation, "Nothing is more agreeable and ornamental than good music. Maybe they didnt risk their lives but they risked risking their lives, said Meredith Lair, a Vietnam War historian at George Mason University and author of Armed with Abundance: Consumerism and Soldiering in the Vietnam War, which examines the non-combat experiences of American soldiers in Vietnam. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis. At least in our case. But that tradition was set on its ear back in the late 1960s and early '70s, when the PFCs stationed overseas formed their own pop bands. He now is an adjunct professor in the John Glenn College of Public Service. The cover of East of Underground's self-titled LP. Especially from the minority groups, our black comrades, because they bore the brunt of the draft, were very unappreciated, and made the ultimate sacrifice above and beyond other groups, and for what? Thornton said. Its important for people to know they exist. WebIn An Army in Crisis Alexander Vazansky analyzes the social crisis that developed among the U.S. Army forces stationed in Germany between 1968 and 1975. They have rock climbing, paddle boarding, BBQ grills, a restaurant, hiking trails, and more. "I've done my own searches on Google and so forth, but I cannot find anything," Hitt says. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. He was with the 3rd Infantry Division in Schweinfurt. Vietnam War Here are a few of their stories. When we graduated we lined up in front of a building that you entered one at a time on one side and after getting your paper work you exited out the other side. of United States Army installations in Germany The band formed while its members were stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. TCDD, the toxic substance in Agent Orange, may be inhaled as an aerosol or ingested by contaminated food or water or from hand-to-mouth transfer. His unit lost more men to overdose and traffic accidents in Germany than to combat in Vietnam. Germany During Built over time for more than $130 million, Long Binh eventually had 3,500 buildings and 180 miles of road covering an area bigger than Cleveland. If youre stuck on the base for days on end, visit the Wild B.O.A.R. Opposition to the war made military personnel band together. The entire emphasis is on the narrow combat experience, Lair said. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). Then, there was the shopping. "I'm just amazed that [the band's] three singers didn't have hit records after they left the Army. Additionally, not all Vietnam-era veterans served in-country. More military personnel played support roles than combat ones. Thornton returned to school later in life and is now finishing his doctorate in business administration in the field of cross-cultural competency and conflict management. People dont understand how consequential the decisions were that were being made at headquarters, he said. Despite separate residential districts, there has always been contact and exchange between German and American families. They would tell him not to go down certain streets because it wasnt safe, so you would know something was brewing there, Lomperis said. At the end of his service, Shkurti was an executive officer with the 6th Armored Cavalry at Fort Meade, Maryland. I talked to many men who felt sheepish that they didnt have those (combat) stories to share, Lair said. Army's Rock 'N' Roll Past "So this was a very viable way to avoid active duty in Southeast Asia.". Those recordings were lost for decades, until a collector discovered an East of Underground LP in 1997. At the end of the spraying campaign in 1971, the remaining C-123 planes were reassigned to reserve units in the U.S. for routine cargo and medical evacuation missions spanning the next 10 years. Dave. The high rate may have been attributed to our being an Infantry MOS, but the only way you didn't go to Vietnam was because of the above reasons. Being a noncombatant doesnt mean they didnt feel scared, that there wasnt a looming sense of danger even onthe biggest bases that were considered safer areas, Lair said. The U.S. has had personnel stationed in Germany and South Korea, two of its military allies, for several decades, yet the number of active-duty troops in each country is at a modern low. Lewis Hitt played guitar in East of Underground. This includes individuals who performed service in the Air Force or Air Force Reservewho regularly operated, maintained, or served onboard C-123 aircraft known to have been used to spray herbicides during the Vietnam era. It was a game of cat and mouse that almost turned deadly when he was nearly killed by some drunk Vietnamese soldiers, Lomperis said. I say 16 months because his orders were involuntarily extended because he was in the ROK when the USS Pueblo was taken. The Ramstein base is especially significant, since it is also headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe. 18th Military Police Brigade (United States WebHere are our top 13 places to see while youre stationed in Germany: (click on any city name below to learn more) 1) Prague, Czech Republic. This massive program to improve American weaponry and conditions for troops and their families, supported by the commitment of huge resources to building the facilities required, was one factor in shaking the resolve of Soviet leaders and exposing the hidden weaknesses of the Soviet military and political systems. Its kind of like playing goalie for a soccer team. visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for more resources. Out of our entire class I believe two, maybe three guys got orders for Korea. There were swimming