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. In response the Corps of Engineers drastically reduced the size of EUD and reconstituted it as the Europe District. You had no say in what your MOS would be. They have rock climbing, paddle boarding, BBQ grills, a restaurant, hiking trails, and more. Because he was one of the last there in that formation and those three went to the ROK. 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. During the war, these men felt like they were part of the military endeavor, but its not what the public celebrates. 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. They wore fatigues and carried M16s. Everyone else went directly to Vietnam, or a few were sent to Ft. Benning to attend the NCO School or Airborne Training. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Thanks, your message has been sent successfully. They gave up their lives back home. 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). Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. I would have been called a coward by others from the small town I grew up in, so I never considered not volunteering. 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. The challenge was figuring out what the enemy would do. He served as budget director for the state of Ohio from 1985 to 1987. Instead of breaking them up, Army brass sent them on tour. Please switch auto forms mode to off. Huge streams of paperwork came through military intelligence offices that allowed Lomperis a birds eye view of the war and how it functioned. 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. WebThe United States Army has 40 military installations in Germany, two of which are scheduled to close. 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. oakleaf777, 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. Supercharge your procurement process, with industry leading expertise in sourcing of network backbone, colocation, and packet/optical network infrastructure. 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. 2. I volunteered for the draft and was sent to Ft. Lewis, Wa. Like suburban sprawl, the largest American bases just kept getting bigger, Lair said. Abook describes and analyzes the important Engineer effort in Europe. In November Thornton journeyed to Da-Nang, Vietnam, with his wife as a keynote presenter at the Asia Pacific Mediation Forum. Is it just the guy with the gun? This was because they had relatives (brothers) already serving in Vietnam. Those recordings were lost for decades, until a collector discovered an East of Underground LP in 1997. Many veterans struggled with feeling that their experience didnt measure up. Dotted around US bases are numerous residential districts for American soldiers and their families, such as this residential district in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. People dont understand how consequential the decisions were that were being made at headquarters, he said. He never carried a gun because if he was shot, the enemy soldier could have claimed it was self-defense, he said. Youre in the hot seat. During the era of the Vietnam War, American troops and facilities were neglected forcing Engineers to marshal their slender resources augmented by host nation contributions to keep American forces ready for war and take care of Army and Air Force personnel and their families. Only about one out of seven were combat troops, said historian Chris Appy, history professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. I can only speak from my own experiences. 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. While older Germans were friendly, younger ones were hostile and aloof, Shkurti said. 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. 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. I worked in an air-conditioned office and wore khakis, starched shirts, spit-shined shoes and a belt with a shiny brass buckle. The Ramstein base is especially significant, since it is also headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe. It's also a mystery what happened to the bands apart from Lewis Hitt, none of the members have come forward. By To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. And there were the German-American friendship weeks every year. Patches, In 1968 you could volunteer for the draft and serve 2 years active duty. Vietnam has come to symbolize certain things that arent necessarily true. Like all the other members, he was a draftee, and had come from a tiny town in Mississippi. Buddy C. Thornton learned from his military service was Always live for the day. Office of Accountability & Whistleblower Protection, Training - Exposure - Experience (TEE) Tournament, Military Exposure Related Health Concerns, War Related Illness & Injury Study Center, Clinical Trainees (Academic Affiliations), Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent Orange-Contaminated C-123 Aircraft, local VA Environmental Health Coordinator, Find out if you qualify for VA health care, diseases related to Agent Orange exposure, Call TTY if you They deserve our respect. "Bear in mind that these bands were all engaged in a show band contest in 1971 and 1972, and the winners of the that contest would then be able to tour Europe, and would also record an LP in the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt. At least we all went to the same unit, one guy and I went through basic together. This large and rapid buildup required a tremendous amount of construction, carried out by Army Engineers and largely financed by occupied Germany. 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. HMD released its report, Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent Orange-Contaminated C-123 Aircraft, Jan. 9, 2015. In addition to meeting locals, walks off-base could provide valuable intelligence. More military personnel played support roles than combat ones. An average of 311,870 troops were stationed in Europe per year during 19861990. Grafenwoehr is a tiny base compared to almost anywhere youve been stationed in the US. 