Honor Page 23

I was stationed now at FT. Benning, Georgia, the home of the Infantry. This was December, 1979. I got promoted to Sergeant with less than three years service. I made Acting Sergeant almost upon arrival, because the military training of the Berlin Brigade was far superior then the units I saw at FT Benning.

Reelistment time came in early 1981, and I decided to re-up. I had a choice of assignment and I chose the Berlin Brigade. I wanted to be in a top unit, it was not the location that attracted me back to the city. This would be the time I would remember as the best in my Army career, this time I would see the other side of Berlin.

I arrived in Berlin for the second time in September of 1981. I was assigned to B Co, 3^rd Bn, 6^th Inf. Things seemed different this time as I was in a leadership position and I had a squad to take care of. One of my troops had a car shipped over, and he wanted me to drive along with him to bring the car back from Bremerhaven to Berlin. Who could forget going through checkpoint Alpha in the West and Bravo at Berlin. We had to stop inside East Germany at a rest stop and a lady refused to serve me coffee because a Russian Officer was sitting there, and I guess she thought she would get in trouble. I bought a used car after that, and the experience of owning a car in Berlin was like none other. I used to go to a Pub called the Irish Harp, it was near Adenauer Platz, and I met a young lady named Britta, there one evening. She later introduced me to her family and they showed me great kindness. I had Christmas dinner at their home, as well as enjoyed other family related activities.

It was from then on that I learned of the culture of Berlin. I went to the Opera, saw plays and concerts and learned of the history and the landmarks of Berlin. There was much to do in my off time, not related to going to night clubs and having parties. I also met many Berliners who were friends of my friend, and that led to more social activities with the local people. I would stay this time in Berlin for 4 years, until September 1985. I stayed twice as long as the last time and learned much more of the people and the city. I was promoted to Staff Sergeant E6, and assigned to CSC 5^th Bn, 502^nd Inf, as we were no longer the 6^th Inf. I remember when BDU's came out and we dropped the green fatigues. We also got the new Kevlar helmets. I was assigned to the scout platoon, and for the most part, my squad did recons at night and wall patrols. I also had duty at Spandau prison, I was commander of a guard relief, and on Christmas Day, 1981, when I saw Rudolph Hess. I went to French Commando school, somewhere in the French sector and in West Germany, I received the badge for my uniform. When I left Berlin the second time I was not happy. I had done a lot of once in a lifetime activities, that I still talk about 25 and 30 years later. I went on to teach ROTC in the State of Virginia and was promoted to SFC, E7.

I now work for the U.S. Government and will retire shortly with 32 years of combined military and civil service. I just built a new home in the area of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where I now reside. I do plan to make a return trip to Berlin shortly after I retire. I hope that there will still be something that shows the Berlin Brigade was there.

Besides normal every day training, we pulled guard duty at the Four Powers Headquarters Building. I sat next to the Russian guard and the French and English sat across the double door entrance way from us, all facing each other. When Officers came in it was up to each country to check their Officers ID's. I pulled Guard duty at Spandau Prison one time. I was about six feet from Hess for a couple of seconds. I was on guard duty at General Taylor's residence several times. One evening he came out in civilian clothes to walk his dog. I was standing at ease at the guard shack. I said good evening sir, he answered good evening Soldier, took a step or two, turned and said don't you salute officers. I snapped to attention saluted, and said Sir I was taught to salute the uniform and not the man that wears it. He was very gracious, said to me, if you recognize the man you salute. I apologized and was thankful he was a nice person.

The most rewarding experience was our duty at Tempelhof Airport. The Russians had blockaded the City and would not allow supplies to be shipped through their territory. The allies decided to supply the city by air transport, which most in command said was not possible. This proved not to be true as we did the Job. Planes landed every three minutes, and stayed on the ground only long enough to refuel and unload. The Pilots and the ground forces that worked on this mission should be considered cold war hero's , for they had long hours sometimes with little rest, and kept Berlin free, and not taken over by the Russians. It was a tremendous joint effort by every one involved. When it was our turn to be at Tempelhof we pulled 24hr shifts. Each Trooper worked four hours on and four hours off. We would take a crew of German workers on a truck to the plane and as they unloaded the supplies we would check the manifest and manage the unloading of the plane. The workers were all slim people and their clothes were baggy, when they came off the plane they looked a little heavier and clothes fit better. We would travel along the fence going back to the convoy area. They would throw things over the fence to waiting comrades on the other side, so by the time we got back they were skinny and baggy again. These were more perilous times then most of us were aware, the Russians were considering taking Berlin by force. It is my opinion the only thing that stopped them was they still feared the might of the allies and were not ready for another war.