pools, bars, cheap booze, entertainment, dancers and strippers, American TV. The fatigues were faded and had rips. HMD found that Reservists who served as flight crew (pilot, navigator, flight engineer, and loadmaster), ground maintenance crew, and aero-medical personnel had regular contact with the aircraft, and would have experienced some exposure to chemicals from herbicide residue. At the end of the spraying campaign in 1971, the remaining C-123 planes were reassigned to reserve units in the U.S. for routine cargo and medical evacuation missions spanning the next 10 years. stationed in Germany Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. From the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991, Army Engineers played a key role in providing the facilities for arming, supplying, training, and housing American soldiers and airmen and their families in Europe. 7) Cologne, Germany. Drug abuse, overdoses, crime and traffic accidents led to several deaths within his unit. Not enrolled in the VA health care system? That was where I met my wife. The U.S. military presence in Germany peaked at 274,119 in 1962, nearly eight times its level last year. During the war, these men felt like they were part of the military endeavor, but its not what the public celebrates. I thought it would be easy, but it was actually tough, said Shkurti, who served as a fire direction officer and supervised a six-person team. The US soldiers also brought American culture to Germany. But as the confrontation between the Soviet Union, our former ally, intensified with the Berlin blockade and the outbreak of the Korean War, American leaders grew fearful that the next target of international communism was Western Europe, which contained our most important democratic allies and a rapidly rebuilding capitalist economy. "All the branches of the armed services have always included music as part of their mission. At the end of the Vietnam War, the United States adopted a volunteer Army, but declining military expenditures made it difficult to keep the American forces combat ready and maintain the quality of life for soldiers and their families. In addition to meeting locals, walks off-base could provide valuable intelligence. Active duty personnel who served in a regular USAF unit location where a contaminated C-123 was assigned who had regular contact with the aircraft through flight, ground, or medical duties between 1969 and 1986, and who developed an Agent Orange related disability. The rule was to always go out in groups of two or three, but I often went by myself unarmed. [Today in History] Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the If you call it wrong, thousands of people could end up being killed, he said. I was in Boston when the Chelsea fire occurred in October 1973, received a meritorious unit citation for fighting the fire that consumed a large portion of Chelsea 18 blocks one way, 16 blocks another. These facilities supported the large American and NATO forces stationed for almost fifty years on the front lines of the conflict between East and West, ready to confront a Soviet invasion. The US Army employed 17,000 American civilians in Germany in 2019. One of the biggest lessons Dr. He also wrote the liner notes, which reveal a surprising fact: The U.S. Army spends an estimated $200 million a year on music, and is the largest single employer of musicians in the country. Germany will remain strategically important for the US. East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. Over the years the US Army has become firmly entrenched in the German landscape. May 31, 2017 in MILITARY HISTORY DISCUSSIONS. Our AIT class in 1971 at A.P.G. They wore dirty boots and dog tags hanging around their necks. WebAs the threat of imminent invasion receded in the late 1950s, U.S. Army Engineers continued to build and maintain facilities that supported American and NATO combat power and housed and supported U.S. forces and their families, now permanently stationed in West Germany. The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. Morale was bad, and there were racial problems, Shkurti said. In 1972 Thornton enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 and trained to be a hospital corpsman. Instead of breaking them up, Army brass sent them on tour. He never carried a gun because if he was shot, the enemy soldier could have claimed it was self-defense, he said. For website corrections, write to hqwebmaster@usace.army.mil. Over 220 others have already been closed, mostly following the end of the Cold War in the 1990s. Reflecting back, Im more skeptical whether a war of choice can help defend a country in the long run. After Boston, Thornton served at Marines Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. WebActivated during the Vietnam War, the Brigade oversaw all Military Police operations in the country for a large portion of the conflict, undertaking a wide variety of missions throughout the country and providing command and control for other military police groups in the region. 877-222-8387, TDD (Hearing Impaired) Even before Erhard succeeded Konrad Adenauer as West Germany's second chancellor, the conflict in Vietnam had The big problem was that Saigon was Sodom and Gomorrah. Lockbourne/Rickenbacker Air Force Base in Ohio (906th and 907th Tactical Air Groups or 355th and 356th Tactical Airlift Squadron), Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts (731st Tactical Air Squadron and 74th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, International Airport (758th Airlift Squadron). Upon graduating, I was the only one in our Company sent to Ft. Knox Ky.. All of the other Draftees in our class stayed at Ft Lewis in Infantry. We served honorably. The enemy was the Soviet Union and the other signatories of the Warsaw Pact, including the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. In their spare time, servicepeople could go to the library, join a service club or take a spin on the go-kart track. 