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. East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. Still, a ration card would allow personnel to buy $2,000 to $3,000 worth of goods, she said. In their spare time, servicepeople could go to the library, join a service club or take a spin on the go-kart track. They were also stationed in Germany, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Korea, Guam and the continental United States. was told," you are going to Germany, get your wives in german class". Situated in a remote area with the enemy about 300 yards away over the border, Shkurtis unit was constantly in harms way. Most of his time was spent protecting government buildings from Vietnam War protesters. Outdoor Recreation Center. 1. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. They would tell him not to go down certain streets because it wasnt safe, so you would know something was brewing there, Lomperis said. 2 weeks before we graduated they told us, " Class 17, RVN". Men facing shipping out exhibited many types of behavior. "The song selection includes songs that were playing in the States, and very much expressed the countercultural sentiments of political resistance in this country at that time," Hollander says. A rare photo of East of Underground in performance. 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. However, their wartime ally, the Soviet Union, soon became an enemy. Why is Netflix pouring billions into South Korean shows? WebAs 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. Since his older two brothers were already serving in Vietnam he was not allowed to go. 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. Upon graduating they lined us and announced that if your last name started with A through J your orders were Germany and K through Z your orders were Vietnam. There werent enough NCOs (non-commissioned officers), not enough support or spare parts. 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. 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. visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for more resources. But that tradition was set on its ear back in the late 1960s and early '70s, when the PFCs stationed overseas formed their own pop bands. Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy urges more effective air defense, Ukraine: Russia continues to target civilian sites, Ukraine's counteroffensive: Goals, opportunities, risks. Saigon was considered relatively safe, but life wasnt easy and violence erupted. Tomorrow is too unpredictable, especially during deployment, he said. They left their families to fight in a war that wasnt popular. TCDD, the toxic substance in Agent Orange, may be inhaled as an aerosol or ingested by contaminated food or water or from hand-to-mouth transfer. 2) Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We wore different uniforms. 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 retirement he wrote Soldiering On in a Dying War focusing on the Vietnam drawdown and The Ohio State University in the Sixties.. The band formed while its members were stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. There were swimming pools, bars, cheap booze, entertainment, dancers and strippers, American TV. If you have health concerns about Agent Orange, talk to your health care provider or contact yourlocal VA Environmental Health Coordinatorto help you get more information from a health care provider. 7th Army in particular suffered heavily, especially with loses of combat arms NCOs Then The guys with the beer with hot food and hot showers, Appy said. The stress of military life was constant. They were clerk typists, cooks, drivers. Germany will remain strategically important for the US. Home was tough because my parents did not agree with my volunteering. Additionally, not all Vietnam-era veterans served in-country. 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? He was with the 3rd Infantry Division in Schweinfurt. Thats not how the military works, though. "I'm just amazed that [the band's] three singers didn't have hit records after they left the Army. I talked to many men who felt sheepish that they didnt have those (combat) stories to share, Lair said. 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. In-depth strategy and insight into critical interconnection ecosystems, datacenter connectivity, product optimization, fiber route development, and more. 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. Don't forget Panama and Alaska, Alaska itself in that time period had two Infantry Brigades separate stationed there. That led to deep divisions between Washington and Berlin. 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. Their story got eliminated. 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. If you dig into it, it becomes a very grey war, he said. Powered by Invision Community, Vietnam Era Draftees Stationed in W.Germany, South Korea, and CONUS, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. Reflecting back, Im more skeptical whether a war of choice can help defend a country in the long run. File a claim online. You guessed it, my last name started with a T. Got a question 11Cav, during the Vietnam era/60s early 70s period, was there a difference between volunteering for the draft and outright enlisting? Health Care If youre stuck on the base for days on end, visit the Wild B.O.A.R. 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. The U.S. has had personnel stationed in Germany and South Korea, two of its military allies, for several decades, yet the number of active-duty troops in each country is at a modern low. No matter where veterans served in Vietnam, they were a close witness to danger. I thought, hot dog, going to go relic hunting. 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). 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. He attributed it to where he happened to be standing in a formation. They were the rear echelon. He was awarded the U.S. 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. Its kind of like playing goalie for a soccer team. At least in our case. Morale was bad, and there were racial problems, Shkurti said. Over the years the US Army has become firmly entrenched in the German landscape. For the government ofLudwig Erhard (October 1963-November 1966) it was ultimately fatal. Here are a few of their stories. 