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26th
Signal Battalion |
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| Battalion History | ||||
| 1961 - 19.. | ||||
| (Source: 93rd Sig Bde PAO, early 1980s.) | ||||
26th Signal Bn DUIOn August 15 1961, the 26th Signal Bn moved from the States to Germany where it became part of the 505th Signal Group. In January 1965, the Battalion was reduced to zero strength but was later reconstituted on September 19 1965 from elements of other units in the 7th Signal Group. On April 16 1980, the battalion was reassigned to the 93rd Signal Brigade of VII Corps. The mission of the 26th Signal Battalion is the installation of three Corps Area Signal Centers. These centers provide telephone and record communications which link Corps Headquarters to the Division Field Artillery Brigades, higher headquarters and lateral Corps Headquarters. |
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| If you have more information on the history or organization of the 26th Signal Battalion, please contact me. | ||||
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| 1963 | ||||
| (Source: Email from Ed Mitchell, S-3, HQ 26th Sig Bn, 1962-63) | ||||
| I was the S-3
for the 26th Sig Bn in 1963 and left Germany in December of '63 when
the Bn moved out in their last exercise as a full CA Battalion. The S-3 before me was Bruce Harris who retired from the Army as a Lt General, a wonderful man and a great Army officer. When I left Jim Caddigan took over as the S-3. The Company Commanders were Jim Caddigan (C), Al Rushton (D), Ben Olsovsky (A) and Charlie Petronis (B). Ed Mitchell |
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| (Source: Email from Thomas Schulz, Germany) | ||||
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| (Source: Email from David Brockman, HHD, 26th Sig Bn) | ||||
| Hello, I was initially assigned to the 25th. Sig Bn in Karlsruhe (APO 09164), HHQ Det, when I first arrived in Germany. When the 26th Sig Bn was reactivated (1965) I was transferred to HQ Detachment, and helped set up our new HQ in Heilbronn. I believe our Bn. Co. was Lt. Col. William F.Lindsey, the Adj. and Det/Company Co was Lt. James C. Majors - I think, and our 1st Sgt was Staff Sgt, then SFC Danny R. Fancher. I worked in the Bn. Message Center with an office that looked down on the PX and theater. I kept the publications current, did forms control, reproduction, message center distribution, had the Apple Cider (Bn) switchboard and sent the courier jeeps out to the companies. During a winter field exersize, winter of 1965/66, I got emergency reassignment back to CONARC. My memory at 60 yrs is wierd, some things I remember well, others escape me. We did have a tight little unit that worked well together and stayed physically fit. As far as I knew we had no problems with drugs, but sometimes a couple of the guys would partake of too much cognac or beer. The next morning during PE you could tell by the smell of their sweat. As I remember the beer I liked best was Moninger's in the flip top bottle although alcohol was not an important part of my life. While I was in USAREUR, I believed I would be a career soldier and wanted to be a combat troop not a chairborne trooper. So in my off duty time I studied everything I could get my hands on about jungle warfare, escape and evasion, survival and counter insurgency. But it was not to be. While there, I joined the local rod and gun club, and bought a Colt Trooper .357 which I gave to SFC. Danny Fancher in friendship and respect. He was one hell of a good leader, motivator and human being! If anyone knows his whereabouts I would really like to establish contact with him. He was a good friend. I didn't know Col. Lindsey well, but 1st. Lt. Majors was a hell of a good C.O.,Officer and leader of men. I believe I have him to thank for my fast promotion to SP4. He submitted a request for a time in grade waiver and I got my E4 1 year and 3 days after enlisting. Unusual at the time. I wanted to go to the NCO Acadamy which was in a place called Bad Toelz. One of my regrets was that while I was over there I couldn't travel due to really tight finances. I had an allotment going home to wife and kid and series E. bonds. That left me about $40. per month. All in all the 26th was a well run, smooth operating outfit and at least in HQ there was mostly dedicated, hard working guys. The facilities in Heilbronn (09227) Wharton Brks, seemed to me to be an improvement over the old WW2 buildings of the 25th. in Karlsruhe, (09164) Gerzewski Brks. Larger windows and easier to heat. That's all I can think of right now, I hope it helps a little. PS The jeep I used most often was #106, an M151A1. Our rifles were M14's. |
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| 1970 | ||||
| (Source: Email from Murray MacNeill, 26th Sig Bn, 1970-71) | ||||
| I served as a
relay operator in the 26th Signal Bn. in Heilbronn during 1970-71.
