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Cold War Reenactors? REFORGER anyone?


T-Bone
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"If you are not ready, see your NCO".

 

I LOVE IT!!!

I remember them using the excuse that "dedicated infantry communist killer" was abbreviated "dick" so they could call us motivated dicks in front of the officers. :lol:

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The German CG threatened to court martial me if I didn't relinquish control of the bridge; but that's a story for another day. What a GREAT day for the Brave Rifles!!!

 

No way CPT, that story sounds way to good to dangle and not share!

 

T-Bone

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OK, T-Bone...... by popular demand. :rolleyes:

 

We had been delaying against the 1st Panzer Grenadier Division for 7 days. They had pushed us back from Ulezen (on the East German border), to well west of Munster. At our squadron commander's meeting on the night of the 7th, our CO pulled me aside. He told me the Germans had gotten behind us, by using a pontoon bridge. They were wrecking havoc, but they were on a peninsula. It was a gutsy move, but if they lost the bridge, they were in deep s**t. Our squadron CO, who was THE LEAST warm and fuzzy human I've ever known, told me the bridge was believed to be in my troop's sector. I'll never forget - he glared at me and said "Find that bridge, take it and DO NOT give it up". Well, that settled the issue of violating the REFORGER scenario, lol.

 

Around day break the next morning, it was terribly foggy and I figured we would never find the bridge. Then Bob, my 1st platoon leader, broke radio silence. "Six, six - we're closing on the bridge. What do we do?" I told Bob to take the bridge, and make d**n sure they got to the other side. 15 minutes later he told me they were on the other side, but German umpires were beserk and wanted me at the bridge. By the time I got to the bridge, it was a royal cluster f**k. My 2 other platoons were tryin' to cross. Finally, one of the German colonels laid in front of one my M-113s, to stop my troop. I told him that was very dumb - that everybody knew GIs used drugs and they just might run over German officers.

 

My squadron CO had been monitoring my troop command net, and "reminded" me NOT to relinquish the bridge, German colonels or not. He then proceeded to call in as much of V Corps arty fires as possible. Umpires said "scratch the 1st Panzer Grenadiers". Then, my soon-to-be pal, the CG of 1st Panzer Grenadiers arrived and proceeded to rip me a new heinie. He was furious - his face was purple and his spit was flying in my face. He promised me I was going to be court martialed. I'll admit - I was getting a little nervous, but I just kept on grinnin'.

 

Then a Huey (with a 3 star general's plate) landed next to my track. Out popped LTG Fair, V Corps commander. He pulled me away, and we walked over to the river. "Captain, tell me what the Hell is goin' on here". I told my story, then he simply stated - "Very well, carry on" and flew away. Several hours later, the FTX ended and my squadron CO called on his net....... "In one hour, be at coordinates XX12345678. OUT!!" My driver and I arrived at the coordinates, which turned out to be the division HQ of 1st PzGn. I was instructed to leave my driver in the jeep; and enter a hall. Now I was sure it was court martial time.

 

Upon entering, it turned out to be a place that looked like a teutonic knights hall...... timbered ceilings, old coats of arms, etc. I looked around, and noticed there were about 750+ German officers in field gear, and I was the only American in the place. Suddenly, the room was called to attention, and in walked "my pal", the German general. Then, the most impressive thing happened.... every German officer in the room kept their eyes on him, all the way from the rear of the room until he was on the podium. I remember thinking - if a US general walked into a room of LTs & CPTS (after an 8 day FTX), half on them would fall asleep.

 

It soon became apparent that this was the CGs debrief of the field problem. For an hour, there was a presentation (all in German) including overhead slides. Suddenly, the CG became furious. A slide of the Richmond, VA area was shown, and I heard...... "blah, blah, blah, Peninsula Campaign, blah, blah". At that point the CG was livid, and pointed at me, in the rear. EVERY German officer in the place turned, looked at me and gave me a nasty stare. Then, the meeting adjourned. Everyone left the hall, and there I sat. That's it!! I might as well pack my bags for Leavenworth!!

 

The general's aide approached. He thanked me for attending. I asked what the general said about me, in the debrief. "Oh, he said that because of young American captains who did not follow rules, we lost WWII. Learn to think like him." As the general walked by me, he winked.

 

It was a long jeep ride back to Munster, but I was on Cloud 9. Turner (my driver) and I even stopped at a gasthaus and had "a few" brewskis. :P

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The general's aide approached. He thanked me for attending. I asked what the general said about me, in the debrief. "Oh, he said that because of young American captains who did not follow rules, we lost WWII. Learn to think like him." As the general walked by me, he winked.

 

It was a long jeep ride back to Munster, but I was on Cloud 9. Turner (my driver) and I even stopped at a gasthaus and had "a few" brewskis. :P

 

You have no idea how much I love that story. Better than I hoped.

