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. Its easy to forget how large a US military presence in West Germany and Korea was maintained during the late 60s and early 70s aside from the forces fighting in Vietnam. Is it just the guy with the gun? 2. I served at the naval hospital in Chelsea, Massachusetts, for 18 months. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY 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. Veterans (including some Reservists) who state that they flew on or worked on a C-123 aircraft between 1969 and 1986 are eligible for the Agent Orange Registry. Knowing that the threat is so close by is an incentive for people to work together. was told," you are going to Germany, get your wives in german class". It's from here that controversial drone missions are flown against targets in Africa and Asia. WebThe Vietnam War exposed this problematic dimension in the U.S.-German relationship most dramatically. 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. This large and rapid buildup required a tremendous amount of construction, carried out by Army Engineers and largely financed by occupied Germany. "I was shocked when I found that out myself, but it kind of makes sense," Hollander tells Guy Raz, host of weekends on All Things Considered. 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. have hearing loss. Supercharge your procurement process, with industry leading expertise in sourcing of network backbone, colocation, and packet/optical network infrastructure. Back at home over the decades, veterans themselves may have helped camouflage the roles they played during the war. Its ironic because we were there to protect them. 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. He remembers his commanding officer Abrams as a political genius who turned the war around.. It's kind of both complicated and disjointed, it was a struggle to be sure. 1. The challenge was figuring out what the enemy would do. One of the biggest lessons Dr. Health Care A rare photo of East of Underground in performance. 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. Still, a ration card would allow personnel to buy $2,000 to $3,000 worth of goods, she said. While having a positive attitude about any PCS is important, its equally important to have realistic expectations. 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. Your message has not been sent. 4) The Alps Swiss, German or French. Over 220 others have already been closed, mostly following the end of the Cold War in the 1990s. As my husband likes to preach: expectation management.. 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. I worked in an air-conditioned office and wore khakis, starched shirts, spit-shined shoes and a belt with a shiny brass buckle. Pew Research Center Please switch auto forms mode to off. 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. 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.". He could take that information back to the base. Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. When we got home, everybody was the same, said Lomperis, a Saigon warrior who served in a support capacity at MACV (U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam), also known as mafia HQ or Pentagon East.. The book became the first volume in aCenter of Military History series, U.S. Army in the Cold War. 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. I had surgery shortly after the fire, then spent convalescent leave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Being Stationed in Germany None would be here if Vietnam never happened, so it creates bittersweet feelings but no regrets, Thornton said. 7) Cologne, Germany. 2) Amsterdam, The Netherlands. By Heavily guarded Pershing-II rockets were brought to the US base in Mutlangen in 1983. File a claim online. The Ramstein base is especially significant, since it is also headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe. 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. If I am sad about anything Vietnam-war, it is how other global players view that period of history when compared to the American perspective. Powered by Invision Community, Vietnam Era Draftees Stationed in W.Germany, South Korea, and CONUS, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. The question became: When will someone tell what my war was like? Lair said. The entire emphasis is on the narrow combat experience, Lair said. Right, I got you, very interested to know that fine point. At any moment all hell could break loose, Lair said. The US soldiers also brought American culture to Germany. Country western music blared all over Saigon, Lomperis said. In response the Corps of Engineers drastically reduced the size of EUD and reconstituted it as the Europe District. So many popular movies feature the combat side of war ground combat or maybe the air war. 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. Even before Erhard succeeded Konrad Adenauer as West Germany's second chancellor, the conflict in Vietnam had Abook describes and analyzes the important Engineer effort in Europe. To make it even more complicated, just what is a combat veteran? Youth activity centers in Germany included this facility in Wiesbaden. During 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. They were so talented, I just assumed they would have a contract with the first studio they walked into.". Their silence carried a message and concealed the fact that many veterans served in the rear echelon and not in combat capacity, Lair said. The sky swarmed with helicopters. [Today in History] Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the The American military presence in Germany began at the end of World War II. They worked in intelligence. