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Honor Page - 6 Guest Authors Excellent history stories from proud veterans |
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FACE TO FACE WITH SOVIET MILITARY
written by LtCol (Ret.)
George N.Wallace
Military Police Corps, United States Army
As "EX-BERLINER" I fondly remember the good old days I had while stationed with PROVOST MARSHAL, BERLIN BRIGADE, and later as COMMANDER of HELMSTEDT SUPPORT DETACHMENT (1969 - 1972).
I served 20 years in the United States Army, and I'm also retired from the San Francisco police department.
In 1962 I was working with the San Francisco police department, when my Reserve MP unit was recalled to active duty. My first posting was with the 153rd MP Co., in Fischbach near Pirmasens, Germany. A mere three months into this assignment I was detailed -- due to my native fluency in Russian -- as part of the security team to escort Soviet General Yakubovsky and his staff to visit US Army General Freeman, the Commander of Headquarters, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, in Heidelberg, Germany.
This mission prompted my immediate transfer to the Berlin Brigade to the position of the Operations Officer, Autobahn Detail, under the command of the Provost Marshal, LtCol Sabolyk.
By the way, some years later in the late 1960s CWO 3 (Ret.), Steven Volk, my nephew, who was a Sergeant at that time stationed in Berlin, was working for Deputy Provost Marshal Major Bob Owens on special assignments (see Honor Pages, Steven Volk With Police Intelligence). I found my work very interesting and stimulating, and enjoyed visiting East Berlin for inexpensive and tasty meals and also buying antiques. Incredibly (and probably unbelievable to many) the official exchange rate was 4 to 1, but we bought our "East German Marks" in West Berlin at an exchange rate of 16 East German Marks to 1 US Dollar.
During my assignment to Berlin I had numerous situations -- some potentially explosive, some laced with humor, that transpired between 1962 and 1966, and then again between the years 1969 - 1972. I'd like to share a few of these events on Reinhard's website.
During my first official invitation to Spandau prison* the then Russian/English interpreter, a Mr. Firestone, working for the Provost Marshal, made a slight faux pas in translating from English into Russian. His error was that he had repeated in English, what was said in English, instead of saying it in Russian to the Soviet officer audience. The speaker was the Berlin Brigade commander of the time, and of course noted Mr. Firestone's mistake and jovially commented, "Mr. Firestone, I don't need an interpreter for English." Understandably, this observation by the commanding general provoked some hearty chuckles.
Upon opening a new Soviet checkpoint near Babelsberg, next to US Checkpoint Bravo, the Soviets invited the Berlin Brigade staff to view their new "modern" premises. As I was in the process of introducing one of the Soviet officers (a captain) to our Berlin Brigade commander (a brigadier general) I politely asked this Russian captain for his name, to which he replied, in Russian, with the single word: "Nevazhno", which translated means that he (the captain) felt that it was obviously unimportant for him to give his name to the general. (Note: If he refused to disclose his name over operational security concerns, he was clearly overreacting, and certainly ignorant of the US Army intelligence databases of Soviet officials at checkpoints.) I was momentarily stunned by the perceived captain's impertinence vis-à-vis the general, but regained composure and introduced the captain to the general as: "Sir, this is Captain Nevazhno".
Obviously believing that the captain's name was indeed Nevazhno, and not understanding the meaning of the word, the Berlin Brigade commander shook the captain's hand, stating: "It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain Nevazhno". So it would seem the joke was on the good captain.
Then there was he retaliatory detention of the Soviet Military Liaison Mission (SMLM) sedan on KU-Damm, occupied by one Soviet major and three enlisted men. When I informed him that the detention will last between one and two hours, he said, "We are well prepared to dispose of our bodily functions even if you detain us for 12 hours". As you see on the photo, the Soviet soldiers didn't want to be photographed.
Another very significant occurrence was when a US Convoy, with 12 passengers (each truck carrying 3 soldiers in the back) pulled into the Soviet checkpoint in Helmstedt to be processed for a Berlin trip. A short, stocky Soviet lieutenant insisted that the troops dismount for a head-count. This was not in accordance with US-Soviet agreement, which explicitly states that dismounts of soldiers from the trucks is only authorized if the convoy had more than 24 passengers sitting in rear of trucks. To my suggestion that he count the troops by simply looking into the rear of the truck, the lieutenant argued that he couldn't see the passengers from the ground. To his flippant reply I recommended that he climb on a chair to count the troops, which he dismissed and walked off in a huff. As a consequence the convoy remained in place for over 12 hours and was finally released, with the stated threat that it will not be cleared at the Soviet checkpoint in Berlin. On arriving in Berlin, the Soviets refused to release the convoy, unless the soldiers dismounted from the truck. This refusal gave impetus to the developing crisis (see photos of the detained trucks). The convoy was arrested in place for 72 hours and all civilian traffic to and from Berlin to Helmstedt was halted completely.
