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540th
Engineer Group
VII Corps
Looking for more information from military/civilian
personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army
in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any
stories or thoughts on the subject, please contact me.
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Group
History |
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540th Engineer Gp DI |
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1956 |
(Source: Annual Historical Report, 1956, Seventh Army; USAREUR STATION LIST, 30 Sept 1956) |
ORGANIZATION - 30 June 1958 |
UNIT DESIGNATION |
LOCATION |
COMMENTS |
HHC, 540th Engr Gp |
Ludwigsburg |
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54th Engr Cbt Bn |
Leipheim |
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70th Engr Cbt Bn |
Nellingen |
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237th Engr Cbt Bn |
Regensburg |
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38th Engr Co (Panel Bridge) |
Kornwestheim |
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93rd Engr Co (Float Bridge) |
Leipheim |
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503rd Engr Co (Light Equip) |
Kornwestheim |
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574th Med Det |
Kornwestheim |
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1958 |
(Source: Annual
Historical Report, 1 Jul 1957-30 Jun 1958, Seventh Army, 1958) |
ORGANIZATION
- 30 June 1958 |
UNIT
DESIGNATION
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LOCATION |
COMMENTS |
HHC, 540th Engr Gp |
Kornwestheim |
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168th
Engr Cbt Bn |
Nellingen |
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237th
Engr Cbt Bn |
Heilbronn |
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498th
Engr Cbt Bn |
Leipheim |
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93rd
Engr Co (Float Bridge) |
Leipheim |
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38th
Engr Co (Panel Bridge) |
Kornwestheim |
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503rd
Engr Co (Light Equip) |
Kornwestheim |
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574th
Med Det |
Kornwestheim |
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[1] Source: US
Army Station List, 30 June 1958 |
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If you have more
information on the history or organization of the 540th Engr Gp, please
contact me. |
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(Source: Email
from Edward C Brice) |
I was assigned
to the 540th Engineer Group (C) Headquarters
Company from Oct 1966 to April 1968 in the S-1 section at Ludendorff
Kaserne in Kornwestheim, although I was originally slated to go to
the 38th Finance Co. at Wilkins Barracks in Kornwestheim. The Personnel
Officer CW4 Earl Hoffman asked if I would help out in the S-1 section
temporarily until accommodations were set up at the finance unit for
me. Well, the temporary job which started out running the mimeograph
machine and ended up with myself becoming the section NCOIC at the
end.
The Group at the time consisted of the provisional battalion which
included the HHC 540th Engr Gp, 38th Engr Co. ( Panel Bridge ), 93
Engr Co. (Float Bridge), 320 Engr Co. (Topo) and the 503rd Engr Co.
(Light Engr). All were stationed at Ludendorff Kaserne except the
93rd which was at Nelligen Kaserne. The outlying battalions of the
group consisted of the 9th Engr Bn at Achaffensburg, 82nd Engr Bn
at Bamberg and the 237th Engr Bn at Heilbronn. There was a Aviation
Unit commanded by Maj Thomas E.Dupree (Part of 16th ? ) attached to
our group which I believe was located at a small airfield located
somewhere near Pattonville. Also, Co. A, 1st Maintenance Bn and 574th
Med Detachment were stationed at the kaserne at that time.
The Command Section of the Group was headed by Col Douglas K Blue,
Executive Officer Lt Col David P. Roye and Command Sgt Major Vincent
J Santacroce. Col Blue received his orders to be the Deputy Commander
of the 18th Engr Brigade in Viet Nam during the summer of the 1967.
Col Howard B.Coffman replaced him at the group and who later became
VII Corp Engineer after I had rotated home. SGM Santacroce also received
his orders for assignment to 18th Engr Brigade sometime in 1968.
HHC was commanded by Cpt Charles F Porter Jr, XO 2nd Lt Alan R Goedecke
and Top was 1st Sgt Woods.
