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69th
Air Defense Artillery Brigade |
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| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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69th ADA Brigade
DI |
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 69th ADA Brigade Pocket Patch (authorized?) |
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HHB, 69th AAA
Group was activated on 1 July 1955 at Karlsruhe. |
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| (Source: Email from Jim Reinecke, 40th AAA Bn and 69th AAA Gp, 1954-1956) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| A BRIEF LOOK AT THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE 69TH AAA GROUP IN KARLSRUHE-KNIELINGEN GERMANY | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| THE 40th AAA BN IN WIESBADEN/BIEBRICH GERMANY 1954 I arrived at the Rhine Kaserne during December, 1953 and served for a year, first as a radar operator in the Range Section and later as Battery Clerk. As a 17 year Private the 40th AAA Battalion was a rude awakening. The kaserne was about 50 yards from the Rhine River in an industrial area near Wiesbaden. Wiesbaden itself was a wonderful city with historical, cultural and entertainment significance. However, we didn’t have much of an opportunity to enjoy what the city offered. The compound was about 300 yards wide and about 700 yards deep surrounded by a wall on both sides and the back and significant in that the three feet of barbed wire on top leaned inward instead of outward. Meant to keep us in. The barracks itself was impressive, a five story building resembling the engineer castle on military insignia. The front of the compound was protected by an 8 or 9 foot fence made up of steel spikes. Other than the main gate the only area open to the outside happened to be in our room in A Battery. To say that the 40th AAA was highly disciplined would be an understatement. Entering the Battalion Headquarters building your first sight was a buildboard sized sign instructing you on how to report for your courts-martial: Summary, Special or General. In day-to-day activites it was common to receive an Article 15 for a button unbuttoned, late for a formation or many other activities. This usually resulted in 7 to 14 days restriction at hard labor. I cannot remember any occasion that I performed guard duty (about once a month) that we didn’t have at least one former NCO under guard being boarded out of the Army with a 368 or 369 discharge. Our work-week began on Sunday evening when we where restricted to the barracks to leave for field training on Monday morning. Early on Monday we would depart the barracks and be carried to the Motor Pool and depart for a radar site across the river in the Mainz area. We would set up the radar and watch the skies until Thursday afternoon when we would take down our equipment and spend the night bivouacked. On Friday we would return to the barracks where we would clean equipment and the barracks for Saturday morning inspections. After a full-field inspection on Saturday morning we would have a parade and if you were extremely lucky be given a pass either until 1 AM or maybe an overnight pass that let you stay out until noon on Sunday. Only 50% of the section could be on pass, with 1/3d of them allowed overnight and 2/3d returning to the barracks by 1 AM. |
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| (Source: Seventh Army Troop and Station List, 1 Aug 1964) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 69th ARTY GP ORGANIZATION AND STATIONS (Aug 1964) : | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1964 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Letter from M. L. Ray, HQ 69th Arty Gp, 1964-66) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Emery Barracks, Wurzburg, Germany,
June 1964 - October 1966 After graduating from Radio-Teletype School at Fort Gordon GA. in June 1964, Phillip D. Baker and I were flown to New York where we were put on a troop ship the "William O Darby" for the trip to Germany. After 9 days at sea, we arrived at the port in Bremerhaven Germany. From there we were taken to the Headquarters of the 69th Artillery Group at the Emery Barracks, Wurzburg, Germany. Upon arriving at the 69th, they were wearing the 7th Army patch on the left shoulder. This patch was later changed to the 32 Army Air Defense Command patch sometime in mid to late 1966. During this period, our Commanding Officer was Col. Woodward, with a code name of "Cocktail 6", the First Sgt. was Sgt. Girsenslauger or Sgt "G" for short. There was an S/Sgt. E-6 Suarez and S/Sgt Stallsmith that worked with us in the field. We provided Radio Teletype Communications from