stationed in germany during vietnam war

After graduating AIT at Fort Knox I was sent to their NCO Armor School. 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). They have rock climbing, paddle boarding, BBQ grills, a restaurant, hiking trails, and more. The King of Rock 'n' Roll, as Elvis Presley would eventually become known, was drafted in as a soldier and began his military service in Germany in 1958. Tomorrow is too unpredictable, especially during deployment, he said. 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 rockets, armed with nuclear warheads, became a political issue. In-depth strategy and insight into critical interconnection ecosystems, datacenter connectivity, product optimization, fiber route development, and more. One colonel joked, If we ever really got attacked, the V.C. 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. Sign up for a new account in our community. They wore fatigues and carried M16s. During that time, I was assigned to the sick officers quarters, sadly watching many men pass away. visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for more resources. For website corrections, write to hqwebmaster@usace.army.mil. Some people feel the term Vietnam veteran should refer only to those who served in Vietnam, but the U.S. government defines them all as Vietnam-era veterans according to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 any veteran who served on active duty during the official time frame of the Vietnam War (1961-1975). GRAFENWOEHR, Germany More than 30 veterans of the Vietnam War living in Germany were awarded pins Tuesday by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post in recognition of their service. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY After the defeat of Germany, the relatively small American force in Europe was preoccupied with the administration and reconstruction of their former foe. 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. Deliver vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with our partners, to secure our Nation, energize our economy, and reduce disaster risk. "So this was a very viable way to avoid active duty in Southeast Asia.". East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. For the government ofLudwig Erhard (October 1963-November 1966) it was ultimately fatal. With pressures on USAREUR in the mid-1970s to reduce the size of its headquarters and budget, the command asked the Corps of Engineers to take responsibility for military construction in the theater. 7th Army in particular suffered heavily, especially with loses of combat arms NCOs Then there was the two infantry brigades in Alaska, the 171st and 172nd, both gave up one battalion each for transfer to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii before it left there for South Vietnam, two full battalions had to be raised to replace the ones sent away. The guys with the beer with hot food and hot showers, Appy said. 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. The family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where they have been for the past 40 years. Life athome goes on without them, and it must have been difficult to navigate when they returned, she said. 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. Based on the HMD report, VA has decided to acknowledge exposure to Agent Orange for personnel whose military service involved regular contact with the contaminated C-123 aircraft. 3) Paris, France. Of his entire graduating platoon, only he and one other trooper were sent to West Germany, all the others got orders to RVN. This large and rapid buildup required a tremendous amount of construction, carried out by Army Engineers and largely financed by occupied Germany. The tensions between the two sides were demonstrated when US Army and Soviet Union tanks faced off in a divided Berlin. I assisted a medical officer suture up a Marine after a bar fight who was so drunk he didnt need an anesthetic. Executing the construction program was a complex affair because American forces in West Germany had to use German construction offices and procedures to build facilities. 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. Find out if you qualify for VA health care. Well, one. During the war, in-country combat and support troops could be identified on sight, said author Timothy Lomperis, who served two tours of duty in Vietnam in the Army and Defense Intelligence Agency. The thought of army music evokes a certain tradition say, trumpets and drums in the style of "Pershing's Own." If you dig into it, it becomes a very grey war, he said. In the late 65 through 1966, the Army Divisions outside of Vietnam, specifically CONUS and West Germany were hemorrhaging personnel for service in South Vietnam, these being primarily if not exclusively volunteers, these numbers had to be made good. WebDuring the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force used C-123 aircraft to spray Agent Orange to clear jungles that provided enemy cover in Vietnam. "Bear in mind that these bands were all engaged in a show band contest in 1971 and 1972, and the winners of the that contest would then be able to tour Europe, and would also record an LP in the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt. It's there to boost morale, it's there to provide entertainment and comfort for soldiers, it's there to sort of represent what the U.S. is musically, culturally to the rest of the world.". The American military presence in Germany began at the end of World War II. Germany will remain strategically important for the US. Some Air Force Reservists who were crew members on C-123 Provider aircraft, formerly used to spray Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, have raised health concerns about exposure to residual amounts of herbicides on plane surfaces. Don't forget Panama and Alaska, Alaska itself in that time period had two Infantry Brigades separate stationed there. While older Germans were friendly, younger ones were hostile and aloof, Shkurti said. 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. By Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. 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. Many celebrities joined in the protests. At any moment all hell could break loose, Lair said. 6) Berlin, Germany. You would think (serving in Germany) would be a great duty, but it wasnt.. So he was off to Camp Casey and the 9th Infantry Manchu's for 16 months, I was in the same unit a couple of decades after him. We had an Infantry MOS Soldiers on one of our Sheridan Tanks. Like suburban sprawl, the largest American bases just kept getting bigger, Lair said. He wasn't wealthy or connected in anyway and he also had an Infantry MOS and he was one of three soldiers out of his basic training platoon that went to the ROK. Only about one out of seven were combat troops, said historian Chris Appy, history professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. 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. Situated in a remote area with the enemy about 300 yards away over the border, Shkurtis unit was constantly in harms way. More military personnel played support roles than combat ones. And there were the German-American friendship weeks every year. The cover of East of Underground's self-titled LP. At least we all went to the same unit, one guy and I went through basic together. 2 weeks before we graduated they told us, " Class 17, RVN". Combat veterans offered a truly unique and special contribution to the war, but that doesnt mean it wasnt a sacrifice for people who served as support, Lair said. Instead of breaking them up, Army brass sent them on tour. Right, I got you, very interested to know that fine point. That was where I met my wife. The question became: When will someone tell what my war was like? Lair said. 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. Supercharge your procurement process, with industry leading expertise in sourcing of network backbone, colocation, and packet/optical network infrastructure. So many servicemen came home and saw how the story (of the Vietnam War) was being told. 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. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Adopting a variety of organizational arrangements, including an engineer command from 1966 to 1974, USAREUR and its engineers attempted to find the most efficient and effective means to use the scarce resources available for construction and maintenance. The big problem was that Saigon was Sodom and Gomorrah. We have four children, plenty of grandchildren, both biological and through marriages, and five great-grandchildren. The U.S. military presence in Germany peaked at 274,119 in 1962, nearly eight times its level last year. We wore different uniforms. Both Germany and Vietnam were on the front lines of the Cold War. Reservists who were assigned to flight, ground, or medical crew duties at the following locations between 1969 and 1986, and who developed an Agent Orange related disability. When I left Korea, the first thing I did when I got to Germany was to find Special Services, which happened to be right next to my barracks," Hitt recalls. It was a game of cat and mouse that almost turned deadly when he was nearly killed by some drunk Vietnamese soldiers, Lomperis said. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. "All the branches of the armed services have always included music as part of their mission. Once we got our orders, the guy Just below me went to Germany. 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. In 1972 Thornton enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 and trained to be a hospital corpsman. The sky swarmed with helicopters. During the war, these men felt like they were part of the military endeavor, but its not what the public celebrates. The following individuals may qualify for benefits related to Agent Orange exposure: Veterans may file a claim for disability compensation for health problems they believe are related to exposure to Agent Orange residue on post-Vietnam C-123 airplanes. Long Binh was not a standard base, but it was home to the Armys Vietnam headquarters and showed the abundance and consumerism that was possible to create. Opposition to the war made military personnel band together. For guys drafted during Vietnam, what really were the odds they would be sent to Vietnam as opposed to remaining stateside, or sent to Germany or Korea? Mastering these complicated and delicate international arrangements, EUD accomplished a large and complex construction program, especially during the 1980s. As 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.