The S-1 section went through a few adjutants in my time- 1st Lt Stephen
Meyer, Cpt Edwin R Randels and Cpt Stanley Kawaguchi. The NCOIC was
Sp 5 Charles J Smith with SFC Norman J King the ReUp Sgt and SFC Jack
O Collins running the EM Clubs. No Chaplin was assigned at the time
I arrived and a Catholic Priest Father Suzette from Stuttgart was
assigned to the chapel part time for counseling and Sunday Services.
Later Cpt Edward Dougherty was assigned full time who in turn was
replaced by Cpt John J Feeney Jr.
The S-2 was headed by Cpt William W Childress and NCOIC was MSG Frank
Ruple.
The S-3 was originally headed by Maj Wuertz , who rotated out in 67,
and replaced by Cpt Stuart H Burroughs with SMG Andrew M Gallegos
the NCOIC.
The S-4 section was lead by either 1 Lt Richard S Majewski or 1 Lt
Dennis L McCool and the NCOIC was MSG Thomas A Corpening.
The Personnel Section was headed by CW4 Earl Hoffman, (rotated out
in 67) and replaced by CW3 Lawrence Stockhausen and the NCOIC was
SFC John K Robinette.
I understand from correspondence with fellows remaining in S-1 section
and CSM Santacroce after I left, that the majority of the officers
and senior NCO's rotated over to the 18th Engr Brigade in Viet Nam.
In closing , the men that I was associated with in the 540th were
the finest that wore the uniform and I can not think of any higher
compliments and my only regret was not taking pictures of the personnel
and the kaserne.
Edward Brice |
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ORGANIZATION
- 1966 |
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UNITS
OF THE 540TH ENGINEER GROUP |
540th
Engr C Gp
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9th
Engr C Bn
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82nd
Engr C Bn
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237th
Engr C Bn
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168th
Engr C Bn
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498th
Engr C Bn
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38th Engr Co
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93rd Engr Co
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320th Engr Co
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503rd Engr Co
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(Source: Email
from Donald Edward "Doc" Wuerz) |
The following
was prepared by Donald "Doc" Wuerz, P.E., P.L.S., Lieutenant
Colonel, US Army, Corps of Engineers, Regular Army, Retired, from
memory, efficiency reports, notes, and other data. Kindly report corrections
to him at the email address shown below: CAROLandDOC181@cs.com
This writer was assigned to the 38th (PB) Engineer Company and then
the 237th Engineer (C) Battalion as a 1st Lieutenant from 1956 to
1959, and from 1965 to 1968 with the 237th Engineer (C) Battalion
followed by assignment to the 540th Engineer (C) Group as a Major.
Subsequently, from 1972-1975, he was assigned as Commander, Engineer
District, and Executive Officer to the Director of Facilities Engineering
and Housing, Baden Wuerttemberg District which included the kasernes
for the 540th Engineer (C) Group and subordinate units, as a lieutenant
colonel. |
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FORMER COMMANDERS,
STAFF OFFICERS, AND SENIOR NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS WITHIN THE 540th
ENGINEER (COMBAT) GROUP AND SUBORDINATE UNITS. |
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HEADQUARTERS, 540th
ENGINEER (Combat) GROUP |
Commanders: |
1956 |
Colonel Lloyd L. Rall (Previous to this assignment
he was the Professor of Military Science and
Tactics, PMS&T, at Polytechnic Institute of
Brooklyn, N.Y., and Command Sergeant Major
Rosenberg was his senior enlisted man then,
and again in Germany at the 540th Engineer
(C) Group. |
1957 |
Colonel Steven Malevich |
1959 |
Colonel Graham H. Turbiville |
.. |
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1966 |
Colonel Douglas K. Blue |
1968 |
Colonel Howard B. J. Coffman Jr. |
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Command
Sergeants Major: |
1956 |
Command Sergeant Major Rosenberg |
.. |
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1966 |
Command Sergeant Major Vincent J. Santacroce
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Executive
Officers: |
1956 |
Lieutenant Colonel Hansford D. Ford |
1958 |
Lieutenant Colonel Sidney E. Roberts, Jr |
.. |
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1968 |
Lieutenant Colonel David P. Roye |
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Pilot
and OIC Ludwigsburg AAF (540th Engr Group Asset) |
1956 |
First Lieutenant Roy Gentry |
.. |
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1967 |
Major Dupree |
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S-1: |
1966 |
First Lieutenant Stephen Meyer |
1967 |
Captain Stanley Kawaguchi |
1967 |
Personnel Officer Chief Warrant Officer 4
Earl Hoffman |
1967 |
NCOIC Specialist 5 Charles J. Smith |
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S-2: |
1956 |
Major George A. Smith |
.. |
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1967 |
Major Donald Edward Wuerz |
1967 |
Sergeant Major Sergeant Major Andrew M. Gallegos
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S-3: |
1956 |
Assistant S-3 Captain Lewis Andrew Pick Jr.
