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102nd
Signal Battalion |
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| 102nd Signal Battalion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SOULIERES TERMINAL SITE |
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| (Source: Email from Charles Dedon, 102nd Sig Bn) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I found this site on the web.
I was stationed at Soulieres (Company E, 102nd Signal Battalion) from late 1964 until October of 1966. Headquarters for the Company was located in Verdun, which was about 80 miles from Souliers. There were about 7 of us Army men and 1 Air Force man stationed at the site, as we shared floorspace with an Air Force microwave repeater. Our Tower was about 210 feet tall and was the tallest thing around for miles. I climbed it to the top only once and the view was fantastic, but once was enough. We worked 3 shifts, 7 days on and 5 days off. We could pretty much do as we pleased on our days off. Just about everyone bought a car soon after arriving on site. I bought a Triumph Herald 2 door sedan. I took advantage of the fact that Paris was only 70 miles from the site and visited there fairly often. Epernay, Reims, and Chalons were three more cities that I frequented. There were many World War 1 and World War 2 sites and memorials in the area that we all visited. We received separate rations pay from the Army, so we all shared in buying food for the site. We purchased it mainly at the commissary in Verdun, but did get some from the local economy. There was a local bakery that sent out a truck and every morning it would stop at the site and we would buy our bread fresh and hot. It was great. We paid a local woman, Madame Fountaine, to cook for us 5 days a week, lunch and supper. She was from Vertus. We would take turns picking her up in the mornings and bringing her home after supper. She spoke little English, but did her best to teach each of us to speak French. She was a great lady. Gasoline cost right at $2.00 a gallon (3.78 Liters) on the French economy, but the Army sold us coupons that enabled us to buy gas at Esso stations at a cost of about 25 cents a gallon for our personal cars. That was a bargain. At the time one dollar was equal to five Francs. Once or twice a year we would have a party at the site and invite the local city officials and others who wished to come. It was always a success and that helped us to have good relations with the local folks. Most of that time I was stationed at Soulieres, but did spend a couple of months at Angevilliers during the same time that Larry Brogdon was there. Anyway I am sending you a few photos of Soulieres and Angevillers. |
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