the Headquarters to the units in the field. We often went on field maneuvers in the area near Schweinfurt, Germany. One Radio Operator in the field unit had a last name of Elkin. I was responsible for my own Duce and a Half Truck with a 5 or10 KW Generator on a trailer. The radio what I used was an AN/GRC-26 Delta, or "Army Navy Ground Radio Communication", Model 26-D. We also had a small Radio on a ¾ -ton type truck but I can't remember anything about it. The Trucks and Jeeps had the bumpers identified at first as 7A 69ADA-GP  ( Star in the middle ) then there was the letters HQ followed by the vehicle number to the right. Later this was changed to 32 ADA 69 GP. At one point, we hand painted all the trucks then discovered the paint was the incorrect color so we hand painted them again with NATO Green paint. We would go out to the field for maneuvers which lasted approximately 5 days then come back and spend time cleaning the equipment.I can remember going to the local airport and looking around and watching the small military plane flying overhead. We would take the trucks and go to the Leighton Barracks to their PX, but I don't know what else we were doing there. When we would have a CMMI (Command Military Maintenance Inspection) we would clean the barracks and the other areas and if we had too much (Junk) that they didn't want the Inspectors to see we would load them in the trucks and were told to go off site for the day and return when the inspection was complete. At the time we were being sent to Germany by troop ship, there were five ships making the Trans-Atlantic run. They made up the ships from the Naval Transportation Service. The ships were the Darby named after Gen. William O. Darby, the Rose named after Gen. Maurice Rose, the Buckner, Upshur which was named after a US Marine General and the Patch. I do remember being sick and being on the deck and was surprised at how cold the temp. was in the middle of the Atlantic in June. While in route to Bremerhaven we saw another Military Troop Ship returning to the US. When I left Germany these troop ships were being used to send troops to Viet Nam, therefore I flew home on the MAC ( Military Air Command ) Transport to Fort Dix, New Jersey. I was then transferred Fort Wadsworth, NY and discharged. After being processed out, we were taken by Bus to downtown New York City and dropped off and were expected to find your own way home. About the time I was ready to leave to go home to be discharged, a request came through to send Radio-Teletype Operators to Viet Nam and possible be extended for at least 6 Months. Phillip D. Baker and I left Germany at the same time for discharging. I do remember that we had all our gear turned in ready to go home and an Alert was called. Since we were ready to leave we went to the PX on Post and maintained a low profile till everyone was gone. We didn't get to see any of the guys again. Here are the names of some of the guys that I was with during my time at the Emery Barracks:  Phillip D. Baker from Madison, Wisconsin Gary L. Phillips from Flint, Michigan Kyoji Miyazaki from California Michael DeClementi from New Jersey Buford Allen from Arkansas Donald Conrad Craig T. Coleman Gerald Weigand Harry Hammick Louis Mis Sheridan Greenwalt Sanders Taylor Frick FrazerOver the years I have contacted Baker who is still in Madison, Wisconsin and Kyoji Miyazaki who still lives in California. I have not been able to locate anyone else from the unit. |
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| (Source: Email from Richard Sheridan, HQ 69th Arty Gp, mid-1960s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| One day while
I waited by the radio a call came in from an Army pilot requesting
wind direction. The reason he needed this information was in order
to choose from which direction he was going to land. I gave him the
direction and thought nothing more about it. I had no air controller
power or responsibility. I was there as an information source only.
I went around the office doing something else. Then I heard a popping
noise out on the runway so I ran out to see. By the time I got out
there it was over. A few minutes later an Army pilot came down with
an explanation. The Army pilot had landed from north to south as indicated
by the wind direction. At the same time a German civilian pilot decided
to land for some mistaken reason, from the other direction, on the
same runway, at the same time. He was supposed to get the wind direction
from a wind sock out on the field. They didn't see each other until
they were almost on top of each other. In that last second before
they crashed the Army pilot fired a canopy rocket to indicate he was
going to dive while the civilian pulled up on the stick to climb.