One thing that burned into my memory and signified the plight of the German people, was at meals when we would empty our plates into the garbage cans. People were there with containers going through the garbage taking what ever was eatable. I remember this blind man with his seeing eye dog trying to feel what was good to take. I know they had been our enemy, but I could not help feeling for them and their loss of dignity. I took that feeling home with me and for years I would not let my children waste food. To go back to my first few months in the 16th, one of the remaining veterans befriended me. I only remember him as Yuskie, I don't know the correct spelling of his last name. He was a very light complected man with unruly straw colored hair and eyes the color of rabbit eyes. Yuskie asked me if I would like to see some of Berlin. I gladly said yes. He took me to a off limits restaurant, they seemed to know Yuskie. Speaking broken German to the waiter, he ordered for us. We were having a drink when the waiter brought this big gray live rabbit over to the table with one broken ear. It was bend in half with the other ear sticking strait up. This was going to be our dinner. Yuskie would have no part of it so he insisted we buy the rabbit so they would not have him for someone's dinner. After our evening we started back to McNair, Yuskie the rabbit and me. We got on a street car, it was full of people, Yuskie found a seat , so he sat their with the rabbit sticking out of his overcoat lapel. One big ear strait up and the other one bent half over, both staring strait ahead. They looked like twins. Every one on the street car had a smile on their face as they looked at that sight. For the next few weeks he keep the rabbit in his locker, how he managed to get away with it is a mystery. He would let him out after duty. The rabbit would follow Yuskie around like a dog, finally he was told to get rid of it. He said he took it to a farm. Shortly after that he was rotated home. I will always remember Berlin as one of the greatest experience's of my life. I was rotated home in may of 1951, only to receive Truman's extension and spent another year at Fort Knox Ky.

I mentioned the NCO Academy before and thought this might be an interesting read. It all seems funny now but it for sure wasn't funny when I went through it. I was told to report to our (40^th Armor) CO's office one wintry day in 1958 and when I got there I found 3 other lucky guys already standing there. I didn't have any idea what was going on but I was soon enlightened. We were going to the NCO Academy!!! When asked if anyone had any questions I mentioned that I had the understanding that the NCO Academy was a voluntary thing. I was told that I was right and that I had just volunteered and that was all of that discussion! We (the 4 of us) arrived at the Academy and unloaded our Foot Lockers and M1 rifles (don't know where they got them for us) and clothes from the Deuce and a half. We were standing there looking around we didn't see anyone else) when a Sgt with an Arm Band walked up and asked us what we were doing there. We told him we were there for the NCO Academy. He told us to leave our foot lockers and clothes and take our M1s and go thru THAT DOOR and turn in our M1s. THAT DOOR was the beginning of one hell of an experience.

