The songs East of Underground played weren't your run-of-the-mill patriotic marches in fact, some of them included controversial lyrics about race and politics. Its kind of like playing goalie for a soccer team. The family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where they have been for the past 40 years. I was thinking I would have a better chance of determining where I would be sent.. The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. oakleaf777, He never carried a gun because if he was shot, the enemy soldier could have claimed it was self-defense, he said. The experience that most people likely associate with Vietnam is the horror and deprivation of war, so its ironic that that wasnt the real experience of most Vietnam veterans, Lair said. This large and rapid buildup required a tremendous amount of construction, carried out by Army Engineers and largely financed by occupied Germany. The liner notes of East of Underground: Hell Below conclude with a sort of benediction, lifted wholesale from the U.S. Army Field Manual: Because of the unique ability of music to communicate, bands will serve in different capacities of publicity and recruiting, and in the support of civil affairs. Some 20 years later, US President George W. Bush went to war with Iraq over its alleged program to develop weapons of mass destruction. WebAs the threat of imminent invasion receded in the late 1950s, U.S. Army Engineers continued to build and maintain facilities that supported American and NATO combat power and housed and supported U.S. forces and their families, now permanently stationed in West Germany. Upon graduating, I was the only one in our Company sent to Ft. Knox Ky.. All of the other Draftees in our class stayed at Ft Lewis in Infantry. Today, he cautions people not to draw quick lessons from the war. The guys with the gear in the rear. During the war, in-country combat and support troops could be identified on sight, said author Timothy Lomperis, who served two tours of duty in Vietnam in the Army and Defense Intelligence Agency. The entire emphasis is on the narrow combat experience, Lair said. He was awarded the U.S. There are different degrees of experience. I expected it would be worse in Vietnam, but it was a more satisfying experience, Shkurti said. "I've done my own searches on Google and so forth, but I cannot find anything," Hitt says. Most of his time was spent protecting government buildings from Vietnam War protesters. After graduating AIT at Fort Knox I was sent to their NCO Armor School. Like suburban sprawl, the largest American bases just kept getting bigger, Lair said. Eventually Shkurti was sent to Vietnam and served as an artillery officer with B Battery 2 / 35th Artillery at Fire Support Base Lanyard on the Cambodian border in 1970-71. They wore dirty boots and dog tags hanging around their necks. I would have been called a coward by others from the small town I grew up in, so I never considered not volunteering. He served as budget director for the state of Ohio from 1985 to 1987. The stress of military life was constant. "I'm just amazed that [the band's] three singers didn't have hit records after they left the Army. 4) The Alps Swiss, German or French. The band formed while its members were stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. WebHere are our top 13 places to see while youre stationed in Germany: (click on any city name below to learn more) 1) Prague, Czech Republic. To make it even more complicated, just what is a combat veteran? Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). Like all the other members, he was a draftee, and had come from a tiny town in Mississippi. Drug abuse, overdoses, crime and traffic accidents led to several deaths within his unit. Knowing that the threat is so close by is an incentive for people to work together. Six out of seven served on bases. Along with its allies, the US had liberated Germany from the Nazis. The sky swarmed with helicopters. It's there to boost morale, it's there to provide entertainment and comfort for soldiers, it's there to sort of represent what the U.S. is musically, culturally to the rest of the world.". We served honorably. Ask me or any other serviceperson and they will tell you they are proud of their service, Shkurti said. Don't forget Panama and Alaska, Alaska itself in that time period had two Infantry Brigades separate stationed there. 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: This is not about being negative or complaining, but simply having a balanced outlook for your transition. Tomorrow is too unpredictable, especially during deployment, he said. The Office of History, Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Army Center of Military History jointly published this book,Building for Peace: U.S. Army Engineers in Europe, 1945-1991 written by Robert P. Grathwol and Donita Moorhus. Buddy C. Thornton learned from his military service was Always live for the day. None would be here if Vietnam never happened, so it creates bittersweet feelings but no regrets, Thornton said. Napoleon said, An army marches on its stomach, and the U.S. military followed his advice. Those recordings were lost for decades, until a collector discovered an East of Underground LP in 1997. US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY It was still no guarantee you wouldn't be sent to Vietnam and in some cases even be sent to do something else besides what you trained for. When they got home they were all the same (veterans), but they did not all have an equal experience. Even today, many see otherwise, but only at home., One place the guys in the rear and combat soldiers would cross paths was at rearward bases, which ranged from isolated fire bases less than a city block in size to major bases like Long Binh Post that resembled an American city, said Chris Appy, author of three books about the American war in Vietnam: American Reckoning: The Vietnam War and Our National Identity, Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides and Working- Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam.. Even as the war drew down in 1975 and early 1976, the pressure was intense as huge numbers of men came home with addictions and injuries too horrible to really describe, Thornton said. During the war, these men felt like they were part of the military endeavor, but its not what the public celebrates. He wasn't wealthy or connected in anyway and he also had an Infantry MOS and he was one of three soldiers out of his basic training platoon that went to the ROK. Bronze Star and the Vietnamese Army Staff Medal First Class and is the author of four books about Vietnam including The War Everyone Lost and Won.. Those aircraft were used for military airlift, medical transport, and cargo transport operations in the United States and internationally. Long Binh was not a standard