That split second action on both of their parts saved two lives that
day. The covention between pilots was first to hit the canopy rocket
dives. That rocket made the noise that I heard. The pilot said he
would count that as an extra birthday for the rest of his life. Once I went to Giebelstadt I no longer did the radio duty at this strip. |
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| (Source: Email from Michael Ireland, HHB, 69th Arty Gp, 1966-69) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
I was stationed in Wuerzburg, Germany in the Signal Corps, attached to HHB 69th Arty Gp. as an Assistant NCOIC of the Communication Center at Emery Kaserne. I enjoyed Wuerzburg very much and can still see in my mind's eye many of the people with whom I served, including some in the 6/52 and 3/7.
I was given orders for Schweinfurt. A guy named Bobby Williams from North Carolina was also stationed there temporarily. After a week or two we were both transferred to the 69th in Wuerzburg. I was stationed in Wuerzburg from May of 1967 to September of 1969, first of all as a 72B20 Communications Center specialist, then as the Clerk of the Signal Office in Emery Kaserne for over a year, then as SGT E5, Assistant NCOIC of the ComCenter, 72B40 with ProPay. I would like to hear from anyone who served either as a radio operator, in Hawk Missile Repair/Maintenance or as a ComCenter specialist at that time. I have fond memories of times and the people there. I can't tell you how fortunate I was to have served and really matured there. I still have dreams of the place. Colonel Baber was our 69th GP CO at the time. Our SigOs at the time were Lt. (through Cpt.) Campbell, and in '69 a Lt. Mickelson, who at the time was finishing reading Churchill's history of WWII and would talk about it from time to time. The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslavakia was interesting! I also remember Master Sgt. Alfred E. Gerstenslager, who I worked for as a Signal Clerk. Also SSG Steve Ratton, who then left to teach at Ft. Gordon, GA. I remember the following people: Carl Evans, Tim Shimono, Ron Loveday from Bakersfield, CA, Jerry Edrington, Mike Callahan from Massachusetts, John Callahan from Ohio(?) Bill Brickley from Ancorage, Alaska, Jack Holden from California and a slew of others.
Good times, hard work.
You asked about the ComCenter. In my time it was situated across the parking lot on the first floor of another building, a Transportation Company, I believe. I love this site and enjoy reading people's narratives of their experiences! |
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| 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from John Lundgren, HHB 69th Arty Gp, 1968-1969) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1970 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Stephen L. Cobb, 6th Bn, 52nd ADA and HHB 69th ADA Gp, 1970-71) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| I cannot record my time in the US Army without thinking of the famous opening lines from The Tale of Two Cities...“It was the best of times and the worst of times”. I had been drafted in July 1969 and was living in Indiana. I had then relocate to upstate NY which delayed my final induction into the Army by 3 months. I did my Basic in Fort Dix, NJ in the middle of the 1969 winter (almost froze to death, my feet still hurt). Then it was to A.I.T. at Ft. Sill, OK for field artillery crewman training. For some strange reason half our company got their orders for Germany, 15 went to Viet Nam, and the balance of our company stayed in the States. I finally arrived at Emery Kaserne, Würzburg, Germany in May of 1970. I was originally assigned to the Headquarters Battery, 6th Bn, 52nd ADA after spending about three weeks in that hideous attic induction/rotation area (I’m sure you all remember that experience with great fondness). My first orders were “If it moves salute it, if it doesn’t, paint it!" This was very true when it came to life at Emery. I still remember a friend using the phrase describing our situation, this place is like a “riot-in-slow-motion”. I eventually found that to be quite true, and still use that expression when anyone asks me what was it like in Germany. I must add that the first German words I learned at Emery was the phrase “Mox-Nix” and of course the term “Boo-Koo” was spoken every 15 seconds it seemed...but I digress. I eventually was transferred to the 69th Arty Gp across the street from the main entrance. During my 1st week at Emery I had been assigned to a sign painting detail and had done some Army Reg./informational signs for a Command Sergeant Major Hatcher at the 69th Group Hq. building. He found out that I was to be shipped out to a TAC line battery somewhere (can’t remember the exact name of the town) in what they called the boondocks. (I