We turned in our M1s and came back in the hallway and IT HIT THE FAN!!!!! The Sgt said he thought he saw us come in from outside with our covers (Pile caps) on THAT'S A NO NO !!!!! And to help us to remember to uncover when we walk in thru a door to give him 50 (the smallest number they know there) pushups. We did and then stood there while the Sgt was looking around the hall way and then he looks at us and says "Oh---I didn't know you were done--cause I didn't hear you count them off" Give me another 50 and remember to count them OUT LOUD!!!! So we did another 50 !!!! I would like to say right here that I did more pushups the first day at the NCO Academy than I did in my entire LIFE, that's before the Academy and since the Academy. After satisfying The Sgt he told us to go to the Commandants Office and how to get there and to line up one behind the other to the left of the door. That seemed easy enough!!! So off we went. We found the Commandants Office and were lined up to the left (kinda leaning against the wall). Another Sgt with Arm Band walks up and damn near had a duck !!! Screaming at me, he said that I was the first to see him and should have called ATTENTION and I had to give him another 50 pushups to help me remember that (in our Co. we didn't call ATTENTION for a Sgt). He told us that as long as we were in the Academy, when we were on our feet we would either be at ATTENTION OR PARADE REST!!!!! and to give him 50 push ups to help us remember that, so we pumped out 50 more (counting out loud), when done we snapped to ATTENTION but that wasn't good enough. He then pulled out a wooden rod 30 inches long and said that was the distance that was supposed to be between bodies and to give him another 50 to help us remember the 30 inches. Do you get my drift here?? We were not use to this kind of discipline----we didn't do anything right but for sure we were learning!!! We were told that the first guy was supposed to knock on the Commandants door and when he said to, to go in and report to the Commandant. I was the last in line so therefore I was last to go in and report. I knocked on the door and heard a voice say "Is that some little boy knocking on my door?" I said No Sir. He then said to try knocking a little harder----this I did and I got the same answer so the 3rd time I really knocked hard and heard--- "Don't knock the door down--Enter". I went in and started to report and he cut me off short and told me to get out and start over and this time report right. I went out and knocked on the door again, this time he played no games until I started to report again. He told me to get out and do it again. I done it all over again and started to report again and he cut me off short again and asked me if I knew how to report. I said I did!!! He said I'm supposed to be centered on his desk and I glanced down and I was maybe 2 inches or less off center at most!!!! I was getting my fill of this place and I had only been there maybe 11/2 hrs. This was when he let me know that he hated Tankers and of course I couldn't tell him what I hated. After leaving the Commandants Office I was supposed to go to the 2nd floor to fill out some papers and when I got to the room the other 3 guys were facing the door with another Sgt with Arm Band to their rear.

The Sgt couldn't see them smiling at me but he sure did see me smile at them----you guessed it---another 50 pushups. After filling out the papers we were told to go outside to the Academy street and join the street formation so off we went. We got outside and looked for the street formation but didn't see any so we just stood there and waited. Here comes another Sgt with Arm Band and Swaggerstick and he asks what we are doing there. We said we were supposed to join the street formation to which he looked around and asked if we saw a street formation. We answered NO!!! and were told to give him another 50 push ups for not seeing a street formation. After the pushups he told us that WE WERE the street formation. He then explained that his Swaggerstick had magical powers and that if it were to tap someone on the shoulder that this person would automatically drop down and give him 50 push ups. So there we were, one of us giving the other 3 dismounted drill and every once in a while one of us would feel a tap-tap on the shoulder----another 50 !!!. Finally some other guys started to show up and I really believe the SGTs started to ease up on us (the first 4) and give the other guys hell. I really have no idea how many pushups I did the first few hours but it was a bunch!!!!! We finally made it thru the first day but not without doing a lot more pushups. We started to settle in at the Academy and got use to the routine of White Glove inspections of our rooms (3 to a room going by the first letter of our last name) and inspections of us every morning. One guy in our room was also a Tanker, his name was Ike. We were not allowed to sit on our bunks (there were no chairs to sit on, only the floor) during day and were supposed to read manuals during the evening and then clean the room and shine the floor before bed time every night. Another little thing they had to give us pushups was when we went to chow. In the hallway right before you go into the mess hall, there was 2 painted foot prints. The first guy there stood on those foot prints (at parade rest) and everyone else lined up behind him, the DI with the 30 inch stick would walk down the hall to the first guy and squint one eye and see if he can see anyone just a hair out of line ---if so he would run back to that guy and everyone from him on back would have to do 50. Also he would walk down the line with the 30 inch stick and check the space between bodies and if he found one where it wasn't 30 inches from that guy on back would have to give him 50. It was so much fun I just couldn't hardly contain myself !!!

