Closure Announcement - 1992

Item that ran in the New York Times on May 23rd, 1992

Pentagon to Cut Back at 61 Overseas Sites

The Pentagon said today that it would shut down or reduce operations at 61 more military sites in Europe and two in South Korea. The latest round of cutbacks will affect about 6,000 United States military personnel in Europe and more than 200 in South Korea, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The changes in Europe will affect mostly small installations with fewer than 200 employees, like water treatment sites, family housing units and communication centers. Most are in Germany, with some in Greece, Turkey, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, the Pentagon said.
The United States military is cutting its troop strength in Europe from a high of about 314,000 in 1989 to a projected 150,000 by 1995. With the changes announced today, operations at a total of 559 military installations overseas are being shut down, reduced or handed over to the host country.

The largest site affected in Europe is Peden Barracks in Wertheim, Germany, which will cease operations. Operations are being reduced at two other sites in western Germany, Pond Barracks in Amberg and Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart. In Europe, the cuts will affect about 6,000 military personnel, 800 American civilians and 2,500 local nationals.

The cutbacks in South Korea, where operations will be ended or reduced at Songso and Camp Ames, will affect 246 military positions, 6 American civilians and 257 local nationals, the statement said.

PX Receipt

Here's a nice submission for the Blog courtesy of Lyndell Lane, and forwarded to me by Allen Seich. A Peden Barracks PX receipt from 1961. Thanks guys! When I was there in the late 80s we had the PX, a bookstore, a gas/convenience store, a commissary and a stereo/CD store. I don't remember if we had a Class VI store or not (we preferred the local bier store across the river).

Taxi!

Got an interesting note I thought I'd post about taxi service in Wertheim. It was a bit different in the late 80s when I was there, at least in terms of the taxis themselves. All the taxis were very nice Mercedes.

Taxi service, Wertheim
I know this topic is off tangent but I still want to comment on it.To put in the time frame I'm talking about mid-sixties or so. Going up or down the hill was truly an adventure and sometimes darn right scaring. Also, the road was narrow and winding unlike today. There were several occasions taxi driver who we affectionately called "comrade" would pass on a curve scaring the crap- out- of -us. Most of time it was the metal to the pedal all the way. This must have been a cultural thing because back home the cops would not allow this type of driving. But I have to admit there were no accidents. Back in 2006(wertheim) I took a taxi and I was saying to myself..this guy is going to speed up the hilland lo and behold..back to the Nur-emberg racetracks. No something never changes. Survivor. Peden B.