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stationed in Germany "I've done my own searches on Google and so forth, but I cannot find anything," Hitt says. They proudly served their country, but were derided by combat troops as REMFs or rear echelon mother (insert expletive here), Appy said. and child care facility in Bad Kreuznach, West Germany (right). The rockets, armed with nuclear warheads, became a political issue. It's from here that controversial drone missions are flown against targets in Africa and Asia. However, their wartime ally, the Soviet Union, soon became an enemy. I thought, hot dog, going to go relic hunting. If youre stuck on the base for days on end, visit the Wild B.O.A.R. 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. 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. Country western music blared all over Saigon, Lomperis said. 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. Arriving in West Germany, was a shocking experience for the new Army recruit. 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. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. This was because they had relatives (brothers) already serving in Vietnam. I served at the naval hospital in Chelsea, Massachusetts, for 18 months. Those recordings were lost for decades, until a collector discovered an East of Underground LP in 1997. His unit lost more men to overdose and traffic accidents in Germany than to combat in 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. Well, one. 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.". Its kind of like playing goalie for a soccer team. They were clerk typists, cooks, drivers. I had an uncle that was drafted out of Brooklyn, NY. "All the branches of the armed services have always included music as part of their mission. 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. Lewis Hitt played guitar in East of Underground. Saigon was considered relatively safe, but life wasnt easy and violence erupted. Troop Deployment, 1950-2003 Boy, I thought I had it made, Shkurti said with a small laugh. Mastering these complicated and delicate international arrangements, EUD accomplished a large and complex construction program, especially during the 1980s. Out of our entire class I believe two, maybe three guys got orders for Korea. To make it even more complicated, just what is a combat veteran? 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. Its important for people to know they exist. 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. My close friend had a similar experience in 69-70. 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. You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links. 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. 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. Find out if you qualify for VA health care. The fatigues were faded and had rips. 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. File a claim online. They were so talented, I just assumed they would have a contract with the first studio they walked into.". Most of his time was spent protecting government buildings from Vietnam War protesters. This is not about being negative or complaining, but simply having a balanced outlook for your transition. Like all the other members, he was a draftee, and had come from a tiny town in Mississippi. There are different degrees of experience. 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. 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. 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 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. He was friendly with street urchins who would badger him for chocolate and other small treats. After graduating AIT at Fort Knox I was sent to their NCO Armor School. Morale was bad, and there were racial problems, Shkurti 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. "I met the singers and the other players and we got together and played, and it just kind of all meshed together.". After discharge in 1976, Thornton took his 4-year-old daughter and pregnant wife home to her family and used the GI Bill to earn an a degree in allied health sciences from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. But in Vietnam, the Cold War became an inferno. He says it was completely random, some bodies had to go to 7th Army and his lucky number came up. At any moment all hell could break loose, Lair said. In-depth strategy and insight into critical interconnection ecosystems, datacenter connectivity, product optimization, fiber route development, and more. Powered by Invision Community, Vietnam Era Draftees Stationed in W.Germany, South Korea, and CONUS, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. They left their families to fight in a war that wasnt popular. In response to this fear, the United States deployed large forces to West Germany. 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. You had no say in what your MOS would be. The thought of army music evokes a certain tradition say, trumpets and drums in the style of "Pershing's Own." 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 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. The U.S. military presence in Germany peaked at 274,119 in 1962, nearly eight times its level last year. They wore fatigues and carried M16s. 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. It's easy! 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. Since his older two brothers were already serving in Vietnam he was not allowed to go. Buddy C. Thornton learned from his military service was Always live for the day. Brutal tactics were the norm during the Vietnam War, and no one suffered more than the Vietnamese themselves, both in the North and the South. Reflecting back, Im more skeptical whether a war of choice can help defend a country in the long run. 7th Army in particular suffered heavily, especially with loses of combat arms NCOs Then Even before Erhard succeeded Konrad Adenauer as West Germany's second chancellor, the conflict in Vietnam had I worked in an air-conditioned office and wore khakis, starched shirts, spit-shined shoes and a belt with a shiny brass buckle. "I initially was stationed in Korea. 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). 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. 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 In Germany the U.S. military was protecting West Germany against the threat of Russian invasion, but it wasnt imminent, Shkurti said. In November Thornton journeyed to Da-Nang, Vietnam, with his wife as a keynote presenter at the Asia Pacific Mediation Forum. Vietnam has come to symbolize certain things that arent necessarily true. Dotted around US bases are numerous residential districts for American soldiers and their families, such as this residential district in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. This is the official public website of the Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 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.. The guys with the gear in the rear. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis. Good food makes people feel at home, Lair said. 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. After that, the search was on for as many of these Army bands as they could find. 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. Hollander says it's not a mistake to read a hint of resistance into the band's repertoire. 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. Dave. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, 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. Over the years the US Army has become firmly entrenched in the German landscape. Germany During The family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where they have been for the past 40 years. I had surgery shortly after the fire, then spent convalescent leave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Grafenwoehr is a tiny base compared to almost anywhere youve been stationed in the US. 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. The liner notes of East of Underground: Hell Below conclude with a sort of benediction, lifted wholesale from the U.S. Army Field Manual: Because of the unique ability of music to communicate, bands will serve in different capacities of publicity and recruiting, and in the support of civil affairs. 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. This often creates barriers to their full integration into German society. 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. This large and rapid buildup required a tremendous amount of construction, carried out by Army Engineers and largely financed by occupied Germany. 6) Berlin, Germany. Vietnam War He attributed it to where he happened to be standing in a formation. Eventually Shkurti was sent to Vietnam and served as an artillery officer with B Battery 2 / 35th Artillery at Fire Support Base Lanyard on the Cambodian border in 1970-71. People dont understand how consequential the decisions were that were being made at headquarters, he said. In their spare time, servicepeople could go to the library, join a service club or take a spin on the go-kart track. WebThe United States Army has 40 military installations in Germany, two of which are scheduled to close. At the height of the Vietnam War, Ali refused induction into the United States Army, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the conflict. 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.