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.. |
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1967 |
Major Donald Edward Wuerz |
1967 |
Sergeant Major Sergeant Major Andrew M. Gallegos |
1967 |
Assistant S-3 Captain Stuart H. Burroughs
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1968 |
Captain Stuart H. Burroughs |
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S-4: |
1967 |
First Lieutenant Dennis McCool |
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38th ENGINEER
(Panel Bridge) COMPANY |
Commanders: |
1956 |
Captain John Edward Wagner |
1956 |
1st Lieutenant Walter P. Hayes |
1957 |
Captain Lewis Andrew Pick Jr. |
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1st
Sergeant: |
1956 |
First
Sergeant Wagner |
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Platoon
Leaders: |
1956 |
1st Lieutenant Donald Edward Wuerz (and XO,
Consolidated Mess Officer, Motor Officer,
and Supply Officer) |
1956 |
1st Lieutenant Donald Fritsch |
1956 |
1st Lieutenant Stanley Wallenfeldt |
1956 |
1st Lieutenant Siefert (This name may be incorrect) |
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Platoon
Sergeant: |
1956 |
Sergeant First Class Smith |
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Supply
Sergeant: |
1956 |
Master Sergeant Jefferson |
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503rd
ENGINEER (Light Equipment) COMPANY |
Commanders: |
1957 |
Captain John Edward Wagner |
1957 |
Captain Faris (This entry may not be correct) |
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237th
ENGINEER (Combat) BATTALION |
Commanders: |
1958 |
Lieutenant Colonel Sidney E. Roberts Jr. |
1959 |
Major James A. Dennis |
.. |
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1966 |
Lieutenant Colonel Henry K. Mattern |
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Executive
Officers: |
1958 |
Major George A. Smith |
.. |
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1966 |
Major Donald Edward Wuerz |
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S-3: |
1957 |
Major "No Tatoo" Rule |
1957 |
Major William A. Anderson |
1957 |
Assistant S-3 1st Lieutenant Donald Edward
Wuerz |
1957 |
Captain Paul I. Fowler |
.. |
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1966 |
Captain Bukovitch |
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Battalion
"Barber," (Bald, One Style Fits All): |
1966 |
Major Donald Edward Wuerz |
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Battalion
Mess Officer: |
1957 |
First Lieutenant Donald Edward Wuerz |
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Company
Commanders: |
1958 |
Captain (B Company) David Herdman Cameron |
1958 |
1st Lieutenant (C Company) Jay Hyde |
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82nd
ENGINEER (Combat) BATTALION |
Commanders: |
1966 |
Lieutenant Colonel George Sanders Oliver |
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498th
ENGINEER (Combat) BATTALION |
Commanders: |
1958 |
Lieutenant Colonel John Pearce |
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(Source: Email from Tom Bolon, HHC, 540th Engr Gp, 1968-69) |
I read with interest Edward Brice's remarkable recollection of the 540th during the mid to late 1960s. I was stationed at HHC 540th from January 1968 to March 1969. I, too, was a finance clerk that was temporarily reassigned to a S-4 clerk. I spent my entire tour of duty in S4, working for a succession of NCOICs starting with Thomas Corpenning, who by the way was a terrific soldier. My first OIC was Jim Majewski and Charles Brown was his XO of S4. There were 4 of us finance clerks that were reassigned to HHC, and one each went to S1, S2, S3 and S4. We all arrived in Kornwestheim as E-3s and rotated home as Sp5s. With few reservations, all of us enjoyed our time in the Army.