I can hear the, "Das ist nicht fair!!!!" all the way around the World.

Love the BW they are easy, it is the BGS which are hard.

 

T-Bone

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Hot damn! That's a GREAT story!!! I'll be grinning all night just thinking about it!

 

In the end, it sounds like that kraut general was a good man, too.

 

This is a great thread - I gotta scan some more photos...

 

Steve

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That is the story of a career! Did you hear any more of it from your own chain of command? It should have been worth a case of beer for the first crew over the bridge at least!

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Darktrooper
OK, T-Bone...... by popular demand. :rolleyes:

 

We had been delaying against the 1st Panzer Grenadier Division for 7 days. They had pushed us back from Ulezen (on the East German border), to well west of Munster. At our squadron commander's meeting on the night of the 7th, our CO pulled me aside. He told me the Germans had gotten behind us, by using a pontoon bridge. They were wrecking havoc, but they were on a peninsula. It was a gutsy move, but if they lost the bridge, they were in deep s**t. Our squadron CO, who was THE LEAST warm and fuzzy human I've ever known, told me the bridge was believed to be in my troop's sector. I'll never forget - he glared at me and said "Find that bridge, take it and DO NOT give it up". Well, that settled the issue of violating the REFORGER scenario, lol.

 

Around day break the next morning, it was terribly foggy and I figured we would never find the bridge. Then Bob, my 1st platoon leader, broke radio silence. "Six, six - we're closing on the bridge. What do we do?" I told Bob to take the bridge, and make d**n sure they got to the other side. 15 minutes later he told me they were on the other side, but German umpires were beserk and wanted me at the bridge. By the time I got to the bridge, it was a royal cluster f**k. My 2 other platoons were tryin' to cross. Finally, one of the German colonels laid in front of one my M-113s, to stop my troop. I told him that was very dumb - that everybody knew GIs used drugs and they just might run over German officers.

 

My squadron CO had been monitoring my troop command net, and "reminded" me NOT to relinquish the bridge, German colonels or not. He then proceeded to call in as much of V Corps arty fires as possible. Umpires said "scratch the 1st Panzer Grenadiers". Then, my soon-to-be pal, the CG of 1st Panzer Grenadiers arrived and proceeded to rip me a new heinie. He was furious - his face was purple and his spit was flying in my face. He promised me I was going to be court martialed. I'll admit - I was getting a little nervous, but I just kept on grinnin'.

 

Then a Huey (with a 3 star general's plate) landed next to my track. Out popped LTG Fair, V Corps commander. He pulled me away, and we walked over to the river. "Captain, tell me what the Hell is goin' on here". I told my story, then he simply stated - "Very well, carry on" and flew away. Several hours later, the FTX ended and my squadron CO called on his net....... "In one hour, be at coordinates XX12345678. OUT!!" My driver and I arrived at the coordinates, which turned out to be the division HQ of 1st PzGn. I was instructed to leave my driver in the jeep; and enter a hall. Now I was sure it was court martial time.

 

Upon entering, it turned out to be a place that looked like a teutonic knights hall...... timbered ceilings, old coats of arms, etc. I looked around, and noticed there were about 750+ German officers in field gear, and I was the only American in the place. Suddenly, the room was called to attention, and in walked "my pal", the German general. Then, the most impressive thing happened.... every German officer in the room kept their eyes on him, all the way from the rear of the room until he was on the podium. I remember thinking - if a US general walked into a room of LTs & CPTS (after an 8 day FTX), half on them would fall asleep.

 

It soon became apparent that this was the CGs debrief of the field problem. For an hour, there was a presentation (all in German) including overhead slides. Suddenly, the CG became furious. A slide of the Richmond, VA area was shown, and I heard...... "blah, blah, blah, Peninsula Campaign, blah, blah". At that point the CG was livid, and pointed at me, in the rear. EVERY German officer in the place turned, looked at me and gave me a nasty stare. Then, the meeting adjourned. Everyone left the hall, and there I sat. That's it!! I might as well pack my bags for Leavenworth!!

 

The general's aide approached. He thanked me for attending. I asked what the general said about me, in the debrief. "Oh, he said that because of young American captains who did not follow rules, we lost WWII. Learn to think like him." As the general walked by me, he winked.

 

It was a long jeep ride back to Munster, but I was on Cloud 9. Turner (my driver) and I even stopped at a gasthaus and had "a few" brewskis. :P

 

 

 

HA HA HA!

 

That was awesome, i almost fell out my chair laughing!

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So you would need a set of these;

 

post-5772-1238218963.jpg

 

 

I am going to show off a bit. You will figure out this idea has been in the back of my mind for a while.

 

T-Bone

 

And a pair of these...