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. The rockets, armed with nuclear warheads, became a political issue. When they got home they were all the same (veterans), but they did not all have an equal experience. "I met the singers and the other players and we got together and played, and it just kind of all meshed together.". To make it even more complicated, just what is a combat veteran? 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. "So this was a very viable way to avoid active duty in Southeast Asia.". If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, Its ironic because we were there to protect them. Despite separate residential districts, there has always been contact and exchange between German and American families. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). Veterans must show on a factual basis that they were exposed in order to receive disability compensation for diseases related to Agent Orange exposure. The songs East of Underground played weren't your run-of-the-mill patriotic marches in fact, some of them included controversial lyrics about race and politics. Hitt says he had already been in one Army band by the time he joined the group. American expenditures on construction in Europe declined sharply. They lived in an apprehensive state. As my husband likes to preach: expectation management.. Given the popular conception that being drafted during Vietnam was a guaranteed ticket to the combat zone, Ive always found it amazing how many of the people I know who served in the Army or USMC during the Vietnam War never actually went to Vietnam. The US Army employed 17,000 American civilians in Germany in 2019. After completing his enlistment, Shkurti returned to Ohio State University to earn a masters degree in public administration. 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. The rule was to always go out in groups of two or three, but I often went by myself unarmed. Error, please try again. 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. WebThe Vietnam War exposed this problematic dimension in the U.S.-German relationship most dramatically. Drug abuse, overdoses, crime and traffic accidents led to several deaths within his unit. 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. Peace activists, however, saw them as a threat and held massive demonstrations. and child care facility in Bad Kreuznach, West Germany (right). The U.S. military presence in Germany peaked at 274,119 in 1962, nearly eight times its level last year. 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. I assisted a medical officer suture up a Marine after a bar fight who was so drunk he didnt need an anesthetic. 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. "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. 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. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY We have four children, plenty of grandchildren, both biological and through marriages, and five great-grandchildren. Deliver vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with our partners, to secure our Nation, energize our economy, and reduce disaster risk. 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. There are different degrees of experience. The US soldiers also brought American culture to Germany. We had each other, and we understood it takes so much honor to serve during the tough times. Then, there was the shopping. With two sons already in the war, they felt I should not go. You would think (serving in Germany) would be a great duty, but it wasnt.. Arriving in West Germany, was a shocking experience for the new Army recruit. Even before Erhard succeeded Konrad Adenauer as West Germany's second chancellor, the conflict in Vietnam had 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. 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. It's from here that controversial drone missions are flown against targets in Africa and Asia. 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. Once we got our orders, the guy Just below me went to Germany. Well, one. Life athome goes on without them, and it must have been difficult to navigate when they returned, she said. 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. In 1972 Thornton enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 and trained to be a hospital corpsman. That was where I met my wife. They wore dirty boots and dog tags hanging around their necks. Long Binh was not a standard base, but it was home to the Armys Vietnam headquarters and showed the abundance and consumerism that was possible to create. Expert architecture and design solutions for private carriers, next-generation metro and long-haul optical networks, ultra low-latency networks, and Internet backbones. Deploy network infrastructure faster and easier than ever before, with pre-packaged yet massively scalable infrastructure components for top packet and optical systems. 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. The fatigues were faded and had rips. Regardless of how we each served, part of our soul was left in that place with those who never came back alive, and with those who suffered and died after, and we should be honored for our collective loss if for no other reason. 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. 8) Bruges, Belgium. I served at the naval hospital in Chelsea, Massachusetts, for 18 months. This often creates barriers to their full integration into German society. 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. 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. Another difference was the sense of solidarity he felt. Napoleon said, An army marches on its stomach, and the U.S. military followed his advice. The winners toured other military bases and made records. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. 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. The big problem was that Saigon was Sodom and Gomorrah. 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.
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