Every day we would go to classes and going up the stairwell the DIs would warn us about making too much noise going up the stairs and would threaten us with something called TREE DRILL. None of us knew what they were talking about but I thought it didn't matter because we were as quiet as a bunch of mice going up the stairs. BAYONET COURSE!!!!! One day we were told to make some dummies (GI clothes and straw) for the bayonet course. We all gave them names (of the DIs-- of course the DIs didn't know this). A few days latter we went to the bayonet course. I think I mentioned that they always have the NCO Academy Classes in the winter snow and ice everywhere) The day we were on the bayonet course it was pretty cold with snow and ice. My turn came and I took off with a MIGHTY GROW AND YELL, running down the path looking for some of our Dummies (not the DIs). I think I stuck a dummy or 2 and then came to a small ditch (2ft. deep and 3ft. wide) so I just jumped over it. I landed on a icy rock and busted my ass but got back up and kept on going. The path came to a small hill, so up the hill I started (it was kinda steep but not really that high). I was on all fours climbing the hill when I got about 4ft from the top and found that the DIs had dumped garbage all over the top 4 feet of the hill so that when you got in it (besides saying to yourself --WHAT THE HELL!!!) you would start to side back down and the SGTs with Arm Bands would yell----"Get up here Candy Ass". This is why it was called CANDY ASS HILL !!! After making it up Candy Ass Hill I continued on the path screaming like a Banshee when I came to a bigger ditch (maybe 10ft wide and 5ft deep) with a big log going across it. I jumped on the log and started to run across when a Sgt with Arm Band jumped out of the bushes with a long pole and a big boxing glove on the end of it and jabbed at me, hitting me right in the chest and PLOP----I was laying on my back at the bottom of the ditch and him yelling for me to get back on that log !!! I got back on the log and started across again and the Arm Band was yelling PARRY--PARRY which when he jabbed at me again I parried and ran right at him (hope I scared the hell out of him). He jumped back and I continued on down the path. I stuck several more dummies and then came to another ditch with water in it (after this ditch I was to be done with the course) and a big log over it (keep in mind it was really cold out there) so I jumped up on the log looking for some arm band with pole and boxing glove but there was none, but there was an Arm Band who told me to get back off that log and wade across, I thought this Arm Band had lost it but he wasn't kidding so I waded the water and I was done with the course. There was a BIG wood fire going on the bank and everyone was gathered around getting warm and dry. While I was drying one guy asked what was wrong with my leg---nothing I says---he said your knee is bleeding and I checked and it sure was. Don't know how I did that. One of the DIs said I'd better go to the hospital and they called for a jeep and away I went. At the hospital they sewed me up and wrapped my knee really tight and I was told not to bend it for a couple of weeks. The reason I mentioned this is; it got me out of TREE DRILL!!!!! In the next few days while my knee was still mending the DIs said we were making too much noise going to class and for us to fall out on the street. While in formation the DI said for me to fall out and stand beside him, he then said in a whisper to me that I'd better not laugh or I'd be doing pushups for him everyday after my knee got better. With that said he gave the class an ABOUT FACE-----He then asked if they all seen the trees across the street (there were more guys than there were trees) and when he yelled FALL OUT they should all run for the trees and he wanted their chest touching the tree and to give the trees commands and there had better be only one guy to a tree (I thought to myself --this is going to be good----about 80 guys and only 40 trees or so). If there was 2 guys to a tree, both guys had to climb the tree (our boots were as highly spit shined as you could get a boot and could you imagine what they would look like after climbing a tree??). The DI yelled FALL OUT and they all yelled real loud and ran for the trees. I just started to smile and the DI said I'd better not laugh!!!! and to follow him. He and I walked over to the trees, me limping, and there were guys running everywhere because they didn't want to be caught with another guy at a tree (I really had a hard time keeping from laughing). One guy was standing there ---chest touching the trunk of the tree yelling for the tree to come to ATTENTION!!!!! and the DI ask him "Didn't I just hear you call that tree to ATTENTION????. The guy said "YES SIR" to which the DI said "Well he has still got his limbs sticking out from his side-----maybe you better yell a little louder!!" The guy was screaming at the tree when we left him and started walking around to some of the other trees. You have to understand that there were guys yelling at trees all over the place and those who were not yelling at trees were running all over the place trying to find a tree that didn't already have a guy yelling at it. Needless to say I owed the DI a bunch of pushups when my knee healed up. Every time we