1. I volunteered for the draft and was sent to Ft. Lewis, Wa. Thats not how the military works, though. On leave, Thornton would head home to see family and friends, but the war changed things. Troop Deployment, 1950-2003 For recreation there were basketball, volleyball, tennis and multipurpose courts, football fields, miniature golf courses, a driving range, an archery range and a skeet-shooting range. Anyone who served in the military during the war faced the possibility of being sent to Vietnam, though. You guessed it, my last name started with a T. Got a question 11Cav, during the Vietnam era/60s early 70s period, was there a difference between volunteering for the draft and outright enlisting? In Germany the U.S. military was protecting West Germany against the threat of Russian invasion, but it wasnt imminent, Shkurti said. I think I never knew, or know even today, of any Vietnam-era vets I would not embrace as brothers. While older Germans were friendly, younger ones were hostile and aloof, Shkurti said. After Nazi Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945, four countries representing the Allies (the United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and France) asserted joint authority Even today, many see otherwise, but only at home., One place the guys in the rear and combat soldiers would cross paths was at rearward bases, which ranged from isolated fire bases less than a city block in size to major bases like Long Binh Post that resembled an American city, said Chris Appy, author of three books about the American war in Vietnam: American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity, Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides and Working- Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam.. 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: Both Germany and Vietnam were on the front lines of the Cold War. Deploy network infrastructure faster and easier than ever before, with pre-packaged yet massively scalable infrastructure components for top packet and optical systems. Those aircraft were used for military airlift, medical transport, and cargo transport operations in the United States and internationally. WebThe conventional wisdom was that everybody carried a rifle, patrolled the jungle and faced death daily, but thats false, said William Shkurti, who served as an artillery officer in a remote area about 300 yards from the Cambodian border in fall 1970. Is it if you might be in danger of a mortar attack versus projecting violence and delivering it to the enemy? The experience that most people likely associate with Vietnam is the horror and deprivation of war, so its ironic that that wasnt the real experience of most Vietnam veterans, Lair said. Historical Vignettes The conventional wisdom was that everybody carried a rifle, patrolled the jungle and faced death daily, but thats false, said William Shkurti, who served as an artillery officer in a remote area about 300 yards from the Cambodian border in fall 1970. The history of US troops in Germany The Office of History, Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Army Center of Military History jointly published this book,Building for Peace: U.S. Army Engineers in Europe, 1945-1991 written by Robert P. Grathwol and Donita Moorhus. oakleaf777, Knowing that the threat is so close by is an incentive for people to work together. So there was a great need for personnel outside South Vietnam through out the entire period, and the refusal to mobilize the Reserves and National Guard only exacerbated the problem. Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Army Staff Medal First Class and is the author of four books about Vietnam including The War Everyone Lost and Won.. My close friend had a similar experience in 69-70. I was in Infantry AIT at Ft. Polk Nov. 68-Jan 69. Regardless of how we each served, part of our soul was left in that place with those who never came back alive, and with those who suffered and died after, and we should be honored for our collective loss if for no other reason. He served as budget director for the state of Ohio from 1985 to 1987. Powered by Invision Community, Vietnam Era Draftees Stationed in W.Germany, South Korea, and CONUS, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. To prop up sinking morale and keep soldiers safe on base rather than heading into Vietnamese towns, the U.S. military strove to make bases as home-like as possible, Appy said. I assisted a medical officer suture up a Marine after a bar fight who was so drunk he didnt need an anesthetic. I personally met over the years quite a few guys in my neighborhood that enlisted in the Army, 3 years like you said, interesting thing was that not one served in South Vietnam, even up to two duty station changes, in example serving in CONUS then Panama, etc, I recall one guy I met in a bar who enlisted for 3 1967-70, an Ordnance guy, said he served his whole three years after Basic (Bliss) and AIT (Aberdeen) as wheeled vehicle mechanic at West Point, you know in the regular army component at the academy. File a claim online. Supercharge your procurement process, with industry leading expertise in sourcing of network backbone, colocation, and packet/optical network infrastructure. Right, I got you, very interested to know that fine point.