had refused to illustrate a mural for the Lt. Col. at 6/52 Hq. — I guess he just decided to get even with me with the boondocks transfer). Anyway, I had done such a good job on the Command Sergeant Major’s signs for the 69th Gp. that he wanted me there under his command to do all his sign painting jobs. Everyone know that the U.S. Army loves their signs! I also painted the unit crests on Helicopter doors for the fly boys on the hill, they would take the doors off for me and bring them to the 3d floor for painting. Well, that’s how I finally got to the 69th Group headquarters. I was assigned to S-3 which was on the very top floor of 69th headquarters building. This was a better maintained building as compared to the 6/52 building which had latrines that were broken and closed up for weeks, we had to shower and using the facilities across the base at the 3d Infantry building (which was a real “Hell Hole” at that time). I still remember that I had gotten on a detail that had to clean up the defecation from the building and grounds every morning because the troops did not want to walk across the base to use the bathroom in the cold, wet, foggy German weather. The city of Wurzburg had also complained of strange happenings coming from the Emery Kaserne (i.e. urination from barracks windows, and other various complaints I won’t mention here). If you were there, I sure you know what I mean. No one back in the world would have ever believed any of this of course. This is probably the first time in almost 40 years that I’ve remember this mess, or even wanted to. I only mention it here just to get it off my mind. I was officially assigned as a clerk typist (but basically painted signs, cleaned, and buffed floors) in the S-3 operations area. Also, located on the same floor to the left as you ascended the stairs was the S-2 Security office. Plenty of “sham-time” all around ... buffing the tile floors (I was a buffer expert), cleaned countless latrines … did countless hours (guard duty at the ammo dump) in that little guard shack on the hill in back of Emery’s 3d infantry Division building — reading comic books, and other things ... made hundreds of gallons of coffee ... going to “Chaplain Autry” when you had a problem or just needing someone to talk with that still had their complete mind in working order (this Chaplain just happened to be the highest decorated Chaplain from the Viet Nam war. Years later I found out that he had also written a book titled: The Gun Toting Chaplain—A true Memoir by Jerry Autry, Col. U.S. Army Ret.). Hey ... Remember the “Burn-Barrel?” This was a 2-man detail to burn/destroy classified documents — a rotating barrel located in back of the 6/52 headquarters building, I still remember the day I forgot to close the lid, and while rotating the barrel many of the classified documents blew over the outside retaining wall and into the highway, I almost received an Article 15 for that one .... running to the “Emery’s Snack Bar” for those great German fried baloney sandwiches, remember the phrase “I’ll-fly-you-buy” ... dodged countless flying beer bottles at the EM club and loved those “pizza-burgers." Remember the phase “Everyday's-a-Holiday-in-the-US Army” ... we played the nickel/quarter slots until we were broke and had to borrow next months pay to get by (never did win any money, probably were rigged anyway) ... went to the movies, that did nothing for your, except remind us of the world we were all missing) ... I’ll never forget the day we had to literally change the air in all the jeeps tires, that was the most stupid “Mickey Mouse” detail I was ever on, funny thing about those jeeps — they never ran, but the tires sure looked good when the Army Inspector General (A.G.I) showed up, of course we always knew in advance when he was coming. Well, I’ll stop there. All you who lived in the barracks certainly know the rest of the activities that went on at Emery. My wife eventually came over to Germany to live. We moved into a little two room apartment in the town called Unterleinach (about 7 miles east of Zell). We were the only Americans in that town, it was like going back in time a hundred years, but at least the beer and schnitzel was good. My landlord had been in the Hitler Youth during the war, and at times I think he wish Hitler had won the war—but, he sure loved those American cigarettes and whisky. Every month he got some goodies left over from my ration allotments (of course those commodities were better than money to the Germans). We eventually became great friends, and exchanged letters for many years after that. I hated to hear that the old place (Emery Kaserne) was closed down in the 1990’s. Hard to believe that at one time Hitler’s troops once lived and trained there — well nothing lasts forever, except our memories, good and bad. Hope you enjoyed my reminiscing (it’s all “Mox-Nix” anyway :-) Oh yes...I did survive my Army experience. I eventually became a “short-timer” (two-digit-midget) and made the rank of Spec. 5, rotated back into the world, via McGuire Air Force base, Fort Dix, NJ, December 1971. What a 2 year trip it was, never had another one like it, hope I never will. |