 

post-5772-1238219803.jpg

 

And one of these...post-5772-1238219936.jpg

 

Some of this stuff...post-5772-1238220001.jpg

 

One of these because Europe is a latin word for "mostly rainy"...post-5772-1238220117.jpg

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Thanks T-Bone, because of you I had to run down in my basement and dig these out! thumbsup.gif

A person would also MOST DEFINATELY need a pair of 5 buckle rubber boots.

cimg0921spb.jpg

And if you're a tanker, you'd need a insulated tankers jacket, it does get cold sometimes over here. This is a 50's-60's model, (so I've been told), I had the patches sewn on it, wanted to sell it on German eBay, no takers. :(

cimg0922.jpg

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Proud Kraut
OK, T-Bone...... by popular demand. :rolleyes:

 

... Finally, one of the German colonels laid in front of one my M-113s, to stop my troop. I told him that was very dumb - that everybody knew GIs used drugs and they just might run over German officers.

 

 

The general's aide approached. He thanked me for attending. I asked what the general said about me, in the debrief. "Oh, he said that because of young American captains who did not follow rules, we lost WWII. Learn to think like him." ... :P

 

 

Hank, as alwaysI love to follow your memories with all these wonderfull details, pictures etc... Grewing up in the FULDA gap I rember these exercises (and the populations reactions) since I was a child very well. Later on I joined some REFORGER FTX myself as a young Cav trooper (Panzeraufklaerer) and, as far as I remeber, we too have had lot of fun ourself with the „enemy“.

 

Two little remarks on your "REFORGER day of your life" story:

 

My first thoughts on the lying colonel were: Wow, obviously this colonel must have been totally drunk. Never have seen German colonels lying around on bridges (That's a big problem today: PRE-traumatic stress disorder). Then I realized, that he might was a battle proven (eastern front) veteran, who has learned to knock out all these T 34 the hard way, now trying to do the same with your M113?!? :lol:

 

The General you mentioned acted like a typical, rear echelon (= western front) person, with a little deficit in history knowledge. Of course it was not the wrong behaviour of German captains (in comparison to American captains) why we lost the war, it was, in fact, the "competence" of some members of his own pay bracket... lol.gifhapy0004.gifhapy0003.gif

 

My highest respect for your steadfastness, I believe to know how you felt at the end of this day - it was YOUR day" bravo.gif

Horridoh Joho!

LUCHS.jpg

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I know, I'm repeating myself again, happens more often the older I get. :( But these pictures and "Cold War " stories bring back good and bad memories, but the bads ones are almost all gone now. As I look out my window now, Saterday, 28th March, it's raining and cold right now in my part of Germany it is definately Reforger/field problem weather! w00t.gif

Back to Cold War reenacting, you can't forget the ever observing enemy, the East german Border guard.

cimg0926v.jpg

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I'm trying to stay in the "Cold War" category, after the "Wall came tumbling down", I was given this "trophy" from a East German, "50 YEARS SOVIET MIGHT".


Anybody else out there have any "Cold War" souvenirs and/or "take homes"?

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DwightPruitt
Achtung, Panzer!

 

 

 

The bumper marking on the lead tank reads 3/33 Armored of the 3rd Armored Divsion. Contrast the camo paint with the bright yellow searchlight cover. Also, it may just be the photo, but it looks like the camo pattern is only on the upper surfaces of the vehicle, while the bottom of the hull is plain OD. Once again this looks like a late 1970's camo pattern, featuring a black star on the front of the hull.

 

Gil, that photo had to be taken before 1975 or after May 1980, because during that time frame, 3/33 Armor was an M60A2 battalion. My guess is that it's pre-75.

 

l_5d316277afe64d179a5facc512bb81eb.jpg

 

Me on the left, in bad need of a haircut, wearing mechanics coveralls and corcorans, in a forest near Stadt Allendorf. Operation CONSTANT ENFORCER, August 1979. I was the driver on the LTC's tank in HHC 3/33 Armor.

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DwightPruitt
The 3-36th Infantry, 3rd Armored Division Scout Platoon wore ERDL camo when I was with the unit in 1975-78. I also recall some agressor details having ERDL camo. I always asumed it came from Training Aids.

 

 

Ditto for the scouts in CSC 3/33 Armor 1978-80 when I ETSed.

 

ERDL's were available at the Clothing Sales store at Giessen. I bought several sets of ERDLs there and subsequently wore them out hunting back home when I returned to the land of round door knobs. I also bought a couple of camo poncho liners there just before I ETSed. Looking at what they are bring on the market now, I regret using them. :)

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Proud Kraut
Me on the left, in bad need of a haircut, wearing mechanics coveralls and corcorans, in a forest near Stadt Allendorf. Operation CONSTANT ENFORCER, August 1979. I was the driver on the LTC's tank in HHC 3/33 Armor.

