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24th
Infantry Division
Victory Division
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 email me (webmaster).
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| Division
History |
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| 1958-1970 |
| (will be adding
information soon) |
24th Infantry Division Airborne patch |
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| (Source: Email from Gary Clark) |
I found your site about the 24th Div, and didn't find my first unit. When I first arrived
in Augsburg in early 1961 I was assigned to Co 'D', 2nd BG, 2nd Inf at Gablingen Ksn.
In 1962, 2nd BG, 2nd Inf became the 2nd BG, 19th Inf. Later the 2nd BG, 19th Inf
became the 2nd Bn, 19th Inf and Co 'D' was disbanded. I was transferred to the 24th
MP Co at that time.
I have attached a MP pic to go with the Airborne that you show. |
24th MP Company Brassard
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| Division
Organization |
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| 1958 (PENTOMIC) |
(Source: ) |
24th Infantry Division - ORGANIZATION 1958:
(Webmaster Note: Station location is based on information obtained from the US Army Station List for June 1959. If a unit was originally located at a different post in 1958, I will note it separately.) |
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UNIT |
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STATION |
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Headquarters Company |
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Flak Ksn, Augsburg |
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2nd BG, 2nd Infantry |
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Gablingen |
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1st BG, 19th Infantry |
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Augsburg |
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1st BG, 21st Infantry |
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Munich |
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2nd BG, 28th Infantry |
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Munich |
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1st BG, 34th Infantry |
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Augsburg |
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HHB, 24th Infantry Artillery |
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Munich |
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1st FA Bn (RKT/HOW), 34th Arty |
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Munich |
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1st How Bn, 13th Arty |
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Augsburg |
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3rd Engineer Battalion |
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Henry Ksn, Munich |
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24th Signal Bnttalion |
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Gablingen |
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2nd Rcn Sq, 9th Cavalry |
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Augsburg |
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3rd Med Tk Bn, 34th Armor |
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Munich |
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Hqs, 24th Inf Div Trains and Band |
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Augsburg |
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24th Medical Battalion |
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Augsburg |
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31st Transportation Battalion |
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Munich |
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396th Trans Co (Lt Trk) |
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Augsburg |
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518th Trans Co (Lt Trk) |
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Augsburg |
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533rd Trans Co (Lt Trk) |
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Augsburg |
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596th Trans Co (Lt Trk) |
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Augsburg |
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24th Administration Company |
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Augsburg |
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24th Aviation Company |
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Augsburg |
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724th Ordnance Battalion |
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Augsburg |
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24th QM Company |
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Augsburg |
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| 1963 (ROAD) |
24th Infantry Division - ORGANIZATION 1963
(Webmaster Note: Station location is based on information obtained from the US Army Station List for December 1963.) |
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UNIT |
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STATION |
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Hq/Hqs Company |
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Flak Ksn, Augsburg |
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3rd Engineer Battalion |
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Henry Ksn, Munich |
HHC, B, C, & D Cos |
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A Company |
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Flak Ksn, Augsburg |
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E Company |
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Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg |
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24th MP Company |
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Flak Ksn, Augsburg |
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24th MI Det (Div) (attached) |
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Reese Bks, Augsburg |
7th Army asset |
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24th Signal Bn |
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Flak Ksn, Augsburg |
HHC, A & B Co |
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24th Aviation Battalion |
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Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg |
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1st Bde, 24th Inf Div |
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Reese Bks, Augsburg |
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2nd Bde, 24th Inf Div |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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3rd Bde, 24th Inf Div |
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Warner Ksn, Munich |
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1st Mech Bn, 19th Infantry |
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Reese Bks, Augsburg |