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| (Source: Email from Robert Brien E-4, HQ 69th ADA Gp 1975-1977) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back in June
1975 I was given orders to report to HQ 6th Bn,
52nd ADA at Emery Kaserne in Wurzburg; my MOS was 72E20,
telecommunications center specialist. At the time the 6/52nd did not
have a slot for a 72E, so for 6 months I was assigned as switchboard
operator for the Hawk Missles on "the Hill" next to the airport. I
remember many a nights watching movies and trying to keep warm in
the Hut. Once I was even sent to Kitzingen on guard duty, one night
about 6 german tanks appeared out of nowhere, surprised me! After many requests I was transfered to HQ 69th ADA, just down the road in Emery Kaserne as a 72E. I was in charge of many a shift at the Communication Center and had many talks with GI's from 3rd 7th, 2nd 57th, 3rd 60th etc... spent many a boring night from 1975 to August 1977 on the teletype with some really great guys, bored just like me. I trained an E-7 on the operations of a Communication Center and he eventually became my supervisor, LOL. I remember there was a Sgt Cox (E-5), and a Sgt Frison (E-5). Cox was a great guy but Frison got physical and at one time when I was in the back of a 5-ton Portable Comm Ctr with bells going off and phone ringing he stated I was not listening and pushed me off the back of the 5 ton and hurt my back. I reported it to SSGT McKenna who talked to him and he was mellower after that. I ended up living off post in Unterdurbach just behing the hill, renting from Frau Shauller. She had a 3 story house next to hers and we lived on the bottom apartment. From my apartment I could walk the dirt road up to the top of the Hill then down to Emery Kaserne. I remember my time in Germany and really would love to go back someday, even though the HQ 69th was moved back to Giebelstadt. |
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| 69th Group AADCP | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Wayne Scarpaci, HQ 69th Arty Gp, 1967-70) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The Würzburg
airfield picture (above) is the only one that I have seen of the 69th
ADA GP's AADCP area on line. The site in the background is indeed
the former AN/MSQ-56A Missile Monitor AADCP. The AADCP site also housed CO B, 11th AD Signal Battalion which provided VHF/UHF tac comm. (With a tower located to the extereme left of the black bldgs). I did not have much to do with the 11th Signal as they were supposedly so short on personnel that they were exempt for all guard duty, KP, etc, which made them very unpopular with us. Also on site was the 69th GP's radio communications section. The site was specifically built for the AADCP and the equipment moved from Giebelstadt AB during the summer of 1966. The AADCP area and the radio section were original covered with the old burlap camouflage nets, top and sides, the nets were removed in early 1968. I understand that the equipment was replaced with an AN/TSQ-73 about 1975, and moved back to Giebelstadt AB where it is today(?). The site in the foreground is the former tac site for A Btry 6/52d ADA IHAWK Towed. The two hangers in the foreground belonged to HQS 69th ADA GP aviation section. The aviation section had 2 OH 13's, 1 CH 34, 1 DeHavilland Otter and 1 DeHavilland Beaver. They were used to ferry around the GP Comdr. and staff for ORE's and the like. The woods on the right were known as the Durrbacherwald. The tower in the middle left of the picture was something of a mystery as it was supposed to have been a lookout post for the Festung Marienburg (the local castle overlooking downtown Würzburg about 10 miles away). I always thought that was kind of poetic as we were the modern day equivalent. The owner of the local gausthaus at the very left edge of the picture (to the left of the tower) had the keys and some of us went up inside the tower one afternoon. Very old from the 12th century. The AADCP proper was located in the center of the site just to right of the black buildings (11th SIG) on the gravel pad between the 2 gray bldgs. (barely discernable) which housed the generators and frequency converters (we ran on German power (50HZ) which was converted over to 60hz and 400hz for most of the time, and only went over to generators for alerts or power failures after about 1969). The radar sat up on the radar berm located towards the runway from the AADCP area. I do not know how well versed you are about the 'Q 56', so a brief description follows. The AADCP was composed of: |
