 |
Honor Page - 7 Guest Authors Excellent history stories from proud veterans |
 |
 |
Berlin Convoy Blockade, 1963
written by
Don "Bergie" Stanley
US Army , HHQ / 2/6
June '63 to Dec. '65
In the morning as it got light, we could see that they had dug foxholes with machine guns in them around us and had made the other side of the autobahn into a two-way road because we had our side blocked. During the day we set up a latrine along the road and they let a few men at a time use it, so the Russians wouldn't think we were dismounting for them. We also set up a chow line with meals that the army detachment from Helmstedt brought in, hot food and all the candy and cigarettes we could use. I remember, that sense I was the only one in my truck, I had my whole dashboard filled with candy and cigarettes.
At about 1:00 a.m. on the 6th we were awakened and were told that the powers that be had decided not to go into World War III over this whole thing, so we took off for Berlin after the Russians gave us the OK. After sitting around for two and half days and then driving through the night, the convoy was weaving all over the road and I was just waiting for one of the drivers to drive off the road and start another incident, but everyone did make it. We arrived in Berlin at dawn and were met at Checkpoint Bravo by numerous reporters taking pictures with all kinds of spot lights aimed at us and I could hardly see where I was going and almost ran one of the photographers over. As we got to Berlin proper, the road was lined by the Berliners cheering us on as if we were conquering heroes, it was really something to experience for a nineteen-year-old.
When we got to McNair barracks we were met by the whole Battalion with the band playing and the whole works, it was great. After unloading and putting away the trucks we were given a debriefing and told not to ever tell anyone what happened (hopefully the statute of limitations is over). I can remember thinking during those two and a half days that all that was needed was for one of the infantry men in the trucks to be playing around with his rifle and accidentally fire off a round, we would have had a most interesting time.
On the 10th of October 1963 a convoy of U.S. Army trucks going from West Germany to Berlin were detained for four and a half hours at the Marienborn checkpoint on the West/East German border by the Russians. It was customary for us to dismount from the trucks if there were more than 49 people and 25 trucks in a convoy so the Russians could count us easier. This was a voluntary procedure that we did to make our trip through the East zone faster and with less hassle. After the Russians stopped this convoy the U.S. Army decided to test the Russian resolve and sent a large convoy from the 2nd Battalion of the 6th Infantry in Berlin to West Germany on the first of November.
I was a truck driver in Headquarters Company and drove a Deuce and a half in this convoy. We went as far as Kassel, West Germany and turned around and camped out at Helmstedt on the border. On Sunday, November 3, we were divided into two separate convoys so that my convoy had just the right amount of men and trucks to not have to dismount. On Monday morning we mounted up and I had a Sergeant riding in the front and some infantry riding in the back. We arrived at the Marienborn checkpoint at 9:00 a.m. and pulled off to the side of the road so the Russians could take the numbers off the trucks and count the men. After they checked all the trucks they asked the convoy commander (Lt. Lamb) to have the men dismount so that they could count them. Of course we had just 49 men so the Lieutenant told the Russians that they would have to count the men while they were on the trucks because we were not going to dismount. The Russian officer then told Lt. Lamb that if we didn't dismount we were not allowed to proceed until we did. Here we were on the side of the autobahn inside the East German border and not allowed to go. We sat there all day while I hoped that things were being taken care of by our higher ups.
As night fell we all tried to get some sleep the best we could in the trucks
and at 11:30 p.m. we were awakened and live ammunition was past out for our M-14's, that is when I started to think this could end in a very nasty way and because I was pulling a trailer with a gas pod in it, it was decided that it was too dangerous for anyone but the driver (me) to be in my truck, so the Sergeant and all the men in the back were distributed between the other trucks. Then we were told that we were going to pull out at midnight with or without the Russians consent.
At 12:00 p.m. we started our engines and pulled out onto the autobahn and proceeded toward Berlin. We got about a quarter mile up the autobahn when two Russian armored personal carriers pulled out in from of us and blocked the autobahn and two tanks pulled in behind us. We then had the road completely blocked. We turned off the trucks and after a while decided to get some sleep if possible. Yeah, right.
I kept an eye on the Russians in the foxholes and was amazed that during the whole day they only got one bowl of soup to eat and were never relieved during that time. During that day the traffic on the other side was an ongoing procession of interested people trying to see what was going on. I had one English truck driver ask if I wanted a newspaper to read and when I said yes, he tossed a London paper to me (I wish I still had it).
About a week later we went to the movies and in the newsreel they had our convoy episode covered. As I watched, I could see my truck coming toward me and then the photographer wiggled a little, then it cut to a different scene, I knew then that I did almost run over him.