I have lost track with everyone except for a Lt. who served with me.
He is now an accountant in Chicago. Since I was young, I kept nothing
of that time and greatly regret having no pictures or other memorabilia
left. I did, however, locate the attached picture of what I believe
to be a Trac-24 antenna! (Radio Set AN/TRC-24 - part of the Radio
Relay system.) I attended an air show in Hillsboro, Oregon, several
years ago and visited an AF unit displaying a signal van that combined
all of the equipment we had in a number of large vans easily fit into
a very small van. Very impressive...when I told them what it was like
when I did the job, they all seemed a bit amazed. I arrived in Germany in early 1970. The 26th Sig Bn was first part of the 7th Army Communications Command (Mannheim), then it changed later in that year. I will locate some old orders to see what it changed to. I was in Charlie Company. I understand one company of the 26th remained in the US, but I do not recall which one. Each company had platoons of Radio Relay Operators, Cable grunts and Comm Center folks as well as the usual support groups. I believe that my company maintained one remote site, but I do not recall where that was. There was another group stationed on a base near Munich. For a part of my stay, I was attached to a Perishing Missile BN in Schwaebisch Gmuend. The main Bn was in Heilbronn. Our unit was once referred to as "Blue Lightning", but this ended when those kinds of self identified nicknames was abolished sometime in 1970. My unit responded to "Crashes", meaning we went into the field, that is, the mountains in the Schwabian Alps to set up when called on alert. We also participated in regularly scheduled exercises, including the REFORGER exercises. We once were thrown out of our usual site by German foresters when it was determined that we were tearing up their forests! Finally, I do recall a first Lt., company commander and West Point graduate, went AWOL to France to protest the war, but he was persuaded to return and avoid a major fuss. Drug use, mostly hashish, was rampant, but it did not seem to affect operations. Comm Center operators were occasionally high on LSD, but that also did not seem to affect operations, except they occasionally forgot to change over codes at midnight. I believe that the Bn had A, B, C and D companies, with E in the US, but I may well be wrong about this. (Webmaster: The History of the 7th Sig Bde states that the Delta Companies of each of the five Combat Area Battalions, including the 26th sig bn, were relocated in 1968 to Fort Hood, Texas, as a part of the REFORGER concept.) Finally, please let me know if you hear from anyone who might have served in the 26th around the time I did. |
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| Newspaper articles | ||||
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| (Source: Heilbronn Eagle, November 24, 1986) | ||||
| Site 96 soldiers
run 'secure' operation
by Mike Novogradac Soldiers at the 26th Signal Battalion's Emergency Deployment Communications Network (EDCN) Site 96 go to work each day with the understanding that they are the vital link to Army communications in Europe. Site 96, one of five fixed, remote communications sites in Germany (Webmaster Note: probably one in five active EDCN sites; there were obviously several dozens of 'fixed, remote' signal sites in operation during this period), operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. "Basically," said site chief Staff Sgt. Billy W. French, "the sites are set up so that any unit in Germany can talk to any other unit in Germany at any time in a secure radio network, by means of encoded transmissions that are received by decoding receivers. "In simpler terms, it's a secure telephone system which is operated through radio waves." French doesn't use the term "secure" lightly. "For an enemy to break into the system," he said, "he would first have to gain access to one of the system's telephones. "Then, he must have a transmitter and receiver that are compatable to our system," he continued. "But that's all virtually impossible, because if this site was overun by an enemy during war, we'd first destroy all our equipment. "Second, the other four sites still in operation would just ignore our system, which would make it useless to the enemy. "In addition, other mobile sites operated by signal units throughout Germany would be providing the vital communications link," French said. With automated switchboards routing system users through encoded microwave and ultra high frequency (UHF) radio broadcasts, system failures are few. "Our main job is to monitor all functions of the system for equipment failures and possible commercial power outages," French said. "In times of equipment failure, pull-out circuit boards or even entire pieces of equipment can be replaced. In cases of power