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V
Corps
Seventh Army
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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| V
Corps History |
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| 19..
- present |
| (Source: V Corps
- official web site) |
Unit
History (3+ MB; PDF)
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Link  |
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(Source: Photo books given to Sp5 Thomas J. McDougal, Hq/Hq Co, 32nd Sig Bn, 1960)
Sp5 Thomas McDougal served as Senior Staff Photographer in liaison to the Information Section, Hqs, V US Corps, from Jan 1959 to June 1960. Besides several letters of appreciation from officers at V Corps and 32nd Sig Bn, McDougal was presented with two photo books containing copies of photos that he took during his tour with the HQ V Corps IO. Only a few are presented below. |
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1. V Corps ceremony in front of IG Farben Bldg (KB) |

2. 69th Engr Co (Topo) barracks (KB) |

3. Soldiers load Christmas presents for German children in front of 109th MP Pltn barracks (KB) |
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4. 4th Trans Co (MH) Mohave helicopters (KB) |

5. Sp5 McDougal next to his jeep during a V Corps field exercise (KB)
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| 1964 |
| (Source: Norm Newhouse) |
HQ V Corps, June 1964
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I still have a 4 piece copy of the large desk pad from V Corps 1964 on my desk. Creighton Abrams is CG.
NOTE: The image was too large to try to display it as one image. So I have created an 800x660 image (click on thumbnail) that is divided into hotspots. By clicking on the desired headquarters section a large resolution snippet will be displayed with the organizational information. Or, you can just click on the desired section as listed below.
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| 1966 |
| (Source: FM 100-15
Change 1, Field Service Regulations, Larger Units, March 1966) |
Type
Corps, FM 100-15 C1
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The
Type Corps organization shown on the left represents an
example of how a corps could be tailored (in the mid 1960s)
for combat on a large landmass such as Europe when serving
as part of a US Army Field Army (Seventh Army).
The corps is a task force of combined arms and services
with a composition that is not fixed. Some units (such
as the HHC and the Sig Bn) are habitually assigned to
provide the means needed to facilitate command and control.
The Field Army assigns or attaches other units to the
corps. The type and number of troop units assigned or
attached to the corps are based principally upon the corps
mission, the characteristics of the area of operations,
the availability of units, the enemy situation, and the
type of opertations contemplated.
In Europe during the mid-1960s, V Corps performed a peacetime
mission and was organized with the following units: |
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| V
CORPS ORGANIZATION
- 1966 |
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HQ
Company Corps |
HQ/HQ
Company, V Corps |
IG
Farben Bldg, Frankfurt |
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ASA
Bn Attached |
319th
ASA Bn ? (507th ASA Gp) |
Rothwesten
Ksn, Kassel |
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FASCOM
Units in support |
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Corps
Support Bde |
2nd
Support Bde |
Hutier
Ksn, Hanau |
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MP
Bde elements |
709th
MP Bn (15th MP Bde) |
Gutleut
Ksn, Frankfurt |
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Trans
Bde elements |
181st
Trans Bn ? (107th Trans Bde) |
Turley
Bks, Mannheim |
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Ammo
Bde elements |
15th
Ord Bn (Ammo) (57th Ammo Bde) |
Gutleut
Ksn, Frankfurt |
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Medical
Bde elements |
31st
Med Gp (7th Med Bde) |
Cambrai-Fritsch
Ksn, Darmstadt |
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Corps
Artillery
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HQ/HQ
Company |
HHB,
V Corps Artillery |
Cambrai-Fritsch
Ksn, Darmstadt |
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FA
Tgt Acq elements |
Btry
A, 1st Bn (TA), 26th Arty |
Fiori
Bks, Aschaffenburg |
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Btry
B, 1st Bn (TA), 26th Arty |
Francois
Ksn, Hanau |
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Btry
C, 1st Bn (TA), 26th Arty |
Ludwig
Ksn, Darmstadt |
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Avn
Btry Corps Arty |
Btry
F, 26th Arty |
Cambrai-Fritsch
Ksn, Darmstadt |
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FA
Groups |
36th
FA Group |
Babenhausen
Ksn, Babenhausen |
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42nd
FA Group |
QM
Depot, Giessen |
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212th
FA Group |
Fliegerhorst
Ksn, Hanau |
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Signal
Bn |
32nd
Sig Bn |
McNair
Bks, Höchst |
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Aviation
units |
66th
Avn Co (Corps) |
Gibbs
Ksn, Frankfurt |
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Engineer
units |
37th
Engr Gp (Cbt) |
Pioneer
Ksn, Hanau |
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Engr
Co (Topo) |
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Air
Defense Artillery |
10th
AD Group (32nd AADCOM) |
Ludwig
Ksn, Darmstadt |
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Divisions |
8th
Inf Div |
Rose
Bks, Bad Kreuznach |
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3rd
Armd Div |
Drake
Ksn, Frankfurt |
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Armored
Cav Regt |
14th
Armd Cav Regt |
Downs
Bks, Fulda |
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MI
units |
205th
MI Detachment (Corps) |
3804
Ksn, Frankfurt |
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above list is not complete. I will update periodically as I gather
more details. |
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(Source: OPLAN 33001 , Parallel History Project on NATO and Warsaw Pact web site) |
V Corps GDP Sector, 1982 |
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V Corps war planning document, Operations Plan 33001 (General Defense Plan), became effective on January 1, 1981 and served as the basis of action for V Corps to lead the defense within Central Army Group (CENTAG).
