Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
1991 - Winding Down
This comment was left on the Blog and definitely warrants its own post - thanks Steve!
My experience in 3/35 / Peden as I saw it from a War Deployment, General inspection and end of an era.
I was sent to Peden in August 1990, I was there one week and Sadam Invaded Kuwait. Everyone was gung-ho. A few months later 4/27 MLRS was deployed to the Gulf leaving the new space age barracks empty. The Patriot AD battalion left and the post was occupied for about 5 months into Spring 1991 by only 3/35. What a moral killer for 3/35... I recall people getting 4187 forms filled out and hoping to get picked for battle. If I recall, only 4 or 5 were selected, but they were truck driver MOS.
Spring 1991:
At this time we were 7th Corp, LT General Franks visited via chopper out on the FTA area, it was like a President coming to dinner, worst week in many lives, inspections were just made up on the spot, inspect the attic, drains and oxygen, who put the clouds there? You can imagine the ass kissing going on, who has cleanest Battery crap. Comical now, but stupid at the time. We occupied the FTA and Rear-of-the-peace face away from the piece fall in... The General walked the old ass 8" gun line, talking to some, avoiding others. I swear I thought I saw him roll his eyes at our gun. The best part, the General stayed 45 minutes... Never leaving the FTA. We deploy for 3 weeks, came back for 2, clean everything, then redeploy for another 3 weeks non-stop for about 4 months.Around summer 1991 we changed from 8" to M109 A1 and became 3ID (3rd Infantry Division) sew all new patches on everything. Command inspections, memorize your new chain of command etc... It was a welcome change.. trust me.... those 548's could not be anymore destroyed over the years. We went to Graf, Wildchicken and Hohenfels with the new guns.
In December / January, my memory is a little foggy, we heard rumor we are on the chopping blocks. LTC James B Godwin Jr, Battalion Commander, held a special meeting with 3/35 in the theater stating "we are not going anywhere". Funny thing is, I was placed in S4 as the Battalion Budget Clerk for previous 5 months, I knew we are going away, as supply requests were being denied, hush hush stuff. So, February 1992 the news came and assignments were given out at last call every evening for about 2 weeks. My name was not called until March 15th, there was about 10 3/35 left, two privates (one was me), one cook, two NCO, two Officers and one Medic. Many of 3/35 were sent to Ft. Stewart, Ft. Sill and Ft. Leavenworth. One new Private of 3 months was actually sent to Hawaii...
During all this, the buildings were stripped of wall lockers, beds. Tossing things out of windows onto front areas, back areas. It was like Ghost Adventures and the empty rooms, desks sitting in hallways, trash on the floors. I remember driving to Patton Barracks to deliver our Arms vividly as a convoy of 3 HEMMT and 10 MP escorts. What a site on the Autobahn...All Howitzers, 577, trucks, you name it.. were cleaned like new babies, lined up where 4/27 motor pool was. Then rail headed out to some little town next to France. It was a site... thousands of vehicles, Tanks, Artillery, HUMMV were just sitting in rows as far as you could see
Steve Kielinen C 3/35, SVC 3/35 1990-1992
My experience in 3/35 / Peden as I saw it from a War Deployment, General inspection and end of an era.
I was sent to Peden in August 1990, I was there one week and Sadam Invaded Kuwait. Everyone was gung-ho. A few months later 4/27 MLRS was deployed to the Gulf leaving the new space age barracks empty. The Patriot AD battalion left and the post was occupied for about 5 months into Spring 1991 by only 3/35. What a moral killer for 3/35... I recall people getting 4187 forms filled out and hoping to get picked for battle. If I recall, only 4 or 5 were selected, but they were truck driver MOS.
Spring 1991:
At this time we were 7th Corp, LT General Franks visited via chopper out on the FTA area, it was like a President coming to dinner, worst week in many lives, inspections were just made up on the spot, inspect the attic, drains and oxygen, who put the clouds there? You can imagine the ass kissing going on, who has cleanest Battery crap. Comical now, but stupid at the time. We occupied the FTA and Rear-of-the-peace face away from the piece fall in... The General walked the old ass 8" gun line, talking to some, avoiding others. I swear I thought I saw him roll his eyes at our gun. The best part, the General stayed 45 minutes... Never leaving the FTA. We deploy for 3 weeks, came back for 2, clean everything, then redeploy for another 3 weeks non-stop for about 4 months.Around summer 1991 we changed from 8" to M109 A1 and became 3ID (3rd Infantry Division) sew all new patches on everything. Command inspections, memorize your new chain of command etc... It was a welcome change.. trust me.... those 548's could not be anymore destroyed over the years. We went to Graf, Wildchicken and Hohenfels with the new guns.