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. 877-222-8387, TDD (Hearing Impaired) Lomperis served two tours of duty in Vietnam in the Army and Defense Intelligence Agency. Why is Netflix pouring billions into South Korean shows? The songs East of Underground played weren't your run-of-the-mill patriotic marches in fact, some of them included controversial lyrics about race and politics. After completing Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Shkurti was sent to Germany not Vietnam. 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. Over the years the US Army has become firmly entrenched in the German landscape. Vietnam War I was in Infantry AIT at Ft. Polk Nov. 68-Jan 69. The American military presence in Germany began at the end of World War II. 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. 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. For website corrections, write to hqwebmaster@usace.army.mil. Attention A T users. 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. 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. Of his entire graduating platoon, only he and one other trooper were sent to West Germany, all the others got orders to RVN. In the early years, dances were held on the streets of Berlin in summer months and in winter, the US Army organized Christmas parties for local children. You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links. Germany 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. 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? Vietnam has come to symbolize certain things that arent necessarily true. 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.. Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy urges more effective air defense, Ukraine: Russia continues to target civilian sites, Ukraine's counteroffensive: Goals, opportunities, risks. He was with the 3rd Infantry Division in Schweinfurt. It was painful to even be around them. His unit lost more men to overdose and traffic accidents in Germany than to combat in Vietnam. 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. The enemy was the Soviet Union and the other signatories of the Warsaw Pact, including the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. WebThe United States Army has 40 military installations in Germany, two of which are scheduled to close. 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. We had each other, and we understood it takes so much honor to serve during the tough times. At the end of his service, Shkurti was an executive officer with the 6th Armored Cavalry at Fort Meade, Maryland. I was going for many reasons, but the most important was to close a chapter of history I felt needed closing, Thornton said. This often creates barriers to their full integration into German society. The men and women at the main bases such as Saigon, Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Bien Hoa and Long Binh had a fairly sedentary life and plenty of downtime compared to combat soldiers, Lair said. In-depth strategy and insight into critical interconnection ecosystems, datacenter connectivity, product optimization, fiber route development, and more. 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. May 31, 2017 in MILITARY HISTORY DISCUSSIONS. An average of 311,870 troops were stationed in Europe per year during 19861990. East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. 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. No matter where veterans served in Vietnam, they were a close witness to danger. The guys with the gear in the rear. You would think (serving in Germany) would be a great duty, but it wasnt.. 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. One strong memory I have is how tough it was for the families, Thornton said. Arriving in West Germany, was a shocking experience for the new Army recruit. I thought, hot dog, going to go relic hunting. 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. "The song selection includes songs that were playing in the States, and very much expressed the countercultural sentiments of political resistance in this country at that time," Hollander says. Ammunition storage facility, Heilbronn, West Germany (left); A new compilation pulls together some of those old records it's called East of Underground: Hell Below. 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: oakleaf777, Instead of breaking them up, Army brass sent them on tour. From sundries like razors and cigarettes, apple juice and chocolate milk to diamond jewelry and Rolex watches, stereos and kitchen appliances, servicepeople could buy just about anything even cars for their wives or girlfriends back home, said Lomperis. Germany 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. Office of Accountability & Whistleblower Protection, Training - Exposure - Experience (TEE) Tournament, Military Exposure Related Health Concerns, War Related Illness & Injury Study Center, Clinical Trainees (Academic Affiliations), Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent Orange-Contaminated C-123 Aircraft, local VA Environmental Health Coordinator, Find out if you qualify for VA health care, diseases related to Agent Orange exposure, Call TTY if you Boy, I thought I had it made, Shkurti said with a small laugh. To preserve morale, the ration program ensured that all personnel were able to buy highend goods, but it was limited due to the possibility they might resell goods on the black market, Lair said. When they got home they were all the same (veterans), but they did not all have an equal experience. He attributed it to where he happened to be standing in a formation. 