I noted above that I worked for Captain Charles "Charlie" Brown, I wonder if you or anyone you know may know of his where abouts? I know he was from the East Coast, that he graduated from and played baseball for Brown University. At this time (2006) he would be around plus/minus 65 years of age. Charlie gave me some great advice and guidance and was very instrumental in my return to college, as well as my decision to ultimately go to law school. His advise has served me well and I would like to thank him.
In 1969-70 the 540th Engineer Group was stood down and the group was re-established as the 7th Engineer Brigade which included several additional Battalions. |
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Aviation Section, HQ 540th Engr Gp |
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(Source: Email from Oscar C. Cordo) |
I was also with the 540th Engr Gp from Feb 20 1968 until Apr 19 1969, although in the aviation section.
I do not know how I wound up there, but it turned out great. My MOS was 35M2l68, that is Avionics Navigation Eqpt. with a spanish translator code, and the unit was not authorized that. The 21st Replacement BN in Frankfurt didn't know what to do with me so they send me there. Got there about 11 PM and in the morning, I spoke with SFC Ehmer, the aviation NCOIC. He offered to let me stay there since I was an airplane mechanic in civilian life.
Took my wife and son there and lived in the economy in Beihingen, outside of Ludwigsburg, had a great time.
Names I remember:
Capt Thomast, CW2 Burton, CW2 Flewharty, Helicopter pilots; Capt Gutzwiller Airplane pilot;
SFC Ehmer NCOIC, SP6 RJ Baker, Inspector, SP5 Guzetta, SP5 Nelson airplane mechanics;
SP5 Craver, SP5 Martin, SP4 La Covey, SP4 Attila Molnar, SP4 Fudge helicopter mechanics;
SP4 Bowers, SP4 Bicchiery, SP4 LeFevre, operations clerks.
We had two other CW2 pilots, another SP6 Inspector and two or three more helicopter mechanics.
The name of the airport was Ludwigsburg Army Airfield, and it was right next to Pattonvile Housing area.
We had two CH34, two OH13 helicopters, one O1A Bird Dog and one U6A Beaver airplane.
We stayed busy.
I was awarded a secondary MOS of airplane mechanic so that I could stay there, and was promoted to SP5 with a primary MOS of helicopter mechanic. |
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38th Engineer Company (Panel Bridge) |
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A GARWOOD 20-ton crane of the 38th Engr Co supports the 168th Enginner Bn
during a Rhine River crossing exercise (Günter Oswald)
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38th Engineer Company Creat |
(Source: Letter from E.C. Wallenfeldt, 38th Engr Co, 1956-57) |
The 38th Engineer Company had a crest, or at least a "pin" if the unit was not authorized a crest by ARs, that was worn by members of the unit in 1956 and 1957. Lee Eliason, Sylvester Lyskawa and I designed that crest in 1956. At that time, Lee was first sergeant, Sylvester was company clerk and I was a platoon leader. I don't know how much longer after that time the crest was used since I transferred from the 38th in 1957 to join the 70th Engineer Battalion.
Over the years the 38th has changed its mission from that of a panel bridge unit to that of a medium girder bridge company and, most recently, to that of an assault float bridge company (1998) according to information presented on the Net. The information Edward C. Brice has provided for your web site indicates that the 38th was still a panel bridge company in 1966-69, but I doubt the crest was still being worn.