The plan consists of two parts, the so-called basic operations plan (OPLAN) and the relevant annexes. The OPLAN includes missions, goals and operational structure to defend CENTAG; detailed instructions for V Corps and its assigned combat and support troops; as well as general orders for cooperation and joint actions with other NATO forces.
The annexes refer to the operational structure of the corps, boundaries of corps and divisions areas for defense operations, guiding principles for conducting operations and ensuring implementation of orders. They also include guidelines for the use of nuclear weapons and chemical agents.
In addition, there are plans for outside reinforcements to V Corps. |
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| V
Corps Artillery |
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| (Source: Email from Joe Holicky) |
I was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, V Corps Artillery in Darmstadt (Cambria Fritsch Caserne) from 9/1970 to 9/1972. I was the Battery Executive Officer. At the time, there were two artillery groups assigned to us, 36th Field Artillery Group (Babenhausen and Hanau) and the 42nd Field Artillery Group (Giessen). There were two Target Acquisition Batteries (A and B, 1/26th). We also had a separate Sergeant Missile Battalion 5/77 stationed in Wiesbaden.
We had 8" Howitzers (self-propelled), 175mm Guns (self-propelled) and Honest John battalions (one in each of the Artillery Groups).
Hope this helps in starting to piece together the history of V Corps Artillery. The Corps Artillery's motto was "Steadfast and Strong." Red border with evergreen tree in the center with the motto on either side of what could be described as a large parenthesis. Lineage of VCA was the 13th Artillery Group (WW II).
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| (Source: USAREUR STATION LIST, 30 June 1954) |
| V CORPS ARTY ORGANIZATION - 30 JUNE 1954 |
UNIT DESIGNATION |
LOCATION |
COMMENTS |
| HHB, V Corps Arty |
Cambrai-Fritsch Ksn, Darmstadt |
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| 30th FA Gp |
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HHB, 30th FA Gp |
Hanau |
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452nd AFA Bn (155mm)(SP) |
Hanau ? |
released from active duty, 17 Jan 1955; (4) |
465th FA Bn (8in)(Tow) |
Hanau ? |
released from active duty, 6 Jan 1955; (1) |
816th FA Bn (8in)(Tow) |
Hanau ? |
released from active duty, 6 Jan 1955; (1) |
| 36th FA Gp |
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HHB, 36th FA Gp |
Babenhausen Ksn, Bab. |
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519th FA Bn (155mm)(Tow) |
Babenhausen Ksn, Bab |
prob replaced by Gyroscope unit |
593rd FA Bn (8in)(SP) |
Büdingen |
inact 25 June 1958 |
594th FA Bn (155mm)(SP) |
Giessen (2) |
inact 25 June 1958 |
597th AFA Bn (155mm)(SP) |
Hanau |
prob replaced by Gyroscope unit |
| 142nd FA Gp |
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HHB, 42nd FA Gp |
Peden Bks, Wertheim |
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194th FA Bn (155mm)(Trac) |
Peden Bks, Wertheim |
released from active duty, 17 Jan 1955; (3) |
393rd FA Bn (155mm)(SP) |
Harvey Bks, Kitzingen |
released from active duty, 7 Jan 1955; (5) |
631st AFA Bn (155mm)(SP) |
Hammelburg |
released from active duty, 17 Dec 1954; (6) |
756th FA Bn (8in)(SP) |
Würzburg |
released from active duty, 17 Dec 1954; (7) |
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(1) 760th FA Bn and 765th FA Bn may have replaced the 465th and 816th FA Bn in Hanau on 6 Jan 1955
(2) USAREUR Station List, Dec 1955
(3) 194th FA Bn was possibly replaced by the 254th FA Bn (155mm)(Tow)
(4) 452nd AFA Bn probably replaced by 288th AFA Bn
(5) 393rd FA Bn possibly replaced by the 282nd FA Bn
(6) 631st AFA Bn probably replaced by the 290th AFA Bn
(7) 756th FA Bn probably replaced by the 804th FA Bn
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| (Source: USAREUR/Seventh Army STATION LIST, 30 June 1967) |
| V CORPS ARTY ORGANIZATION - 30 JUNE 1967 |
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| (Source: USAREUR/Seventh Army STATION LIST, 30 Sep 1971) |
| V CORPS ARTY ORGANIZATION - 30 SEPTEMBER 1971 |
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| (Source: USAREUR/Seventh Army STATION LIST, 1 June 1976) |
