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. The guys with the beer with hot food and hot showers, Appy said. I would have been called a coward by others from the small town I grew up in, so I never considered not volunteering. 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. Thats not how the military works, though. Because he was one of the last there in that formation and those three went to the ROK. Deliver vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with our partners, to secure our Nation, energize our economy, and reduce disaster risk. 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. We wore different uniforms. No matter where veterans served in Vietnam, they were a close witness to danger. In retirement he wrote Soldiering On in a Dying War focusing on the Vietnam drawdown and The Ohio State University in the Sixties.. 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. 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. Germany will remain strategically important for the US. Germany During Those aircraft were used for military airlift, medical transport, and cargo transport operations in the United States and internationally. You pull together under a common enemy, Shkurti said. So many servicemen came home and saw how the story (of the Vietnam War) was being told. Both Germany and Vietnam were on the front lines of the Cold War. Once we got our orders, the guy Just below me went to Germany. Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. Their silence carried a message and concealed the fact that many veterans served in the rear echelon and not in combat capacity, Lair said. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. Reflecting back, Im more skeptical whether a war of choice can help defend a country in the long run. 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. So many popular movies feature the combat side of war ground combat or maybe the air war. Germany The cover of East of Underground's self-titled LP. 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. Youre in the hot seat. 4) The Alps Swiss, German or French. The winners toured other military bases and made records. Deploy network infrastructure faster and easier than ever before, with pre-packaged yet massively scalable infrastructure components for top packet and optical systems. His unit lost more men to overdose and traffic accidents in Germany than to combat 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. 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. 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. Vietnam War This large and rapid buildup required a tremendous amount of construction, carried out by Army Engineers and largely financed by occupied Germany. "I'm just amazed that [the band's] three singers didn't have hit records after they left the Army. Your message has not been sent. At the end of his service, Shkurti was an executive officer with the 6th Armored Cavalry at Fort Meade, Maryland. The Federal Republic of Germany became an important strategic location during the Cold War. The sky swarmed with helicopters. Most of his time was spent protecting government buildings from Vietnam War protesters. 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. Huge streams of paperwork came through military intelligence offices that allowed Lomperis a birds eye view of the war and how it functioned. The rockets, armed with nuclear warheads, became a political issue. They were touted as filling an important gap in NATO's deterrent shield against the Warsaw Pact. 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. Historical Vignettes 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. That was where I met my wife. American expenditures on construction in Europe declined sharply. was told," you are going to Germany, get your wives in german class". I worked in an air-conditioned office and wore khakis, starched shirts, spit-shined shoes and a belt with a shiny brass buckle. 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? I had surgery shortly after the fire, then spent convalescent leave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The US Army employed 17,000 American civilians in Germany in 2019. of United States Army installations in Germany "So this was a very viable way to avoid active duty in Southeast Asia.". Soldiers bought goods with their ration cards, which were punched when purchases were made, Lair said. During World War 2 Volunteering for the draft was a common term, that is that after a point enlistment in the Army was halted for the duration, only draftees where accepted (This is for the Army only, the Navy and Marine Corps still took enlistees), and if a 18 year old or in many cases older guys in their 20s/30s who have not yet received a notice, or had a deferment, and gave up their deferment could "Volunteer for the Draft", this also applied (within the Army) for those 17 year old's who wanted to go into the Army. She was a USO (United Service Organizations) volunteer who entertained servicemen. 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. Even before Erhard succeeded Konrad Adenauer as West Germany's second chancellor, the conflict in Vietnam had Despite separate residential districts, there has always been contact and exchange between German and American families. I was going for many reasons, but the most important was to close a chapter of history I felt needed closing, Thornton said. It's also a mystery what happened to the bands apart from Lewis Hitt, none of the members have come forward. They left their families to fight in a war that wasnt popular. One colonel joked, If we ever really got attacked, the V.C. East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. Saigon was considered relatively safe, but life wasnt easy and violence erupted. I am focused on peace and conflict reduction on a global and local scale, he said. The family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where they have been for the past 40 years. In-depth strategy and insight into critical interconnection ecosystems, datacenter connectivity, product optimization, fiber route development, and more. 