In December / January, my memory is a little foggy, we heard rumor we are on the chopping blocks. LTC James B Godwin Jr, Battalion Commander, held a special meeting with 3/35 in the theater stating "we are not going anywhere". Funny thing is, I was placed in S4 as the Battalion Budget Clerk for previous 5 months, I knew we are going away, as supply requests were being denied, hush hush stuff. So, February 1992 the news came and assignments were given out at last call every evening for about 2 weeks. My name was not called until March 15th, there was about 10 3/35 left, two privates (one was me), one cook, two NCO, two Officers and one Medic. Many of 3/35 were sent to Ft. Stewart, Ft. Sill and Ft. Leavenworth. One new Private of 3 months was actually sent to Hawaii...
During all this, the buildings were stripped of wall lockers, beds. Tossing things out of windows onto front areas, back areas. It was like Ghost Adventures and the empty rooms, desks sitting in hallways, trash on the floors. I remember driving to Patton Barracks to deliver our Arms vividly as a convoy of 3 HEMMT and 10 MP escorts. What a site on the Autobahn...All Howitzers, 577, trucks, you name it.. were cleaned like new babies, lined up where 4/27 motor pool was. Then rail headed out to some little town next to France. It was a site... thousands of vehicles, Tanks, Artillery, HUMMV were just sitting in rows as far as you could see
Steve Kielinen C 3/35, SVC 3/35 1990-1992
Friday, April 22, 2011
Ron's Pics
I am remiss in getting up some great pics Ron Winner sent me. His note is below. I'll need to break these into multiple postings. Thanks Ron!
My name is Ronald Winner and I was at Peden Barracks from 1972 – 1975. I was drafted and was sent to Peden as the A Battery Clerk. From there I was transferred to Battalion clerk. A friend of mine was the units photographer so I had access to a lot of pictures so I grabbed a few when I left.
Chow Time
Deployment
In the field
"Gas, Gas Gas!"
Railhead
Ron at Peden!
My name is Ronald Winner and I was at Peden Barracks from 1972 – 1975. I was drafted and was sent to Peden as the A Battery Clerk. From there I was transferred to Battalion clerk. A friend of mine was the units photographer so I had access to a lot of pictures so I grabbed a few when I left.
Chow Time
Deployment
In the field
"Gas, Gas Gas!"
Railhead
Ron at Peden!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Memories of a Young Dependent
This email was forwarded to me by a frequent contributor to the blog. Enjoy!
I was 8 years old when we arrived at Peden Bks. We arrived by troop ship coming from Fort Carson Colorado at Bremerhaven in February 1955. I remember the 14 days across the atlantic and the train ride from Bremerhaven to Wertheim very well. This was the second time we had crossed the atlantic aboard a troop ship. Back then whole units deployed together with support ships. Never saw my Dad the whole time crosssing the atlantic.
My Father was stationed there from February 1955. We left Peden in February 1958. He was a cook for the dining facilities assigned to the 35th FA. and an E-6 at the time. When he wasn't in garrison he was in the field at Graf, Whoenfels, or some other training area. We saw little of him except when the units weren't on maneuvers.
I have very fond memories of life as a kid at Peden Bks and loved everything that I experienced there and especially all the great times as a kid wondering throughout the hills all around Peden.
The toughest part about living at Peden in those days was getting up and down the mountain in the winter. Medical care was a big problem and the closest real hospital was in Wurzburg so, if you had an illness that required real serious medical care, you would have a real nightmare of a drive if the snow came in and it usually was really bad in winter. Once it snowed so hard for so long that our quarters building doors could not be opened from the inside. Soldiers from the garrison were dispatched that one year to help dig the snow drifts from in front of the doors to the building. Three stories, nine families in each stairwell of three stairwells and German maids living in the basement quarters. Funny, us kids loved it, my Mom went crazy worried that we would run out of food, HA! Uncle Sam made sure that never happened because he issued 4 cases of "C" Rations for each family upon arrival. My Mom and Dad had to keep them put away and we were not allowed to open any. When we departed in 1958 the cases were also turned in or my Dad paid. Crazy! The other real problem for my folks was my big brother. He was 15 and in High School. Those kids really had it tough. School for my Brother was in Wurzburg. Kids would catch the buses on Monday and come home Friday. If it snowed and the roads were impassable, the High School and the Command at Wurzburg put them up in the gym. My Mom hated that part most of all. Late in 1957 they started a one room high school class at the Werthiem Elementary and things got a lot better for my folks.