During this 72-hr detention period, the troops dismounted, build latrines where they had to perform bodily function, pitched tents, conducted exercises and were a visible nuisance to the Soviets. I still remember a Captain Uzoff, Berlin Brigade Signal Officer, takings photos from a helicopter of the incident, which the Soviets threatened to shoot down. Of course the threat was immediately relayed to the Berlin Brigade, but the Army stood its ground and the chopper kept on flying. Following exhaustive and tense negotiations between Washington and Moscow and at a great relief to the Soviets at checkpoint Babelsberg, the convoy was released and the incident considered over.
While in Helmstedt, I invited the Soviets at the checkpoint to a 4th of July picnic, held annually in the garden behind the US Army Helmstedt Detachment under my command. I was surprised when I received a reply accepting my invitation, which was unprecedented. When I called Berlin Brigade Command and told them that the Soviets have accepted my invitation, I was asked who gave me the permission to invite the Russians. I explained this invite was a customary yearly happening, adding that until now the Soviets had consistently declined. I must say that at the end of the day a good time was enjoyed by all. I remember that when I was driving the Soviets back to their checkpoint, Soviet Major Saayenko asked me where our mine fields and barbed wire are. To convince the major that we had no such barriers, I turned the car around and drove 15 miles into West Germany, towards Braunschweig, which seemed to have convinced the major when declaring that he now believed me.
This photo documents a re-enlistment ceremony of a US Army sergeant taking his re-enlistment oath administered by me close to the intimidating East German guard tower defining the East German border by US Army Checkpoint Alpha in West Germany under the command of the US Army Helmstedt Support Detachment.
These were the times which I will never forget, especially so the camaraderie that evolved between German civilian- and German military police, and us, the members of the US Army. I'm including a photo of myself in uniform of the San Francisco police department and a German friend, Wolfgang, visiting from Berlin sitting in the patrol car wearing one of my uniform shirts and hat. I had known Wolfgang and many of his fellow German MPs from my time in Helmstedt. Wolfgang was then a member of the German MPs (Feldjaeger) stationed in the nearby city of Braunschweig. At the time when this photo was taken was shortly after my retirement from the US Army and rejoining the San Francisco police as a sergeant working Taraval Station in the Sunset District of San Francisco.
I have nothing but good memories about my time in Berlin and in Helmstedt. Perhaps one day, we can have a reunion in Berlin, my favorite city with wonderful people living there, or maybe the German Government could invite us old folks back for a reunion, but I know of course the latter is wishful thinking.
George N. Wallace
* The Spandau prison no longer exists. As many know, for many years after WWII the Spandau prison housed Rudolf Hess, Hitler's Deputy, as its only prisoner, who is said to have committed suicide in the prison on August 17, 1987. The allied forces provided guards for the prison, and the mission rotated on a monthly basis. Being allies, guarding of Rudolf Hess allowed for Soviet soldiers to enter and stay in West Berlin in force (but of course restricted to the confines of the Spandau prison proper) whenever their turn arose for guard duty.
My Tour of Duty in the City of West Berlin
written by
Rick Bradley
SFC, U.S. Army (Retired)
My story begins on 6 October 1979. As a sergeant in the United States Army, I volunteered and was assigned for duty in what was then known as West Berlin, Germany. This was a time when the city of East Berlin was still occupied and controlled by the Communistic influences of the East German and Russian governments.
It states "Freedom is worth fighting and dying for".
My journey began at the LaGuardia Airport in New York City with an eight-hour non-stop flight to Frankfurt, Germany, and a connecting flight to the Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin, Germany. My plane landed early in the afternoon and U.S. liaison personnel escorted me to what would be my new home for the next 12 months, Andrews Barracks.
Andrews Barracks was home to various U.S. military organizations assigned to West Berlin. It also served as the Headquarters for Hitler's elite SS Troops during World War II and was the execution arena for enemies of the -Third Reich-.
As we departed the airport terminal, I noticed two carloads of Russian soldiers parked next to the curb, which made me feel very uncomfortable. I would discover later that an apparent agreement had been established between the United States and Russia that allowed the Russians to drive freely in the Western sector of Berlin and that the United States could do the same in the Eastern sector of Berlin. During my first two weeks in the country, I attended what was known as soldier orientation. We were transported to class each morning by bus and, without fail, there were always two Russian cars parked across the parking lot observing our actions with intense curiosity to try to identify our motives for being there. In actuality, this was their means of keeping track of U.S. personnel assigned to Berlin and to ensure that no secret weapons were being brought into the country or that no special training was being conducted without their knowledge. As a United States soldier, I was instructed to either ignore the Russian vehicles or salute; any other greeting was strictly forbidden. Anyone found cursing or throwing objects at the Russian vehicles were immediately transferred out of the country. Such actions would create an international incident that the U.S. Government would not tolerate. Besides, the Russian vehicles were always equipped with cameras and would film each incident and report them to their command authority.
