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. Hollander says it's not a mistake to read a hint of resistance into the band's repertoire. 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. Involved in the Vietnam War With two sons already in the war, they felt I should not go. "I'm just amazed that [the band's] three singers didn't have hit records after they left the Army. Six out of seven served on bases. Their silence carried a message and concealed the fact that many veterans served in the rear echelon and not in combat capacity, Lair said. 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. 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 say 16 months because his orders were involuntarily extended because he was in the ROK when the USS Pueblo was taken. Hitt says he had already been in one Army band by the time he joined the group. However, their wartime ally, the Soviet Union, soon became an enemy. The band formed while its members were stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. ". 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. At any moment all hell could break loose, Lair said. 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. 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. 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. have hearing loss. If you dig into it, it becomes a very grey war, he said. Thanks, your message has been sent successfully. He could take that information back to the base. 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 mood around the country was not good for the military, not like today with cheers and applause for returning members. Most of all, Army bands will strive to honor General George Washington's observation, "Nothing is more agreeable and ornamental than good music. 5) Venice, Italy. It's also a mystery what happened to the bands apart from Lewis Hitt, none of the members have come forward. This large and rapid buildup required a tremendous amount of construction, carried out by Army Engineers and largely financed by occupied Germany. This is the official public website of the Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 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. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. 2018 Petabit Scale, All Rights Reserved. There were more prostitutes than bureaucrats, and every kind of club and bar from high-class to low-class. 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. 2 weeks before we graduated they told us, " Class 17, RVN". From the end of World War II until the end of the war in Southeast Asia, the Army component command in Germany, the U.S. Army, Europe (USAREUR), managed military construction in the theater with its own Engineer organizations. After that, the search was on for as many of these Army bands as they could find. 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. This is not about being negative or complaining, but simply having a balanced outlook for your transition. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). Deploy network infrastructure faster and easier than ever before, with pre-packaged yet massively scalable infrastructure components for top packet and optical systems. Then, there was the shopping. Anyone who served in the military during the war faced the possibility of being sent to Vietnam, though. At least we all went to the same unit, one guy and I went through basic together. I personally met over the years quite a few guys in my neighborhood that enlisted in the Army, 3 years like you said, interesting thing was that not one served in South Vietnam, even up to two duty station changes, in example serving in CONUS then Panama, etc, I recall one guy I met in a bar who enlisted for 3 1967-70, an Ordnance guy, said he served his whole three years after Basic (Bliss) and AIT (Aberdeen) as wheeled vehicle mechanic at West Point, you know in the regular army component at the academy. Stationed She served me milk and cookies, and we have been together now for 44 years, Thornton said. 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. 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. After graduating AIT at Fort Knox I was sent to their NCO Armor School. This was because they had relatives (brothers) already serving in Vietnam. They were so talented, I just assumed they would have a contract with the first studio they walked into.". You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links. He is seen here waving to his fans at Bremerhaven train station. They were touted as filling an important gap in NATO's deterrent shield against the Warsaw Pact. "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. 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. 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. Army's Rock 'N' Roll Past Vietnam has come to symbolize certain things that arent necessarily true. 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 Situated in a remote area with the enemy about 300 yards away over the border, Shkurtis unit was constantly in harms way. Your message has not been sent. He never carried a gun because if he was shot, the enemy soldier could have claimed it was self-defense, he said. Like suburban sprawl, the largest American bases just kept getting bigger, Lair said. 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. There werent enough NCOs (non-commissioned officers), not enough support or spare parts. During the war, these men felt like they were part of the military endeavor, but its not what the public celebrates. Tomorrow is too unpredictable, especially during deployment, he said. They lived in an apprehensive state. In-depth strategy and insight into critical interconnection ecosystems, datacenter connectivity, product optimization, fiber route development, and more. In Vietnam everyone knew everyone and what job they had. 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: I worked in an air-conditioned office and wore khakis, starched shirts, spit-shined shoes and a belt with a shiny brass buckle. Vietnam War They proudly served their country, but were derided by combat troops as REMFs or rear echelon mother (insert expletive here), Appy said. One colonel joked, If we ever really got attacked, the V.C. After the defeat of Germany, the relatively small American force in Europe was preoccupied with the administration and reconstruction of their former foe. Instead of breaking them up, Army brass sent them on tour. oakleaf777, That led to deep divisions between Washington and Berlin. Our AIT class in 1971 at A.P.G. 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. By East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. After Boston, Thornton served at Marines Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. and child care facility in Bad Kreuznach, West Germany (right). They have rock climbing, paddle boarding, BBQ grills, a restaurant, hiking trails, and more. As my husband likes to preach: expectation management.. Don't forget Panama and Alaska, Alaska itself in that time period had two Infantry Brigades separate stationed there. I think I never knew, or know even today, of any Vietnam-era vets I would not embrace as brothers. 