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| The radar was
covered by a radome (in fact an inflatable balloon). The photo above
(AN/MSQ-23A) shows the radar with a white radome -- ours and the ones
at 10th ADA at Wiesbaden and 94th ADA at K-town were all green. We had two complete sets of cables to interconnect the vans and commo equipment, one that was located on the ground in use and a complete second set that was located on reels on the back of 2½ ton trucks (in case we needed to leave in a hurry) which were parked in the motor park area (large tan area on the right rear of the site, the tan bldg. was the motor park shed, and POL storage. One comment, we had a LOT of trucks and vehicles, and spent a lot of time working on them. Across from the motor park was the operations building (basically a fancy Quonset hut), it is the long green building, which housed the site admin section, the 'breakroom', the latrine, and the sleeping quarters, for those with on site guard duty. The radio section was located on the small gravel pad located about half way from the operations building to the AADCP area. Their equipment was located on the back of about four to six 5-ton trucks and were (as far as I know) standard radio/crypto equipment. The perimeter of the site was enclosed with barbed wire chainlink fence about 12' tall with 'prison lights' to flood the perimeter at night and signs to the effect the use of deadly force was authorized spaced every 10 feet or so (and we did have live ammo on guard duty and orders to use it if necessary). There were also about a dozen covered and concealed bunkers/foxholes around the inside of the perimeter to provide positions for site defense. I also visited the AADCP's of the 10th and 94th ADA while I was in and their sites were nowhere near as nice as ours was. At 94th ADA they had taken the wheels off the vans and made it a 'fixed' site, I guess that was an admission as to the general lack of mobility of the Nike system. When I visited the other AADCP sites I got the impression that they were not as 'squared away' as 69th was, which at the time really surprised me. I also went TDY to the GPA bunker at Lauda for a short time in early 1969 as 'scope dope' while our equipment was undergoing refurbishment. I assume the you are aware that 3/7th and (I believe) the 6/60th were self-propelled (SP) HAWK, while the 4/57th was a fixed site HAWK unit, with their radar located on the top of towers similar to those of the Nike sites. The 6/52d was standard towed IHAWK. There was another tier of control at the battalion level, the AN/MSQ-18A/38 Battalion Operation Central (BOC) which was located on the back of a 5-ton truck and had an AN/GSS-5 Electronic Search Central for a radar (basically a upgraded AN/TPS-1G) also located on the back of a 5-ton truck. The radar on the BOC was only good for about 100 miles. The only BOC I ever visited was HHB 6/52d at Ansbach, I was not very impressed -- it was the dead of winter and they had very minimal creature comforts. All the batteries had the Coder/Decoder Groups CDG, which was unmanned and located on the back of a 5-ton truck that enabled us via the BOC's to communicate digitally with the Fire Unit Battery Control Center BCC. We were organized into a squad for each maintenance section, WMC, RDPC, RADAR, and Generators, and that comprised the Q-56 Maintenance Platoon. The site NCOIC was also our platoon Sargent. Q-56 Platoon along with the aviation section occupied the top fourth floor bays of our barracks, while the operators ('scope dopes') got the two man rooms on the second and third floors, which did not do a lot to endear them to us. I am not sure of why but the Q-56 section was always considered the 'black sheep' of the unit. Maybe because of our schools (10-12 months of classroom at Ft Bliss), our easy rank (the upper half of our class was promoted from E-3 to E-5 upon graduation, the rest to E-4). But whatever the reason Q-56 always caught the all 'nasty details'. But we did have a really great view of highway 27 and the railroad yards in Zell across the highway (I used to love to sit and watch the trains). Life in the 69th ADA was not overly pleasant as it seems we were always getting ready for one damn inspection or another, cleaning trucks, having a GI party, or just suffering some sort of general harassment that seem to serve no apparent purpose. (I went on in the national guard for many years and I always tried to avoid the sort of pointless harassment that seemed so prevalent in the Army of the 1960's). In spite of the way it sounds, I did enjoy my time in Germany and the 69th ADA. I am attempting to locate all photos that I can of any AADCP facilities that I can find, with the vague idea of putting together a website that would document what the AADCP's were, where we were, what we did, and what we looked like. I feel the AADCP's deserve more than a footnote or a paragraph on Nike and Hawk pages. After all, we at the AADCP's, too, were soldiers once…and young. Disclaimer: The above information is from 40+ year old memories and I believe them to be accurate, but I would appreciate hearing of any corrections or comments of others. SP5 Wayne Scarpaci HHB 69th ADA GP 1967-1972 |
