stationed in germany during vietnam war

Deliver vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with our partners, to secure our Nation, energize our economy, and reduce disaster risk. For the next 17 years the Europe Division of the Corps executed the Army and Air Force construction programs in Europe and supported the NATO construction program. Vietnam Army's Rock 'N' Roll Past 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. For military intelligence officer Timothy Lomperis, the constant whup, whup, whup of helicopters flying overhead is one of many things that stand out in his mind about the time he spent helping make critical war decisions in Saigon serving under Gen. Creighton Abrams, commander of U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, from 1968 to 1972. Even as the war drew down in 1975 and early 1976, the pressure was intense as huge numbers of men came home with addictions and injuries too horrible to really describe, Thornton said. He could take that information back to the base. 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. Everyone else went directly to Vietnam, or a few were sent to Ft. Benning to attend the NCO School or Airborne Training. After completing his enlistment, Shkurti returned to Ohio State University to earn a masters degree in public administration. My close friend had a similar experience in 69-70. The big problem was that Saigon was Sodom and Gomorrah. Over 220 others have already been closed, mostly following the end of the Cold War in the 1990s. "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. Opposition to the war made military personnel band together. Is it if you might be in danger of a mortar attack versus projecting violence and delivering it to the enemy? 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. There are different degrees of experience. Sign up for a new account in our community. According to the report, from 1972 to 1982, approximately 1,500 to 2,100 Air Force Reserve personnel trained and worked on C-123 aircraft that previously had been used to spray herbicides, including Agent Orange, in Vietnam. He is seen here waving to his fans at Bremerhaven train station. The goal of keeping soldiers well-fed was that they would be happy, stay out of trouble and avoid vices like drugs or prostitution, she said. An Army in Crisis Even before Erhard succeeded Konrad Adenauer as West Germany's second chancellor, the conflict in Vietnam had 8) Bruges, Belgium. 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.". Situated in a remote area with the enemy about 300 yards away over the border, Shkurtis unit was constantly in harms way. I know that was very dependent upon where you called home, but that was my reality, Thornton said. I assisted a medical officer suture up a Marine after a bar fight who was so drunk he didnt need an anesthetic. visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for more resources. Some 20 years later, US President George W. Bush went to war with Iraq over its alleged program to develop weapons of mass destruction. Vietnam War During the war, these men felt like they were part of the military endeavor, but its not what the public celebrates. Error, please try again. 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 stress of military life was constant. 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. 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. 2 weeks before we graduated they told us, " Class 17, RVN". Germany will remain strategically important for the US. This large and rapid buildup required a tremendous amount of construction, carried out by Army Engineers and largely financed by occupied Germany. Please switch auto forms mode to off. It was a game of cat and mouse that almost turned deadly when he was nearly killed by some drunk Vietnamese soldiers, Lomperis said. The challenge was figuring out what the enemy would do. The American military presence in Germany began at the end of World War II. 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. 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. 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. A new compilation pulls together some of those old records it's called East of Underground: Hell Below. 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. They wore dirty boots and dog tags hanging around their necks. During that time, I was assigned to the sick officers quarters, sadly watching many men pass away. 877-222-8387, TDD (Hearing Impaired) Drug abuse, overdoses, crime and traffic accidents led to several deaths within his unit. After the defeat of Germany, the relatively small American force in Europe was preoccupied with the administration and reconstruction of their former foe. I expected it would be worse in Vietnam, but it was a more satisfying experience, Shkurti said. WebThe entirety of Germany was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II from the Berlin Declaration on 5 June 1945 to the establishment of West Germany on 23 May 1949. As the Soviet system, like the Berlin Wall, collapsed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it appeared that American and allied forces in Europe had accomplished their mission without war. WebThe United States Army has 40 military installations in Germany, two of which are scheduled to close. Involved in the Vietnam War If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, He was awarded the U.S. 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. They wore fatigues and carried M16s. It's easy! Their story got eliminated. We wore different uniforms. You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links. The book became the first volume in aCenter of Military History series, U.S. Army in the Cold War. Dave. 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. C-123 Airplanes and Agent Orange Residue - Public Health They proudly served their country, but were derided by combat troops as REMFs or rear echelon mother (insert expletive here), Appy said. German Chancellor Gerhard Schrder, knowing the majority of voters supported him, ruled out Germany's involvement. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis. Being Stationed in Germany 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. 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. 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: 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. Good food makes people feel at home, Lair said. Many celebrities joined in the protests. In response the Corps of Engineers drastically reduced the size of EUD and reconstituted it as the Europe District. David Hollander produced the compilation. He never carried a gun because if he was shot, the enemy soldier could have claimed it was self-defense, he said. This was because they had relatives (brothers) already serving in Vietnam. The post exchanges, or PXs, rivaled todays big box outlets for variety and selection, Lair said. At any moment all hell could break loose, Lair said. 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. One of the toughest parts of service was seeing people whose lives were ruined or lost because of the war, he said. At least we all went to the same unit, one guy and I went through basic together. One colonel joked, If we ever really got attacked, the V.C. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). 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. I am focused on peace and conflict reduction on a global and local scale, he said. Most of his time was spent protecting government buildings from Vietnam War protesters. Its ironic because we were there to protect them. By It was still no guarantee you wouldn't be sent to Vietnam and in some cases even be sent to do something else besides what you trained for. In Germany the U.S. military was protecting West Germany against the threat of Russian invasion, but it wasnt imminent, Shkurti said. You had no say in what your MOS would be. At least in our case. It's kind of both complicated and disjointed, it was a struggle to be sure. So many popular movies feature the combat side of war ground combat or maybe the air war. And there were the German-American friendship weeks every year. have hearing loss. [Today in History] Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the There were more prostitutes than bureaucrats, and every kind of club and bar from high-class to low-class. I can only speak from my own experiences. Boy, I thought I had it made, Shkurti said with a small laugh. ". So many servicemen came home and saw how the story (of the Vietnam War) was being told. 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. You would think (serving in Germany) would be a great duty, but it wasnt.. I didnt carry a gun, Lomperis said. 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. Men facing shipping out exhibited many types of behavior. This is not about being negative or complaining, but simply having a balanced outlook for your transition.
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