As part of our orientation, we were transported through Check Point Charlie, which was a control point between East and West Berlin controlled by United States Army personnel. At Check Point Charlie we were processed and allowed to proceed into occupied East Berlin territory for a bus-guided tour of the city. We were not allowed to take pictures of the city or of any Russian, East German soldiers, or civilians. In most American cities, many people walk about shopping or just spend the day having a good time. One might even notice the many vehicles of various makes and models lining the streets and curbs. However, that was not the case in East Berlin. Very few people and vehicles are seen during the day. I would later learn that only high-ranking officials or individuals in the Communist party were allowed to own and operate vehicles. During our orientation tour I noticed only one gas station in the entire city. Cars were lined up for one or two blocks waiting for gas. Many of the city buildings were still scarred from the allied bombings of World War II. The Russian embassy was identified by the heavy bronzed-metal German swastikas still embedded on each side of the entranceway. The swastikas had been placed there during the days of the -Third Reich-.
We were allowed to visit the Russian cemetery built on the outskirts of the city and dedicated to the Russian soldiers who were killed during the invasion of Berlin in World War II. The cemetery entrance was constructed of an archway made of beautiful red marble confiscated from Hitler's bunker that was destroyed by the Russian government. Upon entering the cemetery, one observes a statue of Mother Russia facing north over the gravesites of the Russian soldiers who were killed in World War II. The grave sites were landscaped with marble walkways and various assortments of beautiful flowers common to the area along with weeping willow trees purposely planted along the confines of the cemetery giving the visitor the impression of a mother reaching, embracing, and weeping for her lost children.
We saw numerous East German factories with armed guards' posted at all four corners of each facility. Later in the afternoon, we were allowed to stop and visit some of the local shops to purchase items of interests or souvenirs. Of course, our shopping locations were limited to a specified area of the city designated by the East German government.
The money exchange rate during this period was seven East-German Deutsch marks for every American dollar, a good exchange rate for buying souvenirs.
Unfortunately, there were limited items for purchase. This was also evident in many of the restaurants. In one particular restaurant, I remember seeing only one dinner roll and one sausage link on display. When we tried to order other food items, we were either ignored or the owner would simply say they had nothing else to serve.
Probably, the saddest moment of my tour was watching West German family members climbing upon wooden scaffolding type platforms built next to the Berlin Wall to view the Eastern sector of East Berlin in hopes of seeing a family member or to yell and scream obscenities at the East German border guards as they patrolled back and forth. In, some cases, the East German guards would wave or attempt to entice individuals including American military personnel to cross over the wall. Of course, if any Army personnel or West German national decided to make the attempt, they would have been shot immediately. I recall, many nights lying in bed hearing gun shots being fired in the distance and finding out the following day that an East German national was killed trying to get over the wall to freedom.
After all, I too was a prisoner of the Communist regime. The Berlin Wall itself not only divided the city of Berlin, but also surrounded the city. The only escape routes for military personnel were either by aircraft or by car through East Berlin. The three allied countries of the United States, Great Britain and France who were committed to guard the well-being of the German people in West Berlin, knew that the life expectancy should Russia attack, would be only twenty-minutes.
The year that I spent in West Berlin made me realize just how much we as Americans have taken advantage of the freedoms we enjoy everyday. Most importantly, we have forgotten that freedom doesn't come cheap, that there's a price that must be paid. Many have paid the price with their very lives so that our families can continue to enjoy what so many in the city of East Berlin were deprived of for so many years. After, twenty years of military service, I was reminded of an old military saying that was instilled and repeated so many times that it is etched on my mind.
Rick Bradley
| There are two important things in my life. First, my beloved family, my wonderful wife Linda and our lovely daughter Adrienne. Secondly, are the memories of my late father Toad Bradley a self-taught musician who played Country & Western as well as Blue Grass music for 52 years before passing away in July 2002. His memory is all that remains today but his legacy and love of music lives on through the voices and instruments of his beloved family. |
Here is one of his favorite songs "Fire on the mountain" please turn off my other website music first! |
T H E R U N A W A Y
Alert on TURNER BARRACKS
written by
SP4 David Messenger
Track Mechanic and Welder, Maintenance Platoon
US Army, CO F 40thARMOR
Aug 1973 - Dec 1975
First of all, you must keep in mind that it has been more than 30 years ago since that happened so it is possible that I may not remember everything exactly as it happened. It's a short story but I will add in to it some information about how it affected me personally.
