DIVISION ARTILLERY UNITS

ORIG. DESIGNATION

UNIT DESIGNATION

I arrived as a Private in Germany on the USS ROSE, 27th December 1959 and was transported, via rail, to Butzbach, Germany [Schloss Kaserne], assigned to Battery 'C' 2nd Howitzer Bn 3rd Artillery [105 SP][M-52][Cerelitus et accuratio][Speed and Accuracy]. My initial job was to drive this SP Howitzer [M-52].

On about 1/4/1960 the Battalion moved via train, for the Armored Howitzers and APCs, and per road for the rest of the unit, to Grafenwoehr for training and later that month, participation in "WINTERSHIELD I".

A 105mm Howitzer M-52 Crew consisted of:
1 Section Chief, Sgt E5
1 Gunner, Cpl
1 Assistant Gunner
1 Driver
1 Loader

The 2nd How Bn 3rd Atry was a component of Combat Command 'A' [later renamed 1st Regiment] along with one Infantrry and one Armored [Medium Tank Bn]. The effective range of a 105mm Howitzer is 7 miles.

The 2nd Bn 3rd FA consisted of 3 "Firing Batteries", 1 "Service Battery" and 1 "Headquarters Battery", a total of about 500 men.

Our training was continious: Grafenwoehr, Wildflicken, Hohenfels, Vielseck and Ockstad/Frieberg and numerous CPX {Command Performance Exercise], the latter primarily held in the vicinity of the FULDA GAP [Fulda, Schlitz, Rimbach, Queck, Hersfeld, Vogelsberg, Huehnfeld, Bad Salzschirf]

After being on the Howitzer crew, having been promoted to Cpl., in June I was sent to 7th Army NCO Acadamy, Bad Toelz, Germany, graduated and was promoted to Sgt. E5 by MG Creighton Abrams, 3AD Commander.

Upon graduation, July 1961, returned to my unit and was assigned my own FO [Forward Observer] section, which went into the 'field' not only with the Artillery but also with Armor and Infantry, afer all FOs are their Artillery Advisors and eyes for the Artillery.

My equipment consisted of a Jeep with trailer, 2 Jeep mounted radios with an approximate rang of 75 miles, a remote wire system, Field Binoculars and all kinds of maps of Germany. I had a driver and radio operator.

Training and Alerts intensified due to the rise of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 and the 'Cuban Crisis'. We actually expected the Russians and East Germans m to try the "Fulda Gap", it would have been hell for all, since tactical nuclear weapons would definitely have been implemented to level the field. We were told that they had up to 19 Divisions sitting on the other side.

The normal 2 year duty was extended for most of us, especially FO and Recon MOS types. In mid July 1962 I departed Germany, was discharged 20th July 1962 and returned to the University of Minnesota that fall to finish my studies, graduationg 1965 and attending Graduate School.

I hope this info and some personal experience related here helps.

PS: the 6th Arty, part of Combat Command 'B' 3AD, was stationed in Gelnhausen, Div Arty HQ in Hanau during that time.

I had the great honor and delight to serve with LTC Vessey for the next two years as part of his consolidated S2/S3. In the first year he promoted me from PFC to E4 and then E5 and I was his Assistant S2 Sergeant. My time with him was a daily laboratory in leadership.

In 1965 I left the battalion for training in "area intelligence" at Fort Holabird, a career change that would eventually bring me into senior intelligence leadership position with Department of State, DOD, CIA and the White House where I served as Director of Intelligence Policy.

LTC Vessey had a fine goodbye party for me as I left Fliegerhorst Kaserne and at my send off gave me the 3rd Armored Division (Spearhead) Certificate of Achievement. It remains a most treasured tribute.

I was later to meet Vessey when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence. It was a fine reunion and we both concluded that we had done much better than either of us expected.

I have some neat pictures of the battalion in the field in those pre-Vietnam years when we worried most about our ability to stop the Soviets at the Fulda Gap.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
I will share another memory that just flitted by. 2/73d Field Artillery was one of the 3rd Armored units selected to march in review for President Kennedy during his June 1963 Germany visit. I recall that somewhere up the chain, a decision was made that we looked far better wearing our AG 108 wool shirts and battle pants than we did in regular fatigues. The parade was set for 1000 on the Fliegerhorst runway. Each subordinate command added another 15 or 30 minutes to the time we were to report for the parade. WE assembled at Pioneer Kaserne at 0530, road marched cross country the 4-5 kilometers to Fliegerhorst Kaserne. It was a very hot day, perhaps 95 degrees, and we stood in formation for three hours before the parade began. Soldiers were dropping right and left and the medics were running around with ammonia ampules to awake the fallen comrades.

Nothing, however, could make this a more surreal event then what happened next. Fierce warriors, battle ready, M-60 tank engines rumbling and as the command "Forward, March!" cascades down through the subordinate units, the 3rd Armored Division Band leads off with "Moon River" from "Breakfast at Tiffanys", set to a dreamy 4/4 time.