The one thing that I loved most as a kid was the Theatre on post. Every Saturday every kid on post was at the movies. Back then we didn't have money, only American script. We did have change (Not A Lot) and not many pennies. A dime could get you just about anything.Watching Hopalong Cassidy, the Lone Ranger and the News in black and white was great. The other great thing about Peden was the AYA (American Youth Association). At the AYA you could build airplanes and models, play board games, join the cub scouts, play Little League Baseball and just have a great time with all the other kids. Used to be a lot of old Nazi anti-aircraft and machine gun bunkers (Concrete) around post and one big one near the theatre. We played all kind of crazy games including cardboard sliding down the hills around post and exploring the fields and woods around and outside the post. If we could save some phennings up to amount to anything, we would get our bikes and ride up to Volkenroad and by candy at a little candy store there. Sometimes we could bribe our fathers into letting us ride up to Volkenroad to buy beer for them. Mom's would never suspect us, HA!
Anyway, did you know that Peden Barracks sat on top of one of a really large tunnel system? True! One of the secrets some of my friends and I found out one day when exploring. Down the hill in front of Peden, across the ruddabegger fields and down a few walled slopes we found a tunnel entrance and not just a tunnel but a complex. The front entrance was about 25" wide and 25" high made solidly of concrete. Above the entrance way you could still barely see the reddish brown swastika painted on the entrance way. We just happened upon it by chance because the Germans/Americans had tried to conceal it with rubble and brush. This was our secret we swore to always keep. As the days past we did a lot of exploring in that tunnel. The walls and floors were all concrete and there was German markings on the walls that we found ever so often. Inside it was damned dark but we had our fathers od green flashlights and as the days past we got braver and braver. All we ever found in there was old boxes and pieces of trash. The really scary part was the constant water leaks from above and the smell. I would expect that we explored about a quarter of a mile and we imagined that we were somewhere under Peden Barracks when we found the tunnel had several intersections and turns that had been concreted over. We often played war games around that tunnel and never told our parents anything, it was our secret safe place. We called it our Nazi hideaway, HA! I have often wondered about the military history of Peden. I have been told that it was a very secretive German site before and during the war and it was a supply support depot for the Luftwaffe. Some say that in the days during the war that the tunnel system was built with forced laborers. Getting information straight from Uncle Sam is like pulling teeth.
One other thing. Do you know the bridge crossing the river into Werthiem? When I was a kid and often my Mom would take us down the hill to shop, we always noticed the Swastika that was clearly visible on the very top center brace of the bridge on both sides. The Americans had obviously tried to over paint it on many occasions with gray paint but, even then you could still see the fade in reddish brown swastika. When I went back in 1985 I noticed that they had torn down the old steel bridge and built a new one. Back in those days we had not yet established complete trust and there were still some animosity. We often found it in locals who were very abrupt when my Dad didn't accompany us into town but when he was around, different story. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the German people and the best days of my life I spent in Germany. I hope before the Good Lord takes me, I get to go back just one more time.
Yeah life was so good for us kids at Peden Barracks. I will always cherish my memories of Peden Barracks and love to share them with others. Thanks for opening this old door for me.
I was 8 years old when we arrived at Peden Bks. We arrived by troop ship coming from Fort Carson Colorado at Bremerhaven in February 1955. I remember the 14 days across the atlantic and the train ride from Bremerhaven to Wertheim very well. This was the second time we had crossed the atlantic aboard a troop ship. Back then whole units deployed together with support ships. Never saw my Dad the whole time crosssing the atlantic.
My Father was stationed there from February 1955. We left Peden in February 1958. He was a cook for the dining facilities assigned to the 35th FA. and an E-6 at the time. When he wasn't in garrison he was in the field at Graf, Whoenfels, or some other training area. We saw little of him except when the units weren't on maneuvers.
I have very fond memories of life as a kid at Peden Bks and loved everything that I experienced there and especially all the great times as a kid wondering throughout the hills all around Peden.
