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. After graduating from Ohio State University in 1968, William Shkurti said, I knew I was going to be drafted so I enlisted. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis. 7) Cologne, Germany. 9) Luxembourg For website corrections, write to hqwebmaster@usace.army.mil. When support servicemen crossed paths with combat troops, We felt guilty. They would tell him not to go down certain streets because it wasnt safe, so you would know something was brewing there, Lomperis said. Your message has not been sent. 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). They were the rear echelon. At the end of his service, Shkurti was an executive officer with the 6th Armored Cavalry at Fort Meade, Maryland. Soldiers bought goods with their ration cards, which were punched when purchases were made, Lair said. Napoleon said, An army marches on its stomach, and the U.S. military followed his advice. Everyone else went directly to Vietnam, or a few were sent to Ft. Benning to attend the NCO School or Airborne Training. When I left Korea, the first thing I did when I got to Germany was to find Special Services, which happened to be right next to my barracks," Hitt recalls. Pew Research Center 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. Involved in the Vietnam War My close friend had a similar experience in 69-70. This massive program to improve American weaponry and conditions for troops and their families, supported by the commitment of huge resources to building the facilities required, was one factor in shaking the resolve of Soviet leaders and exposing the hidden weaknesses of the Soviet military and political systems. I know that was very dependent upon where you called home, but that was my reality, Thornton said. I say 16 months because his orders were involuntarily extended because he was in the ROK when the USS Pueblo was taken. There were swimming pools, bars, cheap booze, entertainment, dancers and strippers, American TV. They were touted as filling an important gap in NATO's deterrent shield against the Warsaw Pact. In the late 65 through 1966, the Army Divisions outside of Vietnam, specifically CONUS and West Germany were hemorrhaging personnel for service in South Vietnam, these being primarily if not exclusively volunteers, these numbers had to be made good. You had no say in what your MOS would be. I personally met over the years quite a few guys in my neighborhood that enlisted in the Army, 3 years like you said, interesting thing was that not one served in South Vietnam, even up to two duty station changes, in example serving in CONUS then Panama, etc, I recall one guy I met in a bar who enlisted for 3 1967-70, an Ordnance guy, said he served his whole three years after Basic (Bliss) and AIT (Aberdeen) as wheeled vehicle mechanic at West Point, you know in the regular army component at the academy. The tensions between the two sides were demonstrated when US Army and Soviet Union tanks faced off in a divided Berlin. Since his older two brothers were already serving in Vietnam he was not allowed to go. and child care facility in Bad Kreuznach, West Germany (right). 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. ". I worked in an air-conditioned office and wore khakis, starched shirts, spit-shined shoes and a belt with a shiny brass buckle. Today, he cautions people not to draw quick lessons from the war. 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: It's kind of both complicated and disjointed, it was a struggle to be sure. was told," you are going to Germany, get your wives in german class". Anyone who served in the military during the war faced the possibility of being sent to Vietnam, though. The war changed and dealt cruelty to many families, not just mine, but I have seen the sadness in my fathers eyes, and we both know what is there, and what is missing.. Vietnam War They have rock climbing, paddle boarding, BBQ grills, a restaurant, hiking trails, and more. At the end of the Vietnam War, the United States adopted a volunteer Army, but declining military expenditures made it difficult to keep the American forces combat ready and maintain the quality of life for soldiers and their families. Their silence carried a message and concealed the fact that many veterans served in the rear echelon and not in combat capacity, Lair said. Germany 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. When they got home they were all the same (veterans), but they did not all have an equal experience. 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. Combat veterans offered a truly unique and special contribution to the war, but that doesnt mean it wasnt a sacrifice for people who served as support, Lair said. By There were Viet Cong all over the place, but if you were street-smart you stayed safe, Lomperis said. Deliver vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with our partners, to secure our Nation, energize our economy, and reduce disaster risk. I am focused on peace and conflict reduction on a global and local scale, he said. One of the toughest parts of service was seeing people whose lives were ruined or lost because of the war, he said. They deserve our respect. Buddy C. Thornton learned from his military service was Always live for the day. 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? One would fly overhead about every 60 seconds, remembers the professor emeritus of political science at Saint Louis University. 3) Paris, France. Opposition to the war made military personnel band together. Country western music blared all over Saigon, Lomperis said. It was a game of cat and mouse that almost turned deadly when he was nearly killed by some drunk Vietnamese soldiers, Lomperis said. The question became: When will someone tell what my war was like? Lair said. The report determined that it is possible that this exposure contributed to some adverse health effects. He is seen here waving to his fans at Bremerhaven train station. After graduating AIT at Fort Knox I was sent to their NCO Armor School. Troop Deployment, 1950-2003 There are different degrees of experience. WebIn An Army in Crisis Alexander Vazansky analyzes the social crisis that developed among the U.S. Army forces stationed in Germany between 1968 and 1975. 