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2nd Mech Bn, 19th Infantry |
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Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg |
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3rd Mech Bn, 19th Infantry |
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Henry Ksn, Munich |
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1st Mech Bn, 21st Infantry |
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Warner Ksn, Munich |
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2nd Mech Bn, 21st Infantry |
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Warner Ksn, Munich |
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1st Mech Bn, 34th Infantry |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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2nd Mech Bn, 34th Infantry |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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5th Bn, 32nd Armor |
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Will Ksn, Munich |
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1st Bn, 70th Armor |
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Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg |
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2nd Bn, 70th Armor |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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3rd Bn, 70th Armor |
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Henry Ksn, Munich |
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2nd Sq, 9th Cavalry |
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Warner Ksn, Munich |
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HHB, 24th Inf Div Artillery |
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Will Ksn, Munich |
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2nd Bn, 7th FA |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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3rd Bn, 11th FA |
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Will Ksn, Munich |
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1st Bn, 13th FA |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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1st Bn, 34th FA |
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Will Ksn, Munich |
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1st Bn, 35th FA |
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Henry Ksn, Munich |
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Hqs, 24th Inf Div Spt Comd & Band |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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24th Medical Battalion |
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Infantry Bks, Augsburg |
HHC, A, B and C Cos |
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24th Sup & Trans Battalion |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
HHC, A and B Cos |
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596th Trans Co (Lt Trk) |
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Warner Ksn, Munich |
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724th Maint Battalion |
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Reese Bks, Augsburg |
HHC, A & C Co |
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B Company |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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D Company |
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Gablingen Ksn, Augsburg |
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E Company |
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Henry Ksn, Munich |
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24th AG Admin Company |
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Sheridan Ksn, Augsburg |
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| 1964 (ROAD) |
24th Infantry Division - ORGANIZATION 1964
(Webmaster Note: shows only battalion-size units and larger; Source: 7th Army Annual Historical Report for 1964) |
| Click here to see 24th Infantry Division organization for 1 August 1964. |
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| 1966 (ROAD) |
24th Infantry Division - ORGANIZATION 1966
(Webmaster Note: shows only battalion-size units and larger; Source: 7th Army Annual Historical Report for 1966) |
| Click here to see 24th Infantry Division organization for 1 July 1966. |
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| 1959 |
| (Source: Thanksgiving Day Menu, Flak Kaserne Mess , Augsburg, Germany, 26 Nov 1959) |
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| 2nd Brigade |
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2nd Brigade DI |
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| Division Artillery |
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| (Source: Email from
Brad Scheminske, 1st Bn, 35th Arty, 1967-68) |
I was stationed with the 1st of the 35th at Henry Kaserne, northeast Munich, during 1967 & 68. It was an M-109 SP 155 mm howitzer unit. I was the AXO of B Battery and later the XO of A Battery. We were part of the 24th Infantry Division (Mech).
I arrived in Munich in late February or early March 1967 after graduation from OCS at Ft. Sill. I was assigned as the Asst. Executive Officer of Battery B. The unit was a self-propelled M-109 155mm howitzer outfit. I remember my first Battery Commander was Captain Van Stone, don't remember his first name, but I do remember my first meeting with him; it was the first time I heard the line: "We go by first names here, I will call you Brad and you can call me Captain." It stuck, I still don't remember any other first name, but I do remember he was married to a stunningly beautiful German woman named Renate.
The Battalion Commander was LTC Lee, again I don't remember a first name. The B Battery First Sergeant, Sergeant Clifton, was a great Top Kick, straight out of central casting for the role and the only guy I ever met who wore the 24th Infantry Division patch at the top of both sleeves, he'd been with the 24th in Korea.
We were in Henry Kaserne next door to the 3rd Engineers. In about March of 1968 I became the Exec of A Battery. The Battery Commander was 1st Lt. Dale Pulrang. He was a true "redleg" and I am told he now resides in retirement in Lawton, OK, next door to Ft. Sill. I remember the shortage of field grade officers caused by the war in Viet Nam created a situation where many slots were under-filled, i.e. slots for captains held by lieutenants and so on. Also, our supply situation was always short. We never could get requisitioned parts in a timely fashion. Being a nuke capable unit, we were supposed to be able to get "mission critical" parts within 24 hours on an "05" requisition, but that 24 hours sometimes took more than a year, so the combat readiness always was, in my memory anyway, virtually non-existent. I took some comfort in the mistaken belief the Warsaw Pact forces probably were as poor as our forces seemed to be, until they moved in and took Czechoslovakia in about 30 hours in the summer of 1968.