When I rotated back to the states and got out of the Army, my mother gave me a Time magazine that she had saved of the blockade and in it was another picture of my truck and my mother didn't even know that I was part of the convoy until then. All in all, it was one of my most interesting experiences. In the summer of 2001 I finally found a copy of the raw footage for the newsreel of this incident at the CBS News archives and have it in my library.
In a sad note, during my research of this incident,
I found out that Lt.
Lamb was later killed in Viet Nam.
My duty on "Spooky HILL"
written by
Rob L. Pellington
SP-5/E-5
Unit: 78th USASA-SOU - Andrews Barracks
(United-States-Army-Security-Agency - Special Operations Unit)
November 1962 thru December 1964
I arrived, in Berlin, in November, 1962, by Duty Train, at night, which in itsself was a great adventure for an 18 year old PFC. I was assigned to the 78th (previously 280th, I think) USASA-SOU (United States Army Security Agency-Special Operations Unit) at Andrews Barracks. The first thing I had to do was remove nametags from all my fatigue shirts (the entire time I was in Berlin no one in my outfit wore nametags, and we were referred to as "Spooks"). For the first several months I worked at the top floor of Head Tower East, at Tempelhof Airport. After construction was completed of our first building we relocated our operations to a compound at the top of the "Rubble Pile", or "the Hill", in the Grunewald. Its really name was TEUFELSBERG, (Devil's hill), it has got it from a little romantic lake nearby.
We also had another, much smaller, site in the Grunewald right in the area of where those from McNair, and Turner Barracks, played war games. Inside of that -Block 87- was a compound enclosed by an 8' chain link fence, topped with barbed wire. It contained a block building, as well as an antenna field. (see the photos, taken Summer 2005)
I also spent 28 days at another SS compound, then called Flint Kaserne, in Bad Toelz, at NCO Academy. I went there with over 10 months in grade as a PFC...it was a punishment tour, however, only my NCOIC, and I knew it was punishment. Upon arrival there the Tach NCO informed me that NCO Academy was no place for a PFC, and he was going to flunk me out. I graduated on 21 June, 1963, 48th of 115. This, however, is another adventurous story. I hope, Reinhard, this is of some help for your website.
In that Grunewald area are 2 rubble pile hills, (like twins, side by side), one for the public, the other, (the top of it), used by the U.S. Army, like your unit. The Berliners especially used their parts in the Winter time. It has some nice toboggan and ski runs downhill.
The whole Grunewald is divided in Blocks (in German called -Jagen-). Each one has the same size, it's 400 to 800 meter. (1 meter is almost like 1 yard)
The first building was rather unique because its walls, and dome, were rubber, which were kept inflated by 2 large compressors. Five single story buildings radiated out from the center like wheel spokes. A few months later a second, domed, building was erected, however, this one's dome was of triangular pieces of plastic. (The domes were obviously hiding something).
The entire time I was in Berlin the 78th provided all our own security. The 287th or FSB (Field Station Berlin) MP's and the Labor Service, were probably assigned security sometime after I departed Berlin (12/64).
Loud music was played at both locations so that anyone with a sensitive listening device could not hear what was going on inside. Another site was located at another remote location.
For about the first year I was in Berlin we rode to our work locations in Deuce-and-a-halfs and would be closely followed by Russian liaison cars that contained a driver and a photographer. We had fun waving, making faces at them and flipping them "the bird".
I used to drive a big Mercedes bus up and down, to get my troops to, and from, work six days a week. I remember specifically one cold winter night my "Trick" was working "Swing Shift" (1600 to 2400).
It had snowed several inches that day. Then, during our shift, it made icy rain, we called it sleet. When the "Mid Shift" arrived...a little late...that Trick Chief told me that the long winding road up the Hill was solid ice. Well, my men wanted to go home, so I loaded them on the bus and took the bus to the crest of the road and stopped.
I will tell you, I was scared half to death.
I had about 50 men, who's lives I was responsible for, on that bus. I looked down that road and it suddenly looked an awful lot longer, and steeper, than it ever had before and I could see the ice shining on it. There was total silence on that bus. I put the transmission in REVERSE; gently lifted my foot from the brake; the bus began to, very slowly, go forwards and down. My left foot still had the clutch depressed. When I thought we needed to slow down a little I would slip the clutch which caused the rear wheels to spin backward, slowing our decent. I did this several times until we reached the bottom of the hill. At that small intersection was the public road, called Teufelssee Chaussee. I stopped our bus. Everyone cheered, I breathed a sigh of relief, shifted the transmission into 1st gear, and went back to Andrews...and breakfast.
At first, after the Wall went up, everyone in my outfit had orders to not ride the U-Bahn because it made a couple of stops in East Berlin, or the S-Bahn (because it was owned, and operated, by East Berlin Government). We were told that if any of us disobeyed this order the U.S. Army, and the U.S Government would deny any knowledge of us. Sometime in 1963 we were allowed to ride the U-Bahn because it no longer crossed into East Berlin.