2018 Petabit Scale, All Rights Reserved. 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. We served honorably. Outdoor Recreation Center. Instead of breaking them up, Army brass sent them on tour. The liner notes of East of Underground: Hell Below conclude with a sort of benediction, lifted wholesale from the U.S. Army Field Manual: Because of the unique ability of music to communicate, bands will serve in different capacities of publicity and recruiting, and in the support of civil affairs. Powered by Invision Community, Vietnam Era Draftees Stationed in W.Germany, South Korea, and CONUS, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. Those aircraft were used for military airlift, medical transport, and cargo transport operations in the United States and internationally. "So this was a very viable way to avoid active duty in Southeast Asia.". Peace activists, however, saw them as a threat and held massive demonstrations. They were so talented, I just assumed they would have a contract with the first studio they walked into.". Even before Erhard succeeded Konrad Adenauer as West Germany's second chancellor, the conflict in Vietnam had "I've done my own searches on Google and so forth, but I cannot find anything," Hitt says. He was stationed in Gillenhausen, protecting a valley called Folda Gap. would have to use the scheduled bus service to get around the base, Lair wrote in Armed with Abundance.. One colonel joked, If we ever really got attacked, the V.C. Life athome goes on without them, and it must have been difficult to navigate when they returned, she said. He served as budget director for the state of Ohio from 1985 to 1987. Here are a few of their stories. 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. 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. David Hollander produced the compilation. Back at home over the decades, veterans themselves may have helped camouflage the roles they played during the war. 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. 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. Their lot was really rugged, Lomperis said. The post exchanges, or PXs, rivaled todays big box outlets for variety and selection, Lair said. With two sons already in the war, they felt I should not go. He was awarded the U.S. 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. I had surgery shortly after the fire, then spent convalescent leave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Then, there was the shopping. If youre stuck on the base for days on end, visit the Wild B.O.A.R. Not enrolled in the VA health care system? During the war, these men felt like they were part of the military endeavor, but its not what the public celebrates. Only about one out of seven were combat troops, said historian Chris Appy, history professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. If you enlisted you would serve 3 years and chose your MOS. Boy, I thought I had it made, Shkurti said with a small laugh. Its ironic because we were there to protect them. After completing his enlistment, Shkurti returned to Ohio State University to earn a masters degree in public administration. 18th Military Police Brigade (United States We had an Infantry MOS Soldiers on one of our Sheridan Tanks. Attention A T users. Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. While having a positive attitude about any PCS is important, its equally important to have realistic expectations. Ask me or any other serviceperson and they will tell you they are proud of their service, Shkurti said. The U.S. military presence in Germany peaked at 274,119 in 1962, nearly eight times its level last year. In their spare time, servicepeople could go to the library, join a service club or take a spin on the go-kart track. Men facing shipping out exhibited many types of behavior. As my husband likes to preach: expectation management.. After Boston, Thornton served at Marines Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. They were also stationed in Germany, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Korea, Guam and the continental United States. Most of all, Army bands will strive to honor General George Washington's observation, "Nothing is more agreeable and ornamental than good music. 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. The thought of army music evokes a certain tradition say, trumpets and drums in the style of "Pershing's Own." So many servicemen came home and saw how the story (of the Vietnam War) was being told. 5) Venice, Italy. I think I never knew, or know even today, of any Vietnam-era vets I would not embrace as brothers. 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. 4) The Alps Swiss, German or French. 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. I talked to many men who felt sheepish that they didnt have those (combat) stories to share, Lair said. Many veterans struggled with feeling that their experience didnt measure up. I didnt carry a gun, Lomperis said. 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. Vietnam War Is it just the guy with the gun? They were clerk typists, cooks, drivers. As the Soviet system, like the Berlin Wall, collapsed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it appeared that American and allied forces in Europe had accomplished their mission without war. 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. He was friendly with street urchins who would badger him for chocolate and other small treats. Their story got eliminated. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY A new compilation pulls together some of those old records it's called East of Underground: Hell Below. C-123 Airplanes and Agent Orange Residue - Public Health The sky swarmed with helicopters. Find out if you qualify for VA health care. They left their families to fight in a war that wasnt popular. That was where I met my wife. "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. