"Veterans Day and Memories"

              

          "Veterans Day always brings memories"  

     I lost many friends and brothers in Vietnam.  Luckily I did not go but went to Germany instead.  We were sitting in Ft. Lewis, Washington and watching the news constantly to see what was happening with the road blocks in Berlin that had been escalating.  We were a STRAC unit and had to be ready to go anywhere in the world in 72  hrs.  Men and equipment had to be combat ready.

     At 3 am we were called out for assembly.  Our battalion commander informed us that we were CAT 5 alert and this is definitely not a drill.  The whole battalion strapped down and boxed up all equipment and those who needed it had to go through needed shots and dental lab.  Those of us who had been there for a while were ready.  We had to have so many shots for different areas that we all had two shot cards that we had to carry.

     We hauled all equipment, 155 howitzers, trucks and jeeps plus our gear, to pier 5 in Seattle, Washington, to load it on ships.  My truck had a cab as well as a couple of others but the ones with canvass had to be strapped down with banding.   Being Tacoma and Seattle area it rained on us all way to Seattle.

    The next day we were loaded on MATS planes for the trip to New York where we loaded aboard the USS Buckner.   Buckner was a famous General from Hardin Co., KY.

     I spent 14 months in Germany when two friends of mine and I found that our unit had some Communist sympathizers.  Returning from pass we noticed a note on the battery bulletin board that said something like.  “To all the blacks in and around Bamberg, are you doing being treated right by your white brother, and on and on.  Our battalion had the largest percentage of black people in Europe and we all got along well but this bunch had a mission to stir up trouble.   All the time I was there they were unsuccessful.

     We reported it to the Army CID on post and within 6 hours we were questioned by two CIA agents.  They already knew who in that group handled the money and their chain of command.  We were informed that the NCO that was duty NCO that day, who we had originally informed, and was white, was one of them and they knew we had reported them.  We were informed that the next morning we would have escorts to our new stations.  One went to Alaska and I went to France to an ammo ordinance unit rotating home.  I have no idea what happened to the other guy.

     The agents were so well informed that I really think we were moved out so fast to keep the Communist from finding out they were exposed.  I suspect that they had a plant in the group and were using them.

     Not long after that my old battalion was sent to Vietnam where a year or so later were overrun and enough loss that they were disbanded as I understand.

     Once back stateside I was at Ft. Benning, Ga. we were cautioned by the brass not to wear our uniform on leave or pass.  It seems that many young anti war protesters were beating, throwing red paint or defecation on soldiers.  We were told not to fight or even defend but to retreat.  Let me say I never wore a uniform off duty and off post.  That is until then and after that I wore it anytime.  I never had a problem and to be frank I had more than one meal and beer paid for by an anonymous Veteran.  He seemed to be everywhere I went. 

    We were soon busy hauling ammo and rockets to Florida for the invasion of Cuba that seemed inevitable.  I was home on leave and our neighbor Jack Bryan was home on leave from the Navy.  We knew it was coming and every time we met we would exchange info.  We thought he would get the call first as for some reason the government said that because they canceled leave on the Army for Berlin this time it would be the Navy called first.

     I got home the second day and had a message to call operator three five.  She informed me that I was to return to my unit by the earliest available means of transportation.

    Those who think president Kennedy was bluffing about sinking the USSR ships were not there.  I did not think much of Kennedy`s morals or his politics but he was very much patriot and one hell of a Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the United States of America and he did not bluff.