| V CORPS ARTY ORGANIZATION - 1 JUNE 1976 |
UNIT DESIGNATION |
LOCATION |
COMMENTS |
| HHB, V Corps Arty |
Cambrai-Fritsch Ksn, Darmstadt |
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| 41st FA Gp |
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HHB, 41st FA Gp |
Babenhausen Ksn, Bab. |
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2nd Bn, 5th FA (175mm) |
Babenhausen Ksn, Bab. |
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1st Bn, 32nd FA (LANCE) |
Fliegerhorst Ksn, Hanau |
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2nd Bn, 75th FA (8in) |
Fliegerhorst Ksn, Hanau |
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2nd Bn, 83rd FA (8in) |
Babenhausen Ksn, Bab. |
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Btry B (TAB), 26th FA |
Cambrai-Fritsch Ksn, Darmstadt |
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| 42nd FA Gp |
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HHB, 42nd FA Gp |
Rivers Bks, Giessen |
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6th Bn, 9th FA (175mm) |
Rivers Bks, Giessen |
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3rd Bn, 79th FA (LANCE) |
Rivers Bks, Giessen |
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2nd Bn, 92nd FA (8in) |
Rivers Bks, Giessen |
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1st Bn, 333rd FA (LANCE) |
Eschborn Ksn, Wiesbaden |
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Btry A (TAB), 26th FA |
Pendleton Bks, Giessen |
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| 212nd FA Gp |
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REFORGER unit |
HHB, 212th FA Gp |
Ft. Sill, OK |
REFORGER unit |
2nd Bn, 18th FA (8in) |
Ft. Sill, OK |
REFORGER unit |
3rd Bn, 18th FA (155mm) |
Ft. Sill, OK |
REFORGER unit |
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529th
FA Bn (Obsn)
Pocket Patch
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| 1st
Observation Battalion, 26th Artillery |
1st Observation Battalion, 26th Artillery DUI |
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1.
Headquarters sign (KB)
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2. Loaded
weapons carrier with trailer (KB) |

3. Abbreviated
summer khaki uniform (KB) |
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4. Honor guard assembling for a ceremony (KB) |

5. Long line at the mess hall (KB) |

6. (KB)
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7. Training at Graf (KB) |

8. (KB)
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| 84th Army Band |
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| (Source: Email from James Rogers) |
The 84th Army Band was the regimental band of the 14th Armored Cavalry, for how long I don't know. However, as a flute and piccolo player in that band (1953-54), I can say with some conviction that the 84th Army Band was stationed at Fulda, Ludendorff Kaserne, while I was there, and not in Wildflecken (as stated in the 7th Army Troop List, June 1956).
The troops thought we had it made, and they were right. Thanks for the opportunity to contribute. |
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| (Source: Email from Larry Roberts ) |
I was a musician with the 84th Army Band, stationed at Downs Barracks...Fulda...from 1964 to early 1966.
We were not at Wildflecken, as stated. The band at Wildflecken was the V Corps band.
The 84th was primarily involved in German-American relations...performing in concerts, parades and other special events all over Europe....such as NATO Taptoe, the 1000th anniversary of the city of Bremen, Fasching in Bonn, etc.
All in all, a great way to spend 2 years. |
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| (Source: Email from Stephen Gilbert) |
I was a musician stationed in Fulda with the 84th Army Band from the fall of 1964 to the spring of 1967. The email from Larry Roberts describes some of the activities of the band during that time, but one correction should be made, I think. There was no Band in Wildflecken during that time. The 84th Band was the V Corps band. It was stationed in Fulda so that it was central to the area in which V Corps units were stationed and was attached to the 14th AC for rations and billeting. The V Corps Headquarters was in Frankfurt at that time, and under the usual circumstances, the band would have been stationed there.
