Interesting photo. It brings back lots of memories.

The scene had changed a lot over the years from when this was taken and when I got there in March 1972 (after processing-in, newly arrived personnel school, bouncing back and forth).

The gateshack was the same as I worked; somewhere I have a nice photo of a lazy Sunday afternoon with a couple of MPs lounging. I may have other photos, but I'll have to find them.

When I got to Germany in Feb 1972 I was immediately assigned to 94th MP Battalion, 15th MP Brigade. At that time the 94th was headquartered in Kleber Kaserne, Kaiserslautern. After a week or so I was sent to the 189th MP Co, a physical security MP company, in Miesau. The 189th had a half platoon size detachment for Kaiserslautern Army Depot and I think at the time Pirmasens Army Depot. I was sent to KAD for physical security duty there. We maintained gate guards, roving patrols, VIP escorts when needed, etc.

The photo really brought back some memories for me, as I remember it from 1972-1975.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We stayed in the last barracks, east side, top floor. The EM club was in the lot behind us and south of the mess hall. To the east was the labor service camp. This was all in Daenner.

We didn't have any facilities there such as PX or anything. We had to go to Kleber. KAD HQ had a small snack bar on the west side of the HQ building. Lots of memories coming back now.

Additional details on Daenner Kaserne (see above installation map):
- 3114, 3115, 3116, 3117: Transportation Motor Pool 14 (TMP-14). A gate entrance to the TMP was to the east, not shown in the photo. There was an old German gate guard who had a trailer house that he lived in there. Short, small, an old guy with a wooden leg. I suspect he lost it in the war. Our fuel point was there.

- 3105, 3106 I don't completely remember, but 3106 may have been a mess hall. 3107 was a mess hall. I remember it (3107) being the only mess hall in Daenner for some time, then another one was opened on the west side, possibly 3106.

- 3108: EM club; I remember eating in there quite often.

- 3150, Post Chapel. Somewhere I read that there is a small cemetery next to the chapel where babies and small children belonging to US servicemembers and families are buried. I never saw that. But I have been in the huge German cemetery that was just west of the chapel.

- 3100, 3101, 3102, 3103, 3104 are barracks housing various units. I remember different Engineer units there, some maintenance and QM units. They all worked at TMP-14 or at KADC. The end barracks, 3104, housed C Battery, 2/60 ADA. They had an area inside the depot where they kept Chapparel anti-aircraft missiles and Vulcan anti-aircraft guns. The 3rd Platoon, 189th MP Co had the top floor of that barracks. To the east of Daenner was a Labor Service camp.

- In the area on the map marked 52 I don't remember much military stuff there. I remember it as a big empty lot, but there could have been stuff that I didn't pay any attention to. I remember in 1972 one of the Com or division commanders coming in and his helicopter landed in that area. I was interested only because it was a model not often seen.

- Red 13: a bus stop.

- 3228 (or 3226, I can't tell, building faces west and runs north and south) housed the 94th MP Bn HQ, my old BN.

- 3222: a strip of motor pool buildings. The northeast corner of Kleber housed a barber shop, Unit Police office, and various other places.

At the time I was in the area Kleber housed a lot of Signal, Enginer, and Personnel units and such. There was also a Troop Med Clinic, telephone exchange building (operators and such), theater, PX, gym, etc

I hope this helps. I just found a photo of the MP gate for KAD and I'll get that scanned and sent to you soon. I also have Thanksgiving and Christmas menus I could scan if interested.

On a side note, I remember going in the mess hall (3107) on year for Thanksgiving dinner. Just inside the front doors was a set of steps, and at the top of the steps was a couple of tables that held two beautiful roasted turkeys, all kinds of fruits and nuts, apples, etc. The idea was the troops would get some fruit or nuts on their way out of the mess hall, and leave the turkey alone. I suspect those were for the cooks. After one soldier finished his meal he walked up to the table as if to get some fruit or nuts, grabbed a turkey instead, and he was out the door in a flash. One of the memories.

The individuals responsible for such a task are workers on one of the last remaining rail crews in the United States Army. Not unlike the now outmoded relationship between soldier and horse from the days of "boots and saddle", military engineers, brakemen, and other crew will take their turn from the running tracks of the military railway. In the not too distant future civilians will replace the present military means of operation.

Nevertheless the six remaining crew members take their job as diligently as did the fabled Casey Jones running out his 904 against the measure of time. Not so much different as they are involved is only an attempt at describing the make-up of these railers. Seemingly they eat, drink and think railroad... but mostly they work it. The hours are long, the times rough.

Here on the depot each member of the rail crew is charged with the maintenance of equipment as well as with their normal operational tasks. The engineer often times must pull himself away from the throttle to replace diesel bearings. The conductor might have to put down his lanterns and log book to help paint a fuel-pumping unit. There's a bit more to the rail transport business here at KADC then the push ... pull locomotive jockey work most people singularly associate with it.

Yes, in the midst of the repair work the six man crew manages to meet their shipment quotas. During the month of Reforger alone some 235 rail cars were sent from the depot proper to supply units in the field. The field total does not include monthly shipments made to such points as Italy, Greece, Turkey or Spain. Although the crew is restricted to operation within the depot limits, their work is kingpin relay for the support of Europe-wide supply contacts.

Rain, sun and winter find the railers at their daily outside routines with few complaints concerning their work. There's no room for misunderstandings or hot tempers while working the railbed with hundreds of tons of materiel and equipment constantly on the move.

As the last of their kind do it big with the last of their time, its a 'keep up the good work' for as long as possible from "all aboard".

Senior Operator: Ronald Peterson
Operator-Conductor: Dennis Day
Operator-Conductor: Albert Nicholson
Senior Brakemen: Sunshine White; Joseph Hager; Henry Wright
Brakemen: Roger Heinle; Jesse Jarret