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. Vietnam Era Draftees Stationed in "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. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. Responding to these concerns, VA asked the Health and Medicine Division (HMD) (formally known as the Institute of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study possible exposure and increase in adverse health effects in C-123 crew members. Error, please try again. He remembers his commanding officer Abrams as a political genius who turned the war around.. 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. I was able to get into a band there. HMD found that Reservists who served as flight crew (pilot, navigator, flight engineer, and loadmaster), ground maintenance crew, and aero-medical personnel had regular contact with the aircraft, and would have experienced some exposure to chemicals from herbicide residue. The winners toured other military bases and made records. Historical Vignettes The entire emphasis is on the narrow combat experience, Lair said. This lasted for 5 months, then we were told, Okanawa. The conventional wisdom was that everybody carried a rifle, patrolled the jungle and faced death daily, but thats false, said William Shkurti, who served as an artillery officer in a remote area about 300 yards from the Cambodian border in fall 1970. East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. They proudly served their country, but were derided by combat troops as REMFs or rear echelon mother (insert expletive here), Appy said. Grafenwoehr is a tiny base compared to almost anywhere youve been stationed in the US. So he was off to Camp Casey and the 9th Infantry Manchu's for 16 months, I was in the same unit a couple of decades after him. The challenge was figuring out what the enemy would do. GRAFENWOEHR, Germany More than 30 veterans of the Vietnam War living in Germany were awarded pins Tuesday by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post in recognition of their service. Engineers and USACE remained in Europe, still proud of their contribution to defending Western Europe and ending the Cold War. Like suburban sprawl, the largest American bases just kept getting bigger, Lair said. An average of 311,870 troops were stationed in Europe per year during 19861990. Dotted around US bases are numerous residential districts for American soldiers and their families, such as this residential district in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. 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. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). His unit lost more men to overdose and traffic accidents in Germany than to combat in Vietnam. This often creates barriers to their full integration into German society. 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 However, their wartime ally, the Soviet Union, soon became an enemy. The guys with the gear in the rear. Especially from the minority groups, our black comrades, because they bore the brunt of the draft, were very unappreciated, and made the ultimate sacrifice above and beyond other groups, and for what? Thornton said. This was because they had relatives (brothers) already serving in Vietnam. The NATO maneuver Reforger I (Return of Forces to Germany) in Vilseck/Grafenwhr in 1969 was one of many joint war games held by the US Army and the Bundeswehr. The big problem was that Saigon was Sodom and Gomorrah. But in Vietnam, the Cold War became an inferno. 7th Army in particular suffered heavily, especially with loses of combat arms NCOs Then there was the two infantry brigades in Alaska, the 171st and 172nd, both gave up one battalion each for transfer to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii before it left there for South Vietnam, two full battalions had to be raised to replace the ones sent away. "I met the singers and the other players and we got together and played, and it just kind of all meshed together.". 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. The book became the first volume in aCenter of Military History series, U.S. Army in the Cold War. They wore fatigues and carried M16s. 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. So there was a great need for personnel outside South Vietnam through out the entire period, and the refusal to mobilize the Reserves and National Guard only exacerbated the problem. The American military presence in Germany began at the end of World War II. The mood around the country was not good for the military, not like today with cheers and applause for returning members. 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. You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links. More military personnel played support roles than combat ones. They worked in intelligence. The chow halls tried to replicate moms home cooking with menus of grilled hamburgers, roast beef with gravy, French-fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, buttered corn and asparagus, ice cream, vanilla pudding and cherry pie, Lair said. At least we all went to the same unit, one guy and I went through basic together. East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. Im also more respectful of what servicepeople endure. 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. 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. Don't forget Panama and Alaska, Alaska itself in that time period had two Infantry Brigades separate stationed there. Being a noncombatant doesnt mean they didnt feel scared, that there wasnt a looming sense of danger even onthe biggest bases that were considered safer areas, Lair said. The experience that most people likely associate with Vietnam is the horror and deprivation of war, so its ironic that that wasnt the real experience of most Vietnam veterans, Lair said. Germany Drug abuse, overdoses, crime and traffic accidents led to several deaths within his unit. The history of US troops in Germany I would have been called a coward by others from the small town I grew up in, so I never considered not volunteering.