I remember Larry Roberts as a Tuba player with the 84th Band. I played the flute and Piccolo with the band for close to 30 months. I agree with him when he says that it wasn't a bad way to spend your military time.
I have returned to Fulda a few times since I left in 1967. The most recent visit was in 1998 when my mother-in-law died and my wife and I had to close out her estate. By that time, all of the American troops had long since left the area. The Downs Barracks are no longer used for military purposes. The kaserne has been converted into a complex for refugees from Eastern Europe. With the fall of the Soviet system, Germany allowed all ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe to return to Germany as a means of correcting the problems created for them by WWII. Most of the refugees were German in ancestry only; the vast majority couldn't even speak German. The Downs Barracks then became housing for them as well as a training center in which they learned German and obtained skills necessary to enter the German work force. In addition, shops were constructed in the buildings so that they can sell some of the wares they manufacture in the converted kaserne. |
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| V
Corps Special Troops Battalion |
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| (Source: Email
from Norm Newhouse, Special Troops, 1962-65) |
I served (as a 1LT) with Special Troops, V Corps,
1962 -65. Back then Special Troops was a pretty big battalion with
the following units:
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Hq
& Hq Company |
Gibbs
Barracks |
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35th
Transportation Company |
Gibbs
Barracks |
(3 platoons
2 1/2 ton trucks) |
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66th
Aviation Company |
Gibbs
Barracks |
aircraft
located at Bonames AAF |
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69th
Engineer Company (Topo) |
Gibbs
Barracks |
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92nd
Transportation Company |
Gibbs
Barracks |
(1 platoon
each jeeps, 3/4 ton trucks, sedans) |
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109th
MP Platoon |
Gibbs
Barracks |
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LRRP
Company |
Gibbs
Barracks |
(Airborne
recon for our 3 star) |
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All units were
barracked at Gibbs. Along with the 45th Medical Battalion which
was part of 3rd Armored Division. Obviously no aircraft were at
Gibbs. I do not recall the name of the airfield. But it was not
far away. Just north of Drake-Edwards Kaserne as I recall. (The
City of Frankfurt is turning Gibbs into a new emergency center for
the fire department.)
Basically this battalion was a conglomeration of various unrelated
units assigned to direct support for the Corps Headquarters staff.
The battalion was "provisional". Meaning that it had no TOE. Battalion
staff and equipment was drawn from the units assigned to V Corps.
Many years later the Corps were given a TOE for their Special Troops
Battalions.
Hq Company did what Hq companies still do I guess. Provide personnel
and equipment and some mobility to Corps staff. 35th TC (light truck)
had 60 2½-ton trucks with trailers for moving Corps staff to the
field. 66th Aviation Company had a small variety of light aircraft
to support Corps staff. 69th Engineer Company provided complete
mapping services to Corps staff. 92nd TC (Car) had 20 each jeeps/trlrs,
¾-tons w/trlrs, and sedans (Fords if I remember correctly). 109th
MPs provided security and traffic control around Corps areas. LRRP
Company was airborne. They were sort of secretive but I understand
they were trained as small teams to be air dropped behind enemy
lines as listening posts/intel types.
During my 3 years assigned to V Corps I was assigned to the 35th
Transportation Company (Light Truck). My last 18 months
or so I was assigned to battalion staff as S-4. My duties as platoon
leader in the 35th were suspended except for when we went on ready
alerts and field maneuvers. Battalion S-1 came from the 92nd Transportation
Company. Battalion CO and the S-2 and S-3 came from Corps HQ somewhere.
For one year of my three years I had the pleasure to serve under
Creighton Abrams. What a difference from the other 3 star generals.
Less spit and polish and parades and more training and useful experience.
One parade of note was in June 1963 (I think) when the 3rd Armored
Division (a V Corps unit) stood for inspection by President Kennedy.
He went on to Berlin where he made is famous "Ich bin ein Berliner"
speech. Five months later I was just going off duty when I heard
that he had been shot and killed.
I greatly value my 3 years service in Germany (out of total service
time of 40 months). Back then you could get 4 deutschmark for a
dollar, gas was 19 cents at the PX, and life was pretty good. And
we were all doing our little part to help keep those commies on
their side of the wall that they put up to keep their own people
in.
Almost 30 years later that system sure crashed.