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| (Source: Email from Robert Brien, HHB, 69th ADA Group) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| In 1975-1977
I was assigned to the 69th ADA Group at Emery Kaserne in Wurzburg,
FRG. I was in charge of the communication center in the basement of
the HHB 69th ADA. My shoulder patch was the 5 Missiles (Christmas
Trees) and my assignment orders say 69th ADA Group. I was originally assigned to the HHB 6/52nd in Mar 1975 with an MOS of 72E20. They had no slots for me, they ran a HAWK missile battery on the Hill behind the Emery Kaserne MSQ-56A Missile Monitor AADCP . I was to become a switch board operator and then a VHF/UHF tac comm operator on the "Hill" on the back of three 5-ton trucks. After 4 months I was transferred to HHB 69th ADA Group and was assigned to the CommCen beneath Emery Kaserne until August 1977. After 2 months I was given charge of the Graveyard Shift at the CommCen. We were the forward for quite a few units; we forwarded all messages via Teletype to the following units: 3rd BN 7th ADA 6th BN 52nd ADA2nd BN 57th ADA3rd BN 60th ADA
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| (Source: Email from Dana F. Davis. Jr.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The first AN/TSQ
73 system arrived in Wurzburg, Germany approximately
25 years ago in March of 1979. Originally there were four operator/repairman
assigned to this system, which was to serve
on as a Group Command and Control Center for the Hawk Missile.
As the Group Headquarters there, four battalions were assigned to us in Southern Germany: 3rd Bn, 7th ADA,
Schweinfurt6th Bn, 52nd ADA,
Würzburg2nd Bn, 57th ADA,
Ansbach3rd Bn, 60th ADA,
GrafenwöhrThese also received the Q73 system during the ensuing months, and as operator/repairmen we performed the initial Army acceptance procedures, together with the aid of a Litton Tech Rep. We also acquired necessary equipment - generators, a duece and a half, a PLL van, an 880, a jeep, etc.; and we spent literally months assigned to "site beautification" details. We repainted the buildings, camo painted the vehicles, and installed all such necessary equipment as desks, furniture, radio and 312 equip, etc. There were also 16Hs assigned to our section, two generator mechanics, and a PLL clerk. We were assigned to HHB of the 69th ADA Group, and lived in the headquarters building pictured here on your web site. As I remember it, the first floor was primarily administrative, the second floor was females, and I believe we were on the third floor. The fourth floor was Group Headquarters, and the 5th floor at that time was quite frequently utilized for such things as classroom instruction, or TA50 inspections. I would like to take this opportunity to record the names of these first four 25Ls assigned at Emery. They were myself, Dana F. Davis, Jr. of Long Island, William Campbell of Florida, Edward Dudock of Pennsylvania, and Calvin T. Harper of West Virginia. We operated in three rotating crews with several crew chiefs including Sgt Cafro, Sgt Barr, Sgt Garner, Sgt Knutsen, Sgt Bey, a Spec 5 - Doug Blanchette. I woud be sincerely interested in hearing from any of these people, or anyone either connected with this section before or since, or anyone who may have served at Emery during this time period. |
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| Missile Control Center, CRC Lauda | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Timothy P. Doyle, MCC, 69th ADA Gp, 1977-79). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Email moved to Missile Control Centers, Overview Page, Air Defense section | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 3rd Bn, 7th ADA (prev. 3rd MSL Bn, 7th Arty) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Check out the new 3rd Bn, 7th ADA YAHOO Group website! | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Nick Tuttle, B Btry, 3rd MSL Bn, 7th Arty, 1961-63) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By August 1961,
I had been in the Army twenty-seven months and had previously had
an Ordnance MOS but been trained as an FDC computer at a 155mm howitzer
outft stationed at Ft. Lewis, WA. I had attended the Sixth Army NCO
Academy at Ft. Ord, CA in 1960 and then attended the ADA School at
Ft. Bliss, TX to obtain the MOB 228.1, HAWK PAR and BCC Maintenance.