base, but it was home to the Armys Vietnam headquarters and showed the abundance and consumerism that was possible to create. Combat veterans offered a truly unique and special contribution to the war, but that doesnt mean it wasnt a sacrifice for people who served as support, Lair said. For the next 17 years the Europe Division of the Corps executed the Army and Air Force construction programs in Europe and supported the NATO construction program. An Army in Crisis His unit in Germany lacked the leadership and necessities to get their job done, he said. It's from here that controversial drone missions are flown against targets in Africa and Asia. 18th Military Police Brigade (United States East of Underground was one such band a multiracial, seven-piece group stationed in Germany at the tail end of the Vietnam War. After that, the search was on for as many of these Army bands as they could find. The cover of East of Underground's self-titled LP. But in Vietnam, the Cold War became an inferno. Call: 988 (Press 1), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. Powered by Invision Community, Vietnam Era Draftees Stationed in W.Germany, South Korea, and CONUS, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY. have hearing loss. They were touted as filling an important gap in NATO's deterrent shield against the Warsaw Pact. Being a noncombatant doesnt mean they didnt feel scared, that there wasnt a looming sense of danger even onthe biggest bases that were considered safer areas, Lair said. One strong memory I have is how tough it was for the families, Thornton said. They were the rear echelon. They were also stationed in Germany, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Korea, Guam and the continental United States. The question became: When will someone tell what my war was like? Lair said. You made a deal in Saigon, and the car arrived in Lawrence, Kansas, said Lomperis, who bought himself a $30 radio cassette player during the war, brought it home and kept it until about 2000. There werent enough NCOs (non-commissioned officers), not enough support or spare parts. The Ramstein base is especially significant, since it is also headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe. "The song selection includes songs that were playing in the States, and very much expressed the countercultural sentiments of political resistance in this country at that time," Hollander says. HMD released its report, Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent Orange-Contaminated C-123 Aircraft, Jan. 9, 2015. They left their families to fight in a war that wasnt popular. WebDuring the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force used C-123 aircraft to spray Agent Orange to clear jungles that provided enemy cover in Vietnam. The goal of keeping soldiers well-fed was that they would be happy, stay out of trouble and avoid vices like drugs or prostitution, she said. He says it was completely random, some bodies had to go to 7th Army and his lucky number came up. Soldiers bought goods with their ration cards, which were punched when purchases were made, Lair said. Built over time for more than $130 million, Long Binh eventually had 3,500 buildings and 180 miles of road covering an area bigger than Cleveland. I talked to many men who felt sheepish that they didnt have those (combat) stories to share, Lair said. You had no say in what your MOS would be. Lomperis served two tours of duty in Vietnam in the Army and Defense Intelligence Agency. 3. 3) Paris, France. Heavily guarded Pershing-II rockets were brought to the US base in Mutlangen in 1983. Men facing shipping out exhibited many types of behavior. It's easy! Out of our entire class I believe two, maybe three guys got orders for Korea. During the era of the Vietnam War, American troops and facilities were neglected forcing Engineers to marshal their slender resources augmented by host nation contributions to keep American forces ready for war and take care of Army and Air Force personnel and their families. They worked in intelligence. In retirement he wrote Soldiering On in a Dying War focusing on the Vietnam drawdown and The Ohio State University in the Sixties.. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. They wore fatigues and carried M16s. 7th Army in particular suffered heavily, especially with loses of combat arms NCOs Then there was the two infantry brigades in Alaska, the 171st and 172nd, both gave up one battalion each for transfer to the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii before it left there for South Vietnam, two full battalions had to be raised to replace the ones sent away. Vietnam As the Soviet system, like the Berlin Wall, collapsed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it appeared that American and allied forces in Europe had accomplished their mission without war. Abook describes and analyzes the important Engineer effort in Europe. Another difference was the sense of solidarity he felt. From sundries like razors and cigarettes, apple juice and chocolate milk to diamond jewelry and Rolex watches, stereos and kitchen appliances, servicepeople could buy just about anything even cars for their wives or girlfriends back home, said Lomperis. The high rate may have been attributed to our being an Infantry MOS, but the only way you didn't go to Vietnam was because of the above reasons. Right, I got you, very interested to know that fine point. They deserve our respect. Your message has not been sent. He was with the 3rd Infantry Division in Schweinfurt. That led to deep divisions between Washington and Berlin. We had an Infantry MOS Soldiers on one of our Sheridan Tanks. Attention A T users. I was going for many reasons, but the most important was to close a chapter of history I felt needed closing, Thornton said. They lived in an apprehensive state. At least in our case. Only about one out of seven were combat troops, said historian Chris Appy, history professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst. So there was a great need for personnel outside South Vietnam through out the entire period, and the refusal to mobilize the Reserves and National Guard only exacerbated the problem. After discharge in 1976, Thornton took his 4-year-old daughter and pregnant wife home to her family and used the GI Bill to earn an a degree in allied health sciences from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The enemy was the Soviet Union and the other signatories of the Warsaw Pact, including the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany. As my husband likes to preach: expectation management.. Is it if you might be in danger of a mortar attack versus projecting violence and delivering it to the enemy? There were Viet Cong all over the place, but if you were street-smart you stayed safe, Lomperis said. 2) Amsterdam, The Netherlands.