I was assigned to "D" Company, 2nd ARB, 51st Infantry, 4th Armoured Division, which was scheduled to "gyro" to Germany at the end of November. Following basic, including rifle training in the full Texas sun in June and July, I was sent to 3rd Corps NCO School while my colleagues went through advanced basic training. I was first in my class and was immediately given acting stripes and made a squad leader since they were desperately short of NCO's.

Shortly before Thanksgiving we had a major inspection of our barracks and our men, many of who passed out when called from an at ease position in which they had stood for well over an hour to attention....much dropping of rifles, etc.

Shipped out via Fort Dix NJ and the Brooklyn Naval Terminal aboard the USS Maurice Rose. Instead of going up the English Channel we went North by way of the North Sea to Bremerhaven through a typical late Fall North Sea storm. I'd guess that those of us who did dot puke our way to Germany was a slim minority.

Originally we were assigned to Boelke Kaserne in Ulm (a lot of confusion since our original posting was to be in Worms). Our armor did not arrive for at least two more weeks so we did our daily alert drills in the middle of the night using deuce-and-a-half trucks to take us from the barracks to the operational fields. Other than waking up our German neighbors, and tearing up into mud a number of German farms, we were accepted by the locals. However, when our armor arrived and we sped out on alert we destroyed the curbs, trolley tracks, and good humour of the locals. Hence by the beginning of 1958 we were moved to Ford Barracks from which we simply crossed the road to dirt trails leading to our alert area.

From January until April 1 we were on maneuvers (Sabre Hawk) and saw a lot of Southern Germany from the vents of our APC's. Finally were at Grafenwoehr before returning to base. Unfortunately my Mother died on the 1st of April so I was shipped home for her funeral (which is why I do not appear in the group photo of our company in the 1958 Yearbook which was taken when I was on bereavement leave.).

Shipped back to Germany on another troop ship which this time did go via the channel, and was a much smoother ride. This after picking up another gyro division in Savannah GA. Since I was "casual" I got to eat in a real mess with waiters and everything except booze...just like a cruise ship.

More fun and games over the summer including a stay at that other training area near Regensburg. That's where we were when problems broke out in Lebanon. Our battalion CO who was a light Colonel wanted to make a point (and get himself promoted to full bird) volunteered for us to go. Too bad for him that the Marines had already shipped armored infantry beat him to the punch.

So they had us return to Ulm and then proceed to Bad Tolz (about 80 km south of Munich) without our armor. Nice gig. Every day we took helicopters at tree top level over the Alps. We were dropped off and told to search for any evidence of the "Special Forces" who had parachuted into the area (the original Green Berets). Obviously they were too smart for us (although we did find some hidden parachutes etc) but we always found a nice Gasthaus where we could stack our arms, drink beer all day, and at the appointed hour return to the LZ to get a ride back to our bivouac area.

Late in the year our company commander, a Capt. and the third CO we had had in 18 month held a meeting of all of the NCO's in the company to find out why morale was dragging. I was foolish enough to suggest that the assignment of shit details was falling more on the backs of blacks than on whites (my squad was mostly black). This was five or six years before the civil rights movement really started to be noticed.

As a result I was assigned to a different platoon with a Sergeant from Muleshoe, Texas (Do I need to draw you a picture of how that relationship worked out?) Anyhow, I applied for early discharge to return to school (graduate work at Yale) and was shipped home in January1959 again on the USS Maurice Rose. Many of my colleagues who served out their full two years were caught in the recall in 1961 when the Berlin Wall went up. I happily missed that (although I did a lovely two week summer camp in tic infested Pennsylvania.

After almost 6 years of magnificent service, during peace and war, the 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 67th Armor, was disbanded on 25 March 1946. After this date the 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 67th Armor was redesignated many times (i.e. on 6 February 1947 as Troop B, 321st Mechanized Cavalry Recon Squadron, on 21 October 1948 as Company B, 304th Armored Cavalry Regiment).

On 17 August 1950, the Battalion was withdrawn from the organized reserve; redesignated Company B, 67th Medium Tank Battalion; and alloted to the Regular Army. On 10 November 1950, the battalion was assigned as an element of the 2d Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

On 1 April 1957, the 2d Medium Tank Patton, 67th Armor was designated under CARS (Combat Arms Regimental System) and was assigned to the 4th Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

The battalion participated in "Operation Gyroscope" in October 1957, arriving at its present station, Monteith Barracks, Furth, Germany.

Since its arrival in Europe the 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 67th Armor has participated in many notable events. The fist was 7th Army exercise "SABER HAWK" in 1958. This was followed by such famous maneuvers as WINTER SHIELD I (attached to 24th Infantry Division) WINTER SHIELD II and PEACEMAKER.

The 67th has further perpetrated the Division Motto, "They Shall Be Known By Their Deeds Alone" by the record it earned during the 7th Army Tank Gunnery Shoots at Bergen Hohne in 1958, 1960, and 1961. If one checks the Trophy Cases in the Tank Companies and Battalion Headquarters, they will find the First Place Trophy for High Battalion in 7th Army in 1960 and 1961, First Place Company in 7th Army 1960, First Place platoon in 7th Army in 1960 and many, many other worthy gunnery awards.

In December, 1961, the 67th was one of the first Tank Battalions in USAREUR equipped with the M-60 tank (105mm). This superior piece of equipment greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of this unit, and contributed immeasureably to Esprit de Corps of the battalion. In addition, in December 1961 also, the battalion received the new 4X4, ¼-ton M-151 jeep, which replaced its obsolete predecessor, the M-38A1 jeep. Along with these modern vehicles, the 67th was equipped with a Special Weapons capability, the M-14 rifle, the M-60 machine gun, and the newest M-17 gas mask.

Our Battalion, throughout its history has excelled in every undertaking. This documentary of the highlights of these accomplishments should provide each member of the organization the incentive to preserve and perpetuate the outstanding history of the 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 67th Armor.