After leaving Ft. Bliss, I had orders to arrive at Ft. Dix, NJ on
9 August 1961, for transit to Germany by ship, the Gen. Buckner.
We sailed from Brooklyn Army Terminal on the 12th and arrived Bremerhaven
on the 20th. Arriving at my new duty station, Schweinfurt, Germany, the morning of 21 August 1961, around 0800 after an all night train ride from Bremerhaven, I expected to be picked up by someone from the battery. However, no one was there. All US Forces in Western Europe were on alert and had been for several days due to the fact that the border between East and West Berlin had been sealed with the first crude bits of the Berlin Wall. |
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| By 1815, we were
on our way to the "site," me with my duffel bag, a partial issue of
TA-21 gear and M-1 in tow. Travel was slow, all along the way the
road and roadside were full of troops and equipment, M-48 tanks with
large searchlights mounted above the tube, M-113 APC, SP 8" Artillery,
and more "deuce-and-a-halfs" than I had seen anywhere. As we drove
on, we made small talk, he was from Wisconsin, a short timer draftee,
with about four months left, then back across the "pond" for him --
if things quieted down. I told him a little about me but mainly that
I had left my eight month pregnant wife with her parents before I
shipped out, the baby was due in early September. It was about a 1900
when we arrived at the site. The first thing that I noticed was everyone had on their field gear, carrying their weapons. Next I saw that the Pulse Acquisition Radar (PAR) and the Continuous Wave Acquisition Radar (CWAR) were both rotating and that none of the launchers had missiles. Stump told me that the supply schedule was two weeks out. At that time 36 missiles were to be picked up at an Ordnance Depot in France to be transported back to the site. That's great, we're a firing battery with nothing to fire but small arms; we weren't ADA we were Infantry with some very expensive electronic equipment to look after. I held my M-1 a little tighter as we bumped up the road that cut through the site. Stump took me to the CO and we exchanged salutes along with the normal military protocol. He asked if I had any experience with a MG .50 caliber or a 3.5 rocket launcher. I told him no, only the M-1, the M-2 Carbine, and the M-3 "grease gun." He said, OK, you'll be a loader on one of the 3.5 rocket launchers. After dumping my gear the radio operator took me to one of the emplacement by the motor pool to relieve the cook who was there acting as the loader. The cook headed back to the mess hall (an old re-built Quonset hut). Sandbag emplacements had been set up around the site's parameter to guard against any Soviet troops or vehicles that might have infiltrated the border that was a few km to the east. All night I was there with a SP5 from California, his name was Nakigami. He was to cross-train on the PAR because he had experience with electronics having been an electronic technician on the old 90mm "Skysweep" that had been phased out with the advent of the HAWK. The problem was, they phased out the old before the new had arrived. The next morning I met the sergeant who was in my direct chain of command. MSgt Charles Fentress, one of the finest people I have ever known and worked with, and I still say that today, some 42 years later. He quizzed me about my background, experience and a few questions |