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. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. They left their families to fight in a war that wasnt popular. One colonel joked, If we ever really got attacked, the V.C. 6) Berlin, Germany. The U.S. military presence in Germany peaked at 274,119 in 1962, nearly eight times its level last year. But in Vietnam, the Cold War became an inferno. I had an uncle that was drafted out of Brooklyn, NY. "So this was a very viable way to avoid active duty in Southeast Asia.". We had an Infantry MOS Soldiers on one of our Sheridan Tanks. In their spare time, servicepeople could go to the library, join a service club or take a spin on the go-kart track. HMD released its report, Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent Orange-Contaminated C-123 Aircraft, Jan. 9, 2015. Engineers and USACE remained in Europe, still proud of their contribution to defending Western Europe and ending the Cold War. 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). of United States Army installations in Germany I think I never knew, or know even today, of any Vietnam-era vets I would not embrace as brothers. 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. When support servicemen crossed paths with combat troops, We felt guilty. They wore fatigues and carried M16s. The NATO maneuver Reforger I (Return of Forces to Germany) in Vilseck/Grafenwhr in 1969 was one of many joint war games held by the US Army and the Bundeswehr. Dotted around US bases are numerous residential districts for American soldiers and their families, such as this residential district in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. C-123 Airplanes and Agent Orange Residue - Public Health The chow halls tried to replicate moms home cooking with menus of grilled hamburgers, roast beef with gravy, French-fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, buttered corn and asparagus, ice cream, vanilla pudding and cherry pie, Lair said. After that, the search was on for as many of these Army bands as they could find. Like all the other members, he was a draftee, and had come from a tiny town in Mississippi. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). 8) Bruges, Belgium. The band formed while its members were stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. 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.. The thought of army music evokes a certain tradition say, trumpets and drums in the style of "Pershing's Own." 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. Outdoor Recreation Center. Soldiers bought goods with their ration cards, which were punched when purchases were made, Lair said. In retirement he wrote Soldiering On in a Dying War focusing on the Vietnam drawdown and The Ohio State University in the Sixties.. They were clerk typists, cooks, drivers. The US Army employed 17,000 American civilians in Germany in 2019. He served as budget director for the state of Ohio from 1985 to 1987. I ask this because many guys of draft age enlisted, enlisted specifically for three years to chose their MOS, and in a great many cases avoid serving in South Vietnam. 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. 5) Venice, Italy. Another difference was the sense of solidarity he felt. She was a USO (United Service Organizations) volunteer who entertained servicemen. We would take orders from Washington and from the five information streams (personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics and political implications) and use all that information to create an order of the day, Lomperis said. Find out if you qualify for VA health care. In November Thornton journeyed to Da-Nang, Vietnam, with his wife as a keynote presenter at the Asia Pacific Mediation Forum. There were swimming pools, bars, cheap booze, entertainment, dancers and strippers, American TV. "I'm just amazed that [the band's] three singers didn't have hit records after they left the Army. 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. You had no say in what your MOS would be. If you enlisted you would serve 3 years and chose your MOS. If you call it wrong, thousands of people could end up being killed, he said. Only about one out of seven were combat troops, said historian Chris Appy, history professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Patches, In 1968 you could volunteer for the draft and serve 2 years active duty. They wore dirty boots and dog tags hanging around their necks. I talked to many men who felt sheepish that they didnt have those (combat) stories to share, Lair said. 3. Expert architecture and design solutions for private carriers, next-generation metro and long-haul optical networks, ultra low-latency networks, and Internet backbones. The war changed and dealt cruelty to many families, not just mine, but I have seen the sadness in my fathers eyes, and we both know what is there, and what is missing.. I am focused on peace and conflict reduction on a global and local scale, he said. Germany In Germany the U.S. military was protecting West Germany against the threat of Russian invasion, but it wasnt imminent, Shkurti said. Those aircraft were used for military airlift, medical transport, and cargo transport operations in the United States and internationally. 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.
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