The toughest part about living at Peden in those days was getting up and down the mountain in the winter. Medical care was a big problem and the closest real hospital was in Wurzburg so, if you had an illness that required real serious medical care, you would have a real nightmare of a drive if the snow came in and it usually was really bad in winter. Once it snowed so hard for so long that our quarters building doors could not be opened from the inside. Soldiers from the garrison were dispatched that one year to help dig the snow drifts from in front of the doors to the building. Three stories, nine families in each stairwell of three stairwells and German maids living in the basement quarters. Funny, us kids loved it, my Mom went crazy worried that we would run out of food, HA! Uncle Sam made sure that never happened because he issued 4 cases of "C" Rations for each family upon arrival. My Mom and Dad had to keep them put away and we were not allowed to open any. When we departed in 1958 the cases were also turned in or my Dad paid. Crazy! The other real problem for my folks was my big brother. He was 15 and in High School. Those kids really had it tough. School for my Brother was in Wurzburg. Kids would catch the buses on Monday and come home Friday. If it snowed and the roads were impassable, the High School and the Command at Wurzburg put them up in the gym. My Mom hated that part most of all. Late in 1957 they started a one room high school class at the Werthiem Elementary and things got a lot better for my folks.
The one thing that I loved most as a kid was the Theatre on post. Every Saturday every kid on post was at the movies. Back then we didn't have money, only American script. We did have change (Not A Lot) and not many pennies. A dime could get you just about anything.Watching Hopalong Cassidy, the Lone Ranger and the News in black and white was great. The other great thing about Peden was the AYA (American Youth Association). At the AYA you could build airplanes and models, play board games, join the cub scouts, play Little League Baseball and just have a great time with all the other kids. Used to be a lot of old Nazi anti-aircraft and machine gun bunkers (Concrete) around post and one big one near the theatre. We played all kind of crazy games including cardboard sliding down the hills around post and exploring the fields and woods around and outside the post. If we could save some phennings up to amount to anything, we would get our bikes and ride up to Volkenroad and by candy at a little candy store there. Sometimes we could bribe our fathers into letting us ride up to Volkenroad to buy beer for them. Mom's would never suspect us, HA!
Anyway, did you know that Peden Barracks sat on top of one of a really large tunnel system? True! One of the secrets some of my friends and I found out one day when exploring. Down the hill in front of Peden, across the ruddabegger fields and down a few walled slopes we found a tunnel entrance and not just a tunnel but a complex. The front entrance was about 25" wide and 25" high made solidly of concrete. Above the entrance way you could still barely see the reddish brown swastika painted on the entrance way. We just happened upon it by chance because the Germans/Americans had tried to conceal it with rubble and brush. This was our secret we swore to always keep. As the days past we did a lot of exploring in that tunnel. The walls and floors were all concrete and there was German markings on the walls that we found ever so often. Inside it was damned dark but we had our fathers od green flashlights and as the days past we got braver and braver. All we ever found in there was old boxes and pieces of trash. The really scary part was the constant water leaks from above and the smell. I would expect that we explored about a quarter of a mile and we imagined that we were somewhere under Peden Barracks when we found the tunnel had several intersections and turns that had been concreted over. We often played war games around that tunnel and never told our parents anything, it was our secret safe place. We called it our Nazi hideaway, HA! I have often wondered about the military history of Peden. I have been told that it was a very secretive German site before and during the war and it was a supply support depot for the Luftwaffe. Some say that in the days during the war that the tunnel system was built with forced laborers. Getting information straight from Uncle Sam is like pulling teeth.
One other thing. Do you know the bridge crossing the river into Werthiem? When I was a kid and often my Mom would take us down the hill to shop, we always noticed the Swastika that was clearly visible on the very top center brace of the bridge on both sides. The Americans had obviously tried to over paint it on many occasions with gray paint but, even then you could still see the fade in reddish brown swastika. When I went back in 1985 I noticed that they had torn down the old steel bridge and built a new one. Back in those days we had not yet established complete trust and there were still some animosity. We often found it in locals who were very abrupt when my Dad didn't accompany us into town but when he was around, different story. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the German people and the best days of my life I spent in Germany. I hope before the Good Lord takes me, I get to go back just one more time.