Early in May 1974, on a Saturday morning (either the 4th or the 11th), everyone in Turner Barracks was awakened and gathered on the company lawn in back of the barracks. We were told that there was a big problem because SP5 Thompson had stolen an M60A1 tank from the motor park and was currently on a rampage through Berlin. Our German Labor Service guard said that Thompson drove right over the gate on his way out. The guard only had a baton and a .45 pistol so he was unable to stop the tank. Of course, back then there were some pretty tense moments from time to time with the Russians. This incident was probably not going to bode well with the Russians or the East Germans. We were also told that two of our tanks were dispatched to terminate the stolen tank if possible. Our tanks were always loaded with 63 105mm main gun rounds and a full complement of .50 cal and 7.62 mm machine gun ammo. They were going to try to stop him from going into East Germany if possible.
The German Police and the American MPs were trying as hard as they could to figure out where Thompson was going and they tried to warn people on the road to get out of the way. He eventually ended up first at Checkpoint Charlie (the checkpoint to go into East Berlin from West Berlin) where he did a lot of damage to the checkpoint. He drove right through the pole barriers and positioned himself next to a guard tower where he did a few neutral steers trying to bring down the tower. After doing considerable damage to the checkpoint he left and went back into West Berlin where he got on the autobahn and headed for Checkpoint Bravo (the checkpoint to go from West Berlin into East Germany on the way to West Germany).
Our motor officer, CW3 Jimino, directed the recovery at Checkpoint Bravo. The track was put back on using the "Ft. Knox rope trick" which was a method which allowed tracks to be put back on a tank without having the break the track. The tank was driven under it's own power back to Turner barracks where it was repaired and put back into service. I believe the damage estimate was about $11,000 which was a fair amount of money in 1974. When I saw the tank after it was back, I couldn't believe that the tank could have done what it did. The pole barrier from Checkpoint Charlie was still hooked onto a tow hook on the front of the tank. The tow hook, which was very blunt, had penetrated the pole barrier which was about 1/2" thick. I remember that very well because I worked in the welding shop at the time and I was the one who cut the pole barrier off the tank with a torch.
We were told by the guys who retrieved the tank that the Russian officer in charge at Checkpoint Bravo said he understood and did not want to cause us any more problems. He said that they had nuts in their army too and they would be satisfied as long as the US paid the bill for all the damages.
I was stationed with F Company, 40th Armor in West Berlin from August 7, 1973 until December 7, 1975. I was happy to be there because I was eager to see other parts of the world and I had ambitions to be a mechanic. My father was in the Air Force from before I was born until I was about 13 years old, so going into the military seemed like the thing to do. I wanted to be a mechanic, but everywhere I tried to get a job I was told that I needed more experience before I could get hired. I didn't know how to get more experience without actually being a mechanic, so becoming a tank mechanic in the Army seemed like a good idea.
When I arrived in Berlin, my personal life was already destined to change. I was engaged to be married to a girl in Pennsylvania. She was the oldest sister of one of my fellow students at Ft. Dix, New Jersey. I met her when I started going home with him on the weekends since my family was in Nevada and I wanted to have some company during my weekends away from home. We were to be married on June 8th, 1974. I began to make the arrangements to go home on leave, and save my money so I could afford the leave and also have enough left over to put down on an apartment in West Berlin. That was going to be expensive since the best I could hope for was to be an E-4 before I went on leave.
Thompson drove on the Autobahn toward Checkpoint Bravo and all the while he was driving "buttoned up", meaning that the hatches were all closed and locked. He had to drive by looking through the three vision blocks (like periscopes) that were positioned around the driver's hatch. That probably explained why he ran into some of the things he ran into, such as guard rails on the autobahn. I was told that when he reached Checkpoint Bravo, the guards there opened the pole barrier and allowed him to pass through because they heard what happened at Checkpoint Charlie and didn't want to have the same thing happen there. After he was across the border, he was driving crazy and doing neutral steers and other tight turns and ended up throwing a track.
The next month I was able to go home to get married on time.
This is the story as I remember it. If anyone remembers this any differently, I would be interested to hear what they have to say. It has been over 30 years since this incident, so I wouldn't be surprised if I made one or two mistakes.
Greetings to all my comrades and friends!
Dave
PS: For any of my friends from 40th Armor who might be interested, I went to flight school in 1982 and was an Aeroscout helicopter instructor pilot with the rank of CW4 when I retired with 25 years of active duty in 2002.
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