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| 92nd Transportation Company (Car) |
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| (Source: STARS & STRIPES, March 1, 1968) |
The 92nd Trans Co (Car) is a V Corps unit tasked with providing transportation for personnel from V Corps headquarters and also serving as a backup to Com Z's transportation unit in Frankfurt (HQ Trans Comd, COMZ in Oberursel?). The car company also has 12 personnel and 10 sedans attached to the 2nd Support Brigade headquarters.
Car companies are assigned only to headquarters of corps or larger commands. Divisions and other smaller units have car squads from transportation companies assigned to them.
According to the article, there are three such car companies (incl. the 92nd)
in USAREUR. However, the USAREUR STATION LIST for 15 Oct 1968 shows four:
85th Trans Co (Car), Böblingen
92nd Trans Co (Car), Frankfurt (HQ V Corps)
519th Trans Co (Car), Heidelberg
(HQ USAREUR)
527th Trans Co (Car), Möhringen (HQ VII Corps)
Only one-third of the 92nd's vehicles are sedans -- the other two-thirds are jeeps and ¾- trucks.
Assignments are given by the company's Dispatch Office. Sedans and other vehicles re dispatched on a priority basis.
The passenger's mission and the number of miles he must travel to fulfill that mission are important criteria for considering assignment of a vfehicle.
1st LT Terry O. Phillipson is the company CO.
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| V
Corps LRRP |
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| (Source: Email
from Bob Murphy, V Corps LRRP Co (Abn) 3779, 1964-67) |
THE FIRST
AND THE LAST LRRPS
A SHORT HISTORY OF V CORPS LRRP-A/75 RANGERS 1961-1974
WILDFLECKEN, FRANKFURT/MAIN, FORT BENNING, FORT HOOD
V Corps Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Company, later Co. A, 75th
Infantry (Ranger), was the longest serving DA authorized LRRP/Ranger
Company in the US Army.
The USA LRRP Co (Abn) 3779 was activated at Wildflecken, Germany by
7th Army on 15 JUL 61 to serve as V Corps LRRP Company in Germany.
It was deactivated on 19 DEC 74 at Ft Hood as Company A, 75th Infantry
(Ranger) where it was performing Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
work for the 1st Cavalry Division.
The company was initially assigned to the 14th Armored
Cavalry Regiment for administration and court-martial jurisdiction.
At that time the company wore the 7th Army shoulder patch with blue
and white Airborne tab and was the only unit near the East German
border on jump status.
The first Commanding Officer was Major Reese Jones and first 1st Sergeant
was Gilberto M. Martinez.
V Corps was deployed across the West German states of Hesse and the
Bayern (Bavaria), facing four of the six most likely Soviet penetration
corridors into West Germany. Company field training exercises included
extensive patrols in the Bad Heisfeld-Giessen, Fulda-Hanau, Bad Kissingen
-- Wurzburg and Coburg - Bamberg corridors to include rehearsals for
deep penetration missions against Thuringian targets typically including
Soviet Weimer - Nobra air installation and Army facilities around
Ohrdruf and Jena. The Company would be used also for special missions
of infiltration that included team placement of T-4 Atomic Demolition
Munitions and locating enemy battlefield targets for Army tactical
nuclear delivery systems.
In autumn 1962 LRRP LT Robert C Murphy flew to England and purchased
maroon berets for the company from his own funds. They were authorized
for wear by the CG of 7th Army for both V and VII Corps LRRP Companies.
The company crest was designed at that time by then Sgt Mike Martin
and the motto "Cum Animus Et Successus" (Through Courage, Success)
added by Murphy.
Long range radio communications received a major boost with the issue
of the AN/TRC-77 CW Radio to the Company in 1962. Civilian technicians
from Sylvania trained LRRPs to use the new radios which served both
V & VII Corps LRRPs faithfully until mid-1968. Few LRRPs knew there
were six "burst coders" for the TRC-77s locked up in the company EDP
(Emergency Defence Plan) safe with other classified equipment.
The company moved to Edwards Kaserne outside of Frankfurt with Captain
William Guinn assuming command from Major Edward Porter in January
1963. The shoulder patch was changed from 7th Army to V Corps with
blue and white airborne tab.
The company moved yet again on 9 MAY 63 to Gibbs Kaserne in Frankfurt
and became part of the V Corps Special Troops (Provisional) working
directly for V Corps G-2.
General Creighton Abrams assumed command of V Corps in 1963 and revoked
the company's maroon berets when he found out they had not been authorized
by Department of the Army.