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. Country western music blared all over Saigon, Lomperis said. Home was tough because my parents did not agree with my volunteering. 1. 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. There were swimming pools, bars, cheap booze, entertainment, dancers and strippers, American TV. They were also stationed in Germany, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Korea, Guam and the continental United States. 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. They lived in an apprehensive state. 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. 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. 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. With two sons already in the war, they felt I should not go. I assisted a medical officer suture up a Marine after a bar fight who was so drunk he didnt need an anesthetic. He could take that information back to the base. Right, I got you, very interested to know that fine point. 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. 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. They deserve our respect. East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. 2018 Petabit Scale, All Rights Reserved. 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. Dotted around US bases are numerous residential districts for American soldiers and their families, such as this residential district in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. 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. They have rock climbing, paddle boarding, BBQ grills, a restaurant, hiking trails, and more. Those recordings were lost for decades, until a collector discovered an East of Underground LP in 1997. 877-222-8387, TDD (Hearing Impaired) The big problem was that Saigon was Sodom and Gomorrah. 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. There werent enough NCOs (non-commissioned officers), not enough support or spare parts. We had each other, and we understood it takes so much honor to serve during the tough times. In their spare time, servicepeople could go to the library, join a service club or take a spin on the go-kart track. One of the toughest parts of service was seeing people whose lives were ruined or lost because of the war, he said. Stationed 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: If you call it wrong, thousands of people could end up being killed, he said. You made a deal in Saigon, and the car arrived in Lawrence, Kansas, said Lomperis, who bought himself a $30 radio cassette player during the war, brought it home and kept it until about 2000. 7th Army in particular suffered heavily, especially with loses of combat arms NCOs Then Pew Research Center This is the official public website of the Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Only about one out of seven were combat troops, said historian Chris Appy, history professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. The stress of military life was constant. 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. In response to this fear, the United States deployed large forces to West Germany. He remembers his commanding officer Abrams as a political genius who turned the war around.. Good food makes people feel at home, Lair said. He never carried a gun because if he was shot, the enemy soldier could have claimed it was self-defense, he said. I served at the naval hospital in Chelsea, Massachusetts, for 18 months. Opposition to the war made military personnel band together. Hollander says it isn't clear what the Army planned to do with these recordings, especially since so few copies of them have surfaced just three dozen in East of Underground's case. and child care facility in Bad Kreuznach, West Germany (right). Being Stationed in Germany Its important for people to know they exist. He says it was completely random, some bodies had to go to 7th Army and his lucky number came up. Germany 7) Cologne, Germany. This was because they had relatives (brothers) already serving in Vietnam. For website corrections, write to hqwebmaster@usace.army.mil. He is seen here waving to his fans at Bremerhaven train station. 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. 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. 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. HMD released its report, Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent Orange-Contaminated C-123 Aircraft, Jan. 9, 2015. May 31, 2017 in MILITARY HISTORY DISCUSSIONS. It's kind of both complicated and disjointed, it was a struggle to be sure. 6) Berlin, Germany. My middle brother died five years ago from extended PTSD and the ravages of the drug addiction he endured while trying to cope with his memories from Vietnam. Their story got eliminated. His unit in Germany lacked the leadership and necessities to get their job done, he said. 2. 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. 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. After Boston, Thornton served at Marines Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. They were selected during something called "The U.S. Army's Original Magnificent Special Services Entertainment Showband Contest" let's just call it a battle of the bands. Outdoor Recreation Center. We served honorably. The US soldiers also brought American culture to Germany. 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. Expert architecture and design solutions for private carriers, next-generation metro and long-haul optical networks, ultra low-latency networks, and Internet backbones. 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).
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