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. May 31, 2017 in MILITARY HISTORY DISCUSSIONS. 2. They would tell him not to go down certain streets because it wasnt safe, so you would know something was brewing there, Lomperis said. Back at home over the decades, veterans themselves may have helped camouflage the roles they played during the war. It was a huge fire. 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. You would think (serving in Germany) would be a great duty, but it wasnt.. The book became the first volume in aCenter of Military History series, U.S. Army in the Cold War. After graduating from Ohio State University in 1968, William Shkurti said, I knew I was going to be drafted so I enlisted. 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. WebThe Vietnam War exposed this problematic dimension in the U.S.-German relationship most dramatically. Engineers and USACE remained in Europe, still proud of their contribution to defending Western Europe and ending the Cold War. 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.". In 1972 Thornton enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 and trained to be a hospital corpsman. Germany During Napoleon said, An army marches on its stomach, and the U.S. military followed his advice. 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's easy! 1. I assisted a medical officer suture up a Marine after a bar fight who was so drunk he didnt need an anesthetic. It's from here that controversial drone missions are flown against targets in Africa and Asia. 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. While having a positive attitude about any PCS is important, its equally important to have realistic expectations. 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). Vietnam 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. 3) Paris, France. 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. The enemy was the Soviet Union and the other signatories of the Warsaw Pact, including the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy urges more effective air defense, Ukraine: Russia continues to target civilian sites, Ukraine's counteroffensive: Goals, opportunities, risks. Boy, I thought I had it made, Shkurti said with a small laugh. He was stationed in Gillenhausen, protecting a valley called Folda Gap. In Germany the U.S. military was protecting West Germany against the threat of Russian invasion, but it wasnt imminent, Shkurti said. I thought, hot dog, going to go relic hunting. The US Army employed 17,000 American civilians in Germany in 2019. Pew Research Center 877-222-8387, TDD (Hearing Impaired) 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. A new compilation pulls together some of those old records it's called East of Underground: Hell Below. Lomperis served two tours of duty in Vietnam in the Army and Defense Intelligence Agency. They wore dirty boots and dog tags hanging around their necks. 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. The post exchanges, or PXs, rivaled todays big box outlets for variety and selection, Lair said. 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. 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. In November Thornton journeyed to Da-Nang, Vietnam, with his wife as a keynote presenter at the Asia Pacific Mediation Forum. But in Vietnam, the Cold War became an inferno. Here are a few of their stories. I had surgery shortly after the fire, then spent convalescent leave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. If you enlisted you would serve 3 years and chose your MOS. He remembers his commanding officer Abrams as a political genius who turned the war around.. Men facing shipping out exhibited many types of behavior. 4) The Alps Swiss, German or French. You could watch The Beverly Hillbillies, Appy said. I was able to get into a band there. "I met the singers and the other players and we got together and played, and it just kind of all meshed together.". Ammunition storage facility, Heilbronn, West Germany (left); I was thinking I would have a better chance of determining where I would be sent.. Responding to these concerns, VA asked the Health and Medicine Division (HMD) (formally known as the Institute of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study possible exposure and increase in adverse health effects in C-123 crew members. If you call it wrong, thousands of people could end up being killed, he said. Ask me or any other serviceperson and they will tell you they are proud of their service, Shkurti said. You pull together under a common enemy, Shkurti 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. Like all the other members, he was a draftee, and had come from a tiny town in Mississippi. 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. Drug abuse, overdoses, crime and traffic accidents led to several deaths within his unit. The Ramstein base is especially significant, since it is also headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe. He served as budget director for the state of Ohio from 1985 to 1987. 18th Military Police Brigade (United States 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. Find out if you qualify for VA health care. They gave up their lives back home. Everyone else went directly to Vietnam, or a few were sent to Ft. Benning to attend the NCO School or Airborne Training. He was awarded the U.S. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. 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. 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. Powered by Invision Community, Vietnam Era Draftees Stationed in W.Germany, South Korea, and CONUS, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. 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. Both Germany and Vietnam were on the front lines of the Cold War. Most of his time was spent protecting government buildings from Vietnam War protesters. Not enrolled in the VA health care system? Because he was one of the last there in that formation and those three went to the ROK. The rule was to always go out in groups of two or three, but I often went by myself unarmed. visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for more resources. 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. I know that was very dependent upon where you called home, but that was my reality, Thornton said. 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. I am focused on peace and conflict reduction on a global and local scale, he 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.

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