1964 saw the issue of AN/PRC-25s FM voice radios to replace the AN/PRC-10s
with their infamously poor German-made batteries. Those batteries
were so weak that it was often necessary to keep the radios in sleeping
bags to keep them from going dead in cold weather. The change to PRC-25s
was a major improvement and made it possible to communicate properly
with both Army and Air Force aircraft for the first time.
The company also traded in its M-14 rifles for the new "XM16E1" 5.56mm
rifle in the autumn of 1964 (Yes, they had a high malfunction rate
even when new in Europe, as well as RVN).
The company was often assigned to Honor Guard duties in garrison during
this period. It was chosen as an Honor Guard to represent the US Army
Airborne at the 20th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion in France
on 6 JUN 64 which it did with 122 enlisted men and four officers.
C.O. Capt Norm Carlton even paid for the non-issue white gloves for
the Honor Guard out of his own pocket on that occasion.
Under Captains Guinn and Carlton, the V Corps LRRP's developed and
perfected aspects of Long Range Patrol operations that resulted in
the issue of the first LRRP TO&E (Table of Organisation & Equipment)
7-157E and the publication of the first Long Range Reconnaissance
Company Field Manual, FM 31-16.
The issue of the TO&E in 1965 saw the end of Provisional status for
V and VII Corps LRRPs and the re-designation of both companies.
The company name was officially changed to Company D, (LRP), 17th
Infantry on 15 MAY 65 with the issue of the new TO&E. The company
continued with the same personnel, mission, barracks, and continued
to wear its unique crest.
But the TO&E did result in an increase of authorized strength to 208
men, 24 five man patrols (formerly four man), and a new transportation
section (the company formerly used 2.5 ton trucks from the 35th Transportation
Company located in the same barracks at Gibbs Kaserne. Who could forget
"Romeo" the bespectaled truck driver who fell hopelessly in love with
everything in a skirt and once got hypnotised by the windshield wipers
on his own truck and had to be brought to by the LRRP riding shotgun
as he started to run off the road?).
The TO&E also formalized the trend towards Ranger status with a requirement
for 24 Patrol Leaders, three "Killer" Platoon Leaders, the Ops Officer,
Exec Officer, C.O. and 1st Sergeant to be Ranger qualified. All 208
LRRPs had to be parachute qualified.
The company continued its constant training cycles of Soviet Order
of Battle, camouflage, CW radio operator training, and frequent FTXs,
most of them in winter but big changes were happening in the Army
as the Vietnam war escalated.
In 1967 popular C.O. Charlie Wertenberger announced a "levy" of the
company for Vietnam. Carl Mancini recalls, "When Khe Sanh got hit
(Marines and 173rd) they had a levy come down for airborne personnel.
The C.O. got the entire unit down to the theater and told us what
was going on. He made the married personnel and the people who were
short leave. That left about 60 guys and they need 50 so he asked
for volunteers. He got killed after about three weeks in country but
to me he was a great guy. I looked him up at the wall."
In 1968, the Army began a massive pullout from Europe as part of a
mutual reduction of forces with the Warsaw Pact. It was code named
" OPERATION REFORGER ". (Redeployment of Forces Germany) and the company
relocated from Frankfurt, Germany to Fort Benning Georgia in July,
with Captain Harry W. Nieubar as the company commander.
The Ft Benning barracks was on Kelley Hill and the company was the
only active duty Airborne unit on the post. They still wore the V
Corps patch with airborne tab and were used as Aggressors at all three
Ranger Training sites. "Our patrols used to make life miserable for
the students", Terry Roderick recalls. "And we had legg outfits all
around us on Kelley Hill and we thought we owned the place." Commanding
Officers there included Thomas P Meyer and Dennis Foley. About half
of the company consisted of Vietnam combat veterans at that time,
most of them from the 101st and the 173rd.
The company also ran the RVN Orientation at Ft Benning. Walter Buchanan
says the Orientation gave the troops opportunities to run obstacle
courses including a rope bridge built by another LRRP, Daniel Pope.
Half of the troops would fall off the bridge and the Captain would
say, "Congratulations. You've just passed the Orientation", and tell
them to always remain on their toes in 'Nam and expect the unexpected,
never drop their guard. Then they would all get in the back of their
trucks and head for the barracks. "We used to ambush them on the way
home in the back of the deuce and a halfs", Walter says. "We used
a LOT of det cord and artillery simulators on them." Walter and Daniel
later did a 'Nam tour together in C/75.
The company also assisted Indiana National Guard LRP Company D/151
to get ready for Vietnam in 1968. Calvin Everhart remembers about
a dozen who were short timers or otherwise ineligible to go who stayed
in D/17 when D/151 left for 'Nam.