At Andrews Barracks our company originally occupied about the west half of Bldg. 904. Then in 1963 expanded to occupy the western half of Bldg. 901. (the building of the 287th MP Company.)
Best regards,
Rob Pellington
Remark by
www.Berlin-Brigade.de
Thank you ROB for your interesting story!
The erection of the T-berg U.S. installation has started in 1961. There were several intern changes in all the years. The Berliners did never have known what really was going on in there. For the most of them it was just an U.S. Radar hill. Another similar installation was located in Marienfelde. (District of Tempelhof)
The T-berg compound was located in the British sector of West Berlin, also the -Block 87- (antenna field) which belonged to this secret installation.
To get to T-berg, the US troops came down Clayallee and Huettenweg. After passing the underpass bridge of the AVUS (Autobahn and railway tracks to West Germany), the troops made a sharp right turn and followed a sandy Grunewald lane. After 1 mile they passed -Block 87- on the left, after another mile they arrived the paved Teufelssee Chaussee. After about 400 more yards they came to the small road on the right hand side which leaded and ended at the main gate of T-berg. This road was off limits for public traffic, all other Grunewald visitors had to park their cars there on a parking lot.
Around of the installations, the British Troops had made their daily field training. They also used Blank ammo. US-troops did not came very often to this area, except while alert training (Q.R.P.-units with life ammo) or while big Allied maneuvers. (in Fall and Spring time)
The rest of the year they practiced in their own sector.
The little pond -Teufelssee-, nearby that hill, was a favourite place of nude fans. In Summer time lots of pretty nude women are relaxing there.
After the Allied departure in 1994, some private business people had planned to erect a big hotel, apartments and restaurants on top of that -former -Spooky hill-.
But this never happened, today everything is falling apart. Lots of huge destructions and stupid graffiti everywhere. The double security fence around of that site has more than 10 big holes. The nature took over. There were once MPs and LS guards had given military orders, now the Gruni-pigs and foxes are living. If I get news, I let you know at this place.
T-berg and Block 87 in Summer 2005
Take a look on the US Installations details. Here you will find:
History of U.S. Army Field Station Berlin (FSB), written by CSM James Prock, provided by Rob L. Pellington
My Berlin visit August 2006
With the Honor Guard
& Recon Platoon
written by
SP4 Don Galuoppo
U.S. Army, 3rd Battle Group, 6th Inf. 1957 - 1959
December 21. 2006
Rest in peace, my friend !
God bless your soul !
Dear Reinhard, I feel honored that you should ask me to share your Honor page with some great GIs.
I really didn't want to do it because I never thought that I had that much to contribute.
I wonder to this day why the guy that picked me for the Honor Guard was using a white cane with a red tip on it.
Once and awhile when things got a little hot we went out and patrolled the West-Berlin border to the Russian sector (East Berlin and GDR districts in its vicinity) with no ammo. They didn't want some trigger happy GI to start a conflict. The occupants from the West and from the East still could go on each others side. Big signs showed them the end or the beginning of the American or Soviet sector. The real Wall was not erected at that time. Especially occupants from East Berlin had to go to work on the west side of Berlin, but this also happened the other way.
I was drafted in 1957 at the age of 22. After 9 MPs came to my house and handcuffed me I decided to go with them. I was sent to Fort Carson, Colorado for basic training. The first 8 weeks was infantry training. The second 8 weeks was advanced infantry training. I am not very smart but this did not look good.
After basic I went to Fort Dix and got orders for Berlin. I got on the ship, the Alexander Patch, to Germany. When I got to Berlin I was put in the Honor Guard. My new home were the McNair Barracks in Lichterfelde now.
Anyone could get in the Honor Guard. The only requirements were, you had to be tall, extremely good looking, extremely well dressed, extremely intelligent and all around good guy.
All kidding aside! We were a spit and polish platoon. Some of our duties was pulling a lot of guard duty at McNair, Berlin headquarters on Clayallee and the General's house. We were in lots of parades and welcomed some important people when they came to Berlin. Our unit had a very cute mascot, it was a real brown bear. On some parades he was sitting on the front passenger seat of our leading Honor Guard jeep. That was just some of the duties we had to do.
We were also the Recon Platoon. My unit had 9 machinegun jeeps with 30 cal. Browning machine guns on mounts, a bazooka, 2 BARs and a 106 recoilless rifle mounted jeep.
Sometimes we went out in the field to the huge Grunewald or to special Ranges in West-Germany. There we trained with the rest of the company.
I always been proud of my country and my uniform and tried not to disgrace them. I think Berlin was the best duty in the world and the German people were great.
My best greetings from Indiana to my old comrades & BUSMVA brothers!
|
|