 

It's a small world! Stadt Allendorf, an ugly little town I grew up and lived in from 1966 - 1980 - I'm speechless.... :blink:

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DwightPruitt
It's a small world! Stadt Allendorf, an ugly little town I grew up and lived in from 1966 - 1980 - I'm speechless.... :blink:

 

 

It certainly is!

 

During that same exercise there was this little kid that would bring us pastries and trade them for C-rations. I would let him crawl all over the tank, and got a good rump-chewing by the Plt Sgt for letting him do so. We got to be pen pals for a while. IIRC the kid's name was Peter Fischer. He was probably 10 years old in 1979.

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Lars.... just think - Dwight may just be the guy that (as he rode through town on his Starship), bonked you with that God-awful Charlie Rat chocolate bar he threw at you!!! :P

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DwightPruitt

Nope, I was too busy driving! I do remember driving through the town in NBC gear, getting up on a curb and hitting a street sign with the right track. That certainly scattered the crowd! Manöverschaden indeed! :)

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the irony. my dad has those 5 buckles boots, AND a 1970 dated Wet Weather Parka..... I guess I'll have to do a reforger exercise set up :D what uniforms were the norm for the last reforger exercises? right around Woodland or RDFs? :)

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Proud Kraut
It certainly is!

 

During that same exercise there was this little kid that would bring us pastries and trade them for C-rations. I would let him crawl all over the tank, and got a good rump-chewing by the Plt Sgt for letting him do so. We got to be pen pals for a while. IIRC the kid's name was Peter Fischer. He was probably 10 years old in 1979.

 

Unfortunately Fischer is a name that's seldom like Schmidt. But I remeber having some contacts with GI's as well. 1981 we moved to a neighbour village - Kirchhain - and when the Herbstmaneuver began there was a kind of CP 200 meters behind the house. Not too hard to find because it was illuminated like the Barum circus. We talked to some "guards" and traded grapes and fruits for c-rations lol. One gave me his newspaper, I still have it today. another one asked for my address. After some months I received a big letter from Kennewick, WA. Obviously this soldier was a recruiter or so, sending me dozen of brochures, stickers from all services and branches. I still have them all today too, nice memory.

G3.jpg

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Proud Kraut

You can see Sgt (Ja)ckson with his buddy Hamlet or Hanslet, both 8th InfDiv "Pathfinders" (patch with tab). On the right sleeve Jackson wears the patch of the Americal Div, also with tab.

 

Inside the newspaper:

G2.jpg

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Here's what Dwight was verbally conveying - there really wasn't a whole lot of room (for M-60s) in these ancient towns. The drivers ALWAYS earned their pay. How would you like for your living room to be just to the left of that tank's fender? This was our big attack, first daybreak of the FTX. Dorfen (east of Munich), Oct '70

 

post-1580-1238277785.jpg

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Twilight, the 4th day....... here comes Lars and his "Badie Brothers", lol. The fall crops are in (we can manuever cross-country), the fog is forming and it's going to be a lonnnng night. That night, around 2AM, these guys sucked us into the slickest ambush I've ever seen. At a natural choke point, my tank threw a track in an ancient oxcart trail (read: a vee notch, on a hill). The entire troop was blocked - then it got incredibly foggy (read: HC smoke). Having already range-carded us; they proceeded to pick us off, like a shooting gallery at a carnival. Can you spell U-G-L-Y? Oct '70, south of Amberg, in the "Hops Country".

 

post-1580-1238278005.jpg

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I know, I'm repeating myself again, happens more often the older I get. :( But these pictures and "Cold War " stories bring back good and bad memories, but the bads ones are almost all gone now. As I look out my window now, Saterday, 28th March, it's raining and cold right now in my part of Germany it is definately Reforger/field problem weather! w00t.gif

Back to Cold War reenacting, you can't forget the ever observing enemy, the East german Border guard.

cimg0926v.jpg

 

Ok, I know we are not supposed to talk about non-US stuff. But I "repatriated" a great deal of East German uniforms and insignia in 1991 after 6 years in the Army in places like Berlin and Hanau. So perhaps folks here will give me a pass on my comments below.

 

D.A.T - What you have is a put together franken-(stein) Border Guard (Grenztruppen der DDR) uniform with a combination of officer, warrant officer and NCO insignia. Stuff like this was commonly sold in Berlin and West Germany in the early 90s with insignia added to increase it's appeal and price tag.

 

It probably started as an unissued standard wool non-career enlisted uniform because of the enlisted collar tabs. But it also has the Warrant Officer arm patch and NCO shoulder boards, but does not have the NCO silver collar tress. It's also got an officer's academy badge on the right pocket. On the left pocket it has an incorrect Kampfgruppen qualification badge. I can't really make out the ribbon bar but from what I can see its a combination unlikely to be worn by the border guards.

 

So you have several pieces of Cold War history, just none of them go together.

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