The company had left its long range AN/TRC-77 Morse Code radios behind
in Germany and carried only AN/PRC-25s in the field. CW capability
rapidly atrophied until 10 LRRPs were sent to Ft Jackson for CW training
at the end of 1968.
By that time, D/17 was training for both European and RVN operations
and then the Army added Riot Training. The latter caused some spectacular
events which made the Army re-think LRRP suitability for crowd control
and that task was dropped.
FTXs supported the RVN mission and in 1969 the company began sending
trained LRPs to other LRP Companies in Vietnam weekly. By this time
the company was fielding six man teams as had become standard practice
in RVN.
Co D, LRP, 17th Inf underwent a name change to A/75 Rangers on 1 FEB
69 with Captain Thomas P. Meyer as Commanding Officer. There was no
ceremony according to several people who were there. Ranger unit crests
were issued and the company was required to adopt a 197th Infantry
Brigade shoulder patch with Airborne tab and a new jump wings background.
Despite those changes, the company retained its REFORGER mission as
V Corps LRRP and that is the main reason why it was never deployed
to Vietnam. A/75 was now a Ranger company but it had very few tabbed
Rangers and it stayed that way. "It was a sore spot, but the company
just could not get the training slots", Terry Roderick remembers.
"Here we were, the big Ranger company at Ft Benning, but we weren't
Rangers, we were LRPs. It was a crock and we knew it."
One benefit of being at Ft Benning was proximity to the jump and Pathfinder
schools and many A/75 people made "recreational jumps" at the schools.
But most of the guys who had served in Vietnam had not jumped in more
than a year. Many had never even made their cherry jump. Richard McClung
was assigned to the company after his Vietnam tour and recalls that
when he reported in July 1970, he was pencilled in for a jump on Rapido
DZ. He asked when his refresher course was and 1st Sgt Vick replied,
"When make your jump, Stud."
A/75 transferred from Ft Benning to Ft Hood early in 1970, arriving
on February 3 under the Command of Captain Johnathan Henkel and was
assigned to the 1st Armored Division. The primary mission until June
1972 was to support MASSTAR (Mobile Army Sensor Systems Test, Evaluation,
and Review ). The program dealt with surveillance, target acquisition,
seismic intrusion detector and night observation equipment which paved
the way and benefited the Army in its performance in the Gulf War
twenty years later. The job wasn't as dull as it sounds because the
company was mostly used in an Aggressor capacity against troops using
the test devices.
The mission changed again in July 1972, to provide Long Range Reconnaissance
capability for the First Cavalry Division. The secondary mission was
to stay in a high state of training for the original mission of V
Corps LRRP. A/75 did, in fact, deploy to Germany on an annual Reforger
exercise in 1973 to do exactly the same work as their predecessors
did in the early and mid 60s. By that time more than 80 percent of
A/75 personnel were Vietnam Veterans.
1974 was the beginning of the end for A/75 with the new Ranger battalions
forming around a nucleus of key people, many of them former A/75 members.
The 1st Ranger Battalion sent former A/75 CO Captain Clark and former
A/75 1st Sergeant Romo to the company and they recruited a lot of
company personnel who left in mid-1974.
Second Battalion CO LTC A.J. Baker also came to Ft Hood with his CSM
and recruited another 2 or 3 dozen guys.
The company was deactivated and its guideon cased for the last time
at a fixed bayonet parade on 19 DEC 74.
The last A/75 Commanding Officer was Captain James P. Fitter and last
1st Sergeant was Gary Carpenter (later to become the first Regimental
Sergeant-Major of the 75th Ranger Regiment).
Alan Campbell who was in A/75 at its deactivation and then went to
2nd Ranger Battalion sums up: "A/75 was a great unit. Times were wild.
I still can't believe some of the stuff we did. I'm amazed that no
one went to jail. Even some of the officers would have qualified as
brigands. Still, we did our jobs better than anyone on Ft Hood." |
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V Corps
Patch
w/ ABN Tab
V Corps
LRRP
Pocket Patch
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That guy from 35th Transportation Company (see email above)
couldn't remember the name of the airfield just north
of Frankfurt. It was Bonames Army Airfield. It was a nice
little airfield surrounded by farm fields in those days
and the Frankfurt Giessen Road ran past the end of the
runway. We used to jump out of there in CH-34s and L-20s
and would usually just get up to jump height and drop
on the opposite side of the road into farm fields that
are now covered by high rise apartments.