Yeah life was so good for us kids at Peden Barracks. I will always cherish my memories of Peden Barracks and love to share them with others. Thanks for opening this old door for me.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Peden in the Early 50s
Got a great note from George Alexander who was a Peden dependent in the 50s. His note and some great pics are below. Also got some great pics last month from a Peden unit photographer that I'll be posting soon as well.
"My name is George Alexander. I follow your blog and thought I would share my connection to Peden Barracks. My father, Randy Alexander, a career Artillery officer, was a member of the 194th FA Bn. He left for Germany in the summer of 1952. Our family joined him in September of the same year. We were the third dependent family to arrive at Peden Barracks. I was five years old at the time, but I have vivid memories of Wertheim and Peden Barracks.
Everything was brand new in the dependents area. I remember our family's quarters and the new elementary school. From where we played baseball up on a hill we could watch the long convoys of trucks and howitzers returning from Grafenwoehr or duty on the West/East German border. It wasn't till I was older that I learned from my father there was always the fear that the Soviets would push through Western Europe with their armor divisions.
I can remember Saturday morning matinee's at the post theater, the bowling alley and an occasional trip to Wurzburg for a visit to the "big" PX. My friends and I would visit the Stars and Strips news stand and buy comics with Military Payment Certificates. US currency wasn't used at that time. There was great sledding in the winter. It was fun to watch soldiers playing intramural baseball and basketball. My dad was the clock operator for basketball games at the gym. Our family would take trips, picnics, and we loved eating german food at local Gasthaus. I really enjoyed excursions to castles.
We left in the summer of 1955. After assignments at Ft Sill, Oklahoma and Ft Lewis, Wash we returned to Germany in 1963. We were in Stuttgart till summer 1966. My father retired from the Army in 1968 after a tour in Vietnam. He passed away in 1991. He was always proud of his service in the Artillery Corps.
I spent four years in the Navy during the Vietnam era. While in Stuttgart I met my future wife and after leaving the Navy we married. I'm now retired after teaching for thirty years.
Both my wife and I fondly remember growing up as "Army Brats."
Regards, George"
Peden Barracks Germany Dependents Housing Area 1952
"My name is George Alexander. I follow your blog and thought I would share my connection to Peden Barracks. My father, Randy Alexander, a career Artillery officer, was a member of the 194th FA Bn. He left for Germany in the summer of 1952. Our family joined him in September of the same year. We were the third dependent family to arrive at Peden Barracks. I was five years old at the time, but I have vivid memories of Wertheim and Peden Barracks.
Everything was brand new in the dependents area. I remember our family's quarters and the new elementary school. From where we played baseball up on a hill we could watch the long convoys of trucks and howitzers returning from Grafenwoehr or duty on the West/East German border. It wasn't till I was older that I learned from my father there was always the fear that the Soviets would push through Western Europe with their armor divisions.
I can remember Saturday morning matinee's at the post theater, the bowling alley and an occasional trip to Wurzburg for a visit to the "big" PX. My friends and I would visit the Stars and Strips news stand and buy comics with Military Payment Certificates. US currency wasn't used at that time. There was great sledding in the winter. It was fun to watch soldiers playing intramural baseball and basketball. My dad was the clock operator for basketball games at the gym. Our family would take trips, picnics, and we loved eating german food at local Gasthaus. I really enjoyed excursions to castles.
We left in the summer of 1955. After assignments at Ft Sill, Oklahoma and Ft Lewis, Wash we returned to Germany in 1963. We were in Stuttgart till summer 1966. My father retired from the Army in 1968 after a tour in Vietnam. He passed away in 1991. He was always proud of his service in the Artillery Corps.
I spent four years in the Navy during the Vietnam era. While in Stuttgart I met my future wife and after leaving the Navy we married. I'm now retired after teaching for thirty years.
Both my wife and I fondly remember growing up as "Army Brats."
Regards, George"
George and his sister after Sunday School. 1953
George's parents
Monday, February 14, 2011
Konquest!
"Hello Mark, I recently scanned a poster from a 4th of July concert at the airfield at Peden Barracks. My band Konquest played, we were all regular army, stationed at Peden Barracks. This was our fourth on-post gig. The keyboard player Al and guitar player Dave and I are still in contact. I would love to hear from singer James or drummer Mark, or anyone else who was around then. I also attached a photo of the folks enjoying the concert. Some might remember this sunny day at Peden Barracks, thanks for keeping the memories alive."
Mike C., 17 Charlie turtlepoems@gmail.com
Friday, January 14, 2011
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