were in formation in the street in front of the Academy (remember we were to be at ATTENTION OR PARADE REST only---eyes straight ahead. BUT----Up in the windows the DIs would be raising and lowering windows trying to get you to look up and if you did one of them would come running down to the street and jump up and down telling you that your eyes were supposed to be looking straight ahead not up at the windows and of course---another 50! I recall a sign painted in one window----a big eye and the words ---BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU! --and believe me they sure were. One morning after chow we were in formation on the street and the DI told us to fall out and get our M1s and to report to him in formation across the street in the grassy area. The night before this we were supposed to read the manual on dismounted drill with the M1. We got back in formation with our M1s and the DI looked over everyone and called my buddy Ike out front and told him to give the class dismounted drill and he turned and went back behind the formation. Ike stood there and called us all to ATTENTION---then he stood there and stood there for a long time (he didn't know what to do with the M1) the DI came running back up front to Ike and started chewing on him. He said "You didn't read the manual of arms last night did you?", Ike said he didn't and the DI took his M1 and told Ike to report to the Commandant. Ike took off (double time) toward the Commandants Office. The DI then looked around and call on ME---I thought--- OH NO!!!!! He told me to give the class dismounted drill and he went to the rear of the formation again. I thought ----SOMEBODY HELP ME---I called the formation to ATTENTION but I didn't know what to do with the M1 either. I stood there for a while and all the guys in the first row were trying to mouth to me what I was supposed to do next. But I'm not a lip reader so here comes the DI. "You didn't read the manual of arms last night either did you" and I said "No Sir I didn't". He took my M1 and told me to report to the Commandant too and off I went (double time). I knocked on the Commandants door and he said "ENTER" and when I walked in he didn't look very happy to say the least. He told me to stand next to Ike and wanted to know why I was there. I told him why and he turned beet red!!!! He was pacing back and forth in front of us with his Swaggerstick (a really nice wooden one) behind his back when he stopped in front of Ike and asked him "Why don't you know the manual of arms?"---Ike thought for just a few seconds and said---"Sir--We don't do the manual of arms with that 90 MM" and the Commandant hit his desk with his Swaggerstick and it broke and I had to damn near bite my tongue off to keep from laughing (I thought he was going to have a heart attack) and he yelled at us to get out of his office and he didn't want to see us back there again. When we got outside I told Ike---"GOOD ANSWER!!!". I'm leaving out a lot of things because this is getting too long and I wanted to tell you about the last week there. I believe the last week was called "WISH YOU WERE DEAD WEEK" or something like that. We were out in the Grunewald day and night the whole week on maneuvers and the Brits were the aggressors. Each guy in the NCO Academy would rotate places with other guys so that each (for a time) would be a Plt. Leader---Plt Sgt---Squad leader---Radioman and so on. We had 2 Platoons and each went in different directions. Don't remember what I started out as but when we were ambushed by the Brits (firing blanks) our Plt Leader supposedly got killed and the DI over our Plt told me I was the Plt Leader now. He gave me a map and showed me where we were supposed to go. We made our way to the place the DI indicated and it was an old bombed out house and the only thing left was the basement and a wall or two (this was after it had gotten dark). I was going to set up a perimeter defense but the DI told me to take everyone down in the basement. I knew I shouldn't do this because the Brits might come up and shoot everyone in the basement and I was discussing this with the DI and he was getting kinda pissed. He finally told me that I was right but the Brits would not be there and he just wanted us to see how they had things set up for us. So I told everyone to go to the basement. They had it set up really good with a Partisan (German) at a table with a lit candle. At this time Ike said to me in PIG LATIN that he didn't like this (being trapped like this) and I answered him in PIG LATIN that I didn't either but this gave me an idea. The Brits were listening to our radio messages to the other Plt and would be where we were supposed to meet the other Plt and ambush us. I told the DI that if we could put Ike on the other Plts radio and me on ours, Ike and I could speak Pig Latin and maybe the Brits wouldn't understand what we were talking about. The DI said GOOD IDEA------ I GOT AN ATTABOY!!!!!!!!!!------and let me tell you; you don't get attaboys from these guys (I damn near had a heart attack!!). Anyway----Ike made it to the other Plt and I was listening on our radio for him to say something. Then I heard him (in Pig Latin) and we would talk and go where we pleased without the Brits ambushing us for the rest of the week. We finally had our graduation and went back to our own Companies.