Enclosed is a photostat of the crest (see list of crests in UNITS OF THE 540th ENGINEER GP) Lee, Sylvester and I designed. The significance of the panel is obvious; the star represents the unit's origination in Texas; and the crossed sabres are intended to show that it started as a cavalry outfit. The red stripe is for the Engineers while the fleur-de-lis is for the company's involvement in WWII combat in France. The German eagle is to indicate combat in that country during the same conflict.
Since I also served with the 168th Engineer Battalion from March of 1957 until March of 1958, I was interested in what William Hokanson reported for the period 1957-1963.
Seeing the information you have posted on the Net brought back memories from almost 50 years ago and those hectic but never boring cold war days. I wish I could remember more details, especially the names of all the folks I served with. |
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93rd Engineer Company (Float Bridge) |
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A 3-float raft is used to ferry a jeep across the Danube River (Nels Pearson) |
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Engineers simulate an attack across a footbridge that they had
previously
erected
at a training site (Nels Pearson)
(Could this be the Leibi Training Site?) |
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1955 |
(Source: David Pearson, son of Nels Pearson who served with the 93rd in Leipheim) |
My father served with the 93rd Engr Co (Float Bridge) in Leipheim from 1955 to 1956.
I have found some old slides taken while he was stationed with the 93rd Float Bridge in Leipheim. I also have his German stein (complete with image in the bottom) from his company time. |
1. 93rd Engr equipment |
2. Smoke screen |
3. Erecting a footbridge |
4. Erecting a footbridge |
5. Location identified |
6. Bremerhaven Columbus Quay |
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1961 |
(Source: Email from Richard Landry) |
I arrived in Nellingen, as a young kid. I was 17 at the time. I was with the 93rd Engineer Company (Float Bridge) until June of 61 and than rotated back to the States.
The 93rd had 3 types of bridge equipment at that time: the Class 60, the Foot Bridge and the ISR, (infantry support raft). Our job was to support the 168th Engineer Bn and any other company in need of bridge equipment during their training exercises.
As a member of a Bridge Co, we spent a lot of our time on the river’s edge. We lived in squad tents due in part to the length of time and number of company's we would be supporting. I should also add that we had portable showers, with hot water and Medic’s that would be attached to us during these long training sessions. We also had a German Mom and Pop concession stand that sold Beer, food and a few other items.
Most of the bridge training was done on the Donau at Günzburg. The summer training sessions were so long for us that we were allowed to bring civil that was used as a bus to take us to Ingolstadt so we could hit the bars there. On the other hand, the winter training there was brutal. I can remember one winter exercise when a Class 60 raft was constructed at night and then sunk. The idea was to bring the raft up the following morning. It got so cold that night that the compressor lines to the raft froze and the raft stayed submerged until the lines thawed out a few days later.
During the Rhein exercises at Speyer each summer, the 93rd was always there. As we did not have enough Class 60 sections to complete the bridge across the Rhein, another Bridge Co always met up with our company and together we were able to finish the bridge exercise.
I had many good photos of sessions along the rivers but all were lost in a fire in 1966. |
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320th Engineer Company (Topo) |
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320th Engineer Co (TOPO) DI |
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(Source: Email from Bob Eilenfeldt, 320th Engr Co (T), 1967-68) |
I was the Company Clerk in the 320th Engineer Company (Topo) from March, 1967 until May, 1968. Recently, we were helping my mother clean her apartment and came across a box containing every letter that I wrote home during my two years in the Army and the attached photos. This piqued my interest so I googled 540th Engineer Group and found your website. I also enjoyed read Ed Brice's comments. I remember Ed being in the 540th Engineer Group Headquarters Company while I was stationed there. |
320th Engr Co (Topo)
Ludwigsburg, 1967-68 |
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1. Main gate, Ludendorff Ksn (KB)
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2. 320th Engr Co barracks (KB)
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3. 320th Engr Co sign over entrance (KB)
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4. After returning from a field exercise (KB) |
5. Mess hall (KB) |
6. Wehrmacht statue (KB) |
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7. Bob Eilenfeldt (KB) |
8. CO's jeep (KB) |
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