On the upside, living in Munich was one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I fell in love with the Bavarian people and with the beauty of the countryside. I remember there were three kasernes in the immediate area: Henry Kaserne, Will Kaserne and the big one, Warner Kaserne. Across town was McGraw Kaserne. Adjacent to Warner Kaserne was a several block area of pre-WW II apartment buildings used as BOQ's, which was where I lived, an area affectionately known to its inhabitants as the "Dirty Acre" and the Warner Officers' Open Mess close by.
I went back to Munich in the summer of 2001 with my wife and two daughters. In 1967-68 Warner Kaserne was about the edge of Munich, but the city has grown beyond it by at least a couple of miles. I found both Warner Kaserne and Will Kaserne, they both are still there but seem to be occupied by German military, I didn't find Henry Kaserne although it may still exist too. The old Officers Club is still there but has been joined to what was Warner Kaserne and the old "Dirty Acre" still exists and seems to house foreign workers. So far as I could tell, there is no American military presence in Munich anymore. I remember even when I was there, there were rumors the German government wanted us out before the 1972 Munich Olympics.
There remains a significant American military presence in Garmisch. When we were there, only a few weeks before the 9-11 attacks, the gate guards were American civilian women, civilian contractors. I wonder if that has changed since 9-11.
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| 5th Bn, 32nd Armor |
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| 1965 |
| (Source: Email from Byron D. Hanson) |
I was assigned to the 5th Bn of the 32nd Armor on 15 July of 1965.
I was assigned to the 3rd Paltoon of A company as a loader on an M-60. We were stationed at Will Kaserne. Oh Yeah, we had an MP Unit housed right at the back gate. Draw your own conclusions about that positioning. I was there from 15 July 1965 to 18 Febuary 1968.
Our tank park was near Leopold Street and we had a gate direct to the old DZ (Drop Zone) for near by manuver area. My Company commander was named Capt. Brown and he was a VMI graduate. His First Sergeant was F/Sgt Berry. He drove a 1965 Cadillac. I was impressed. (Footnote: Elvis Presely was a member of the 32nd Armor, but it was before my time (and in Friedberg). He was in the M-48 tanks.)
We were equipped with M-60 tanks and a very few M-60 A-1 as "dozer tanks." We were assigned to 3rd Brigade of the 24th Infantry. Our Batallion even had an S-3 Air and the airpale was a Mohawk.
Will Kaserne housed the EM Club and the NCO Club. We had a gym and a field ground for dismounted drill. We also had the medical and dental dispensery. There was an Engineer "Float Bridge" unit on Will Kaserne and we would maneuver with them for water barrier crossings. Will Kaserne was served by the front main gate off of Leopold Street and a back gate that led directly to the "village."
We were in the barracks about four months out of the year. The rest of the time we were in Hohenfels or Grafenwoehr or intransit to some other training area.
Someties we would road march and other times we would "rail" the tanks. Try driving an M-60 onto a German flat car some time. We lived outside (of the post) almost eight months of the year.
Will Kaserne must have been a German Army barracks before our ocuppation. The buildings were already set up for housing troops.
Will Kaserne had a huge tank wash and if you ever were assigned to "extra duty" it would be to dig out the grit pit from all the mud.
There was a field artillery unit on Will Kaserne at the same time as my assignment and they were equipped with 155-mm self propelled cannons and some eight inch self propelled Howitzers. I cannot guess at the unit designation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
(Source: Email from Barney Fergus)
Reference Byron D. Hanson's email above: his last paragraph mentions an Artillery unit on Will Kaserne. It was the 3rd Bn, 11th Arty, which I was assigned to from 1962 till 1964.
It consisted of HQ/Service Btry, A, B, C Btrys of 155's & D Btry of 8-inch guns. A lot of great memories from those days!!
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| Organization Day, 1965 |
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| 1965 |
| (Source: Victory! 24th Infantry Division Organization Day 1965, special edition) |
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Related Links:
24th
Infantry Division in Europe, 1958-1970 Bob Rowen's wonderful
site dedicated to the 24th Inf Div; Bob served with the 24th Infantry
Division Public Information Section in 1963-64. |
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