By the way, 35th Transportation Company used to provide
us with deuce and a halfs and drivers to carry troops
and supplies (we had our own commo vans) up until mid
1965 when the company got it's TO&E and then we got our
own trucks.
I'm kind of an unofficial historian for the company which
was founded in Wildflecken in 1961, then moved to Drake-Edwards
then to Gibbs until 1968 and then to Fort Benning and
after that Fort Hood until it was disbanded in 1974.
Gibbs Kaserne was at Giessener Str & Marbach Weg and that
is where V Corps Special Troops were based, including
the LRRPs. It was a really nice base, good buildings,
handy size, in a residential neighborhood, two strassenbahn
lines (7 Louisa and 13 Berkersheim) to the front gate
and a trinkhalle across the road. Gibbs had a good library,
a darkroom, QM Laundry, EES snackbar and PX, gym, parade
ground, EM & NCO clubs and a mess hall where we all gladly
paid old kamerade to pull KP for us.
During that whole time the company's main role was to
LRRP for V Corps in the event of war in Europe and that
is why the company was never sent to Vietnam. We even
continued to wear the V Corps shoulder patch with airborne
tab most of the time we were at Fort Benning, until the
company was renamed A Company, 75th Rangers in 1969. The
company had its own distinctive crest and for a time wore
maroon berets.
Here is the short history of V Corps LRRP Company that
has been read and added to and approved by several hundred
ex-LRRPs including several C.O.s. I basically rewrote
it off an old Ranger website because it was full of errors
(it dated from the pre-internet era when we couldn't crosscheck
with each other because we had no contact).
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1.
Unit pocket patch
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2. Main
gate (KB) |

3. Sign
in front of LRRP Co bulding (KB) |
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4. EM Club (KB) |

5. Packing shutes on the lawn (KB) |
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6. 4-man
patrol (KB) |

7. Training
mission (KB) |
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8. H-34 of V Corps (KB) |

9. UH-1B
of the 3rd Armd Div ay Bonames (KB) |

10. Men
of LRRP Co run to board an L-20 (KB) |
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11. The former Gibbs Bks in 2002 (KB) |

12. The
former Gibbs Bks in 2002 (KB) |

13. The
former Gibbs Bks in 2002 (KB) |
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| (Source: Email from Richard Cole) |
I was in Germany from November 1959 through 1962. I went with a LRP patrol in Dec 1959 at Kirch Göns, Combat Command "A". We had two patrols and were attached to the 36th Infantry.
Attended LRRP School in Spring of 1960. They formed this company, "V Corps Provisional LRRP Co", in Wildflecken in October of 1960 to train for Wintershield II to test the feasibility and to form a company, rather than have patrols scattered over Europe. We had patrols from the 36th Inf, 3rd Inf Div, Cav units, etc. We were not TOE, but
our efforts paved the way for LRRP companies that were formed in Europe in 1961.
After Wintershield II we returned to our units where we continued our assignments as LRRPs, even though they started to form companies. My time was getting short, so I returned to "the land of the round door knobs." |
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| (Source: The Guardian, Jan 14, 1961, via Richard Cole) |
| The eyes and ears of V Corps move on little cat feet. The Long Range Reconnaissance Company could set themselves up on your front lawn, stay all day, and you'd never know they were there, all the time they'd be radioing your every action, including your dinner menu, back to their base camp. |
LRRP field problem |
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Such proficiency is by constant practical field work. One week in December the entire company, broken down into four-man patrols, went over a 40-km escape and evasion course through hilly, snowbound terrain from Wildflecken to Bad Kissingen, Bavaria. Two Aggressor platoons were in hot pursuit, one of infantry and one of jeep-mounted scouts. The Long Rangers went out on a Wednesday, came back an a Friday. The following Monday they turned right around and went back into the field for three days to set up a radio communications network from camouflaged observation posts. The net stretched over a perimeter bounded by anchor-points in Wildflecken, Mannheim, and Wurzburg.
Last week the company was in the field again sending radio messages to base stations in Wildflecken, Schweinfurt, and Bamberg.
"Duly with the Long Range Patrol consists of cold feet, very little sleep, and lots of snow in your pockets," says patrol leader Sfc Donald R. Franklin. Unexpectedly, he adds, "I love it. I'm one of those people who loves field duty."
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Franklin's whole patrol is drawn from various Troops of the 7th Cavalry. The highly selected personnel of the Long Range Patrol are drawn from 80 separate companies throughout V Corps.
Nearly thirty Long Rangers, fro | |