failure, backup generators are engaged." Sgt. Bryan L. Watkins, a radio section sergeant at Site 96, says the facility offers a lot of training to the soldiers who work there. "When it comes to hands-on training, we don't do very much installing, because this is a fixed station that is in operation constantly," he said. "What we're mostly concerned with is maintaining the equipment we use. The system is good and the only chance we get to install equipment is when it goes down. "But," he continued, "there's many advantages. At this site we're mostly all privates, specialists four and sergeants who are actually learning the job of a sergeant first class. "I feel good about my job here," Watkins said. "If USAREUR didn't have this site, USAREUR wouldn't have secure communications -- and that makes you feel good about being behind it all." |
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| (Source: Heilbronn Eagle, June 9, 1986) | ||||
| Signal site
provides vital message link
by Mike Novogradac During command post exercise Able Archer, units of all kinds are spread out all over Germany, doing what the VII Corps commander wants them to do. If the general wants an artillery unit to destroy an enemy town here, his unit does it. If he wants a nuclear, biological and chemical unit to spray some tree killer there, he does that, too. |
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| A fixed, semi-mobile,
secure and expandable communications area, Site 96 is the vital link
between the VII Corps directing element and all the maneuver units
throughout Germany that it controls. "This site exists throughout the year to link VII Corps to major subordinate commands with secure, encrypted, digital telephone communications," explained 1st Lt. Richard A. Solchenberger, executive officer of B Company, which operates the site. "But during Able Archer, we can build on our existing network to cover a greater geographical area, because now, those subordinate units are spread throughout Germany. And with our added communications links, we can support other divisional headquarters units and their subordinate units as well." Solchenberger explained that while other maneuver units are training, Site 96's part in Able Archer is a real mission. "If it weren't for our communications, those other units wouldn't be able to train during this exercise," he said. "If we didn't provide commo, their training wouldn't go anywhere. "And, it's the same situation during war," he continued. "Without us, they can't orchestrate their movements on the battlefield." If they must, personnel at Site 96 can quickly mobilize and set up the same communications coverage in a safe place. "If this site were in danger of the enemy during war," Solchenberger said, "we'd just disconnect from the network, move to a more survivable location and begin communications again. "Also, if our Army is advancing or falling back from the enemy, we have to be able to perform a `leap frog' to the front or the rear to provide that needed commo." |
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| (Source: Heilbronn Eagle, March 30, 1987) | ||||
| Nodal Platoon signals throughout Germany by Mike Novogradac If the Army's average soldier were to visit EDCN (Emergency Deployment Communications Network) Site 98 near Wuerzburg, he'd run to the nearest reenlistment NCO and ask for another hitch in a job specialty that would assign him there permanently. Tucked peacefully away, a few miles into the woods 25 miles west of Wuerzburg, A Company, 26th Signal Battalion's Nodal Platoon is the hub of tactical communications in Germany. |
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| (Source: Heilbronn Eagle, July 29, 1991) | ||||
| 26th bids
farewell to long years of service and pride by Michelle Sarver The sun shined on more than 600 soldiers assembled to bid farewell to the long tradition of dedication that has made up the 26th Signal Battalion. In a parade July 18, soldiers from the battalion, as well as their German and French partnership units showed the precision and discipline that has made NATO a powerful influence on world peace. LTC Robert C. Zelazny, battalion commander, shared his feelings with the soldiers of his unit, "Let me say how proud I am of each of you and what you've accomplished both individually and as a unit. I hope you share that pride and take it with you to your next assignment." The source of this battalion's esprit de corps can be traced to its initial activation in 1941 as the 26th Signal Construction Battalion. The organization distinguished itself participating in five major campaigns during World War II. For its efforts fighting in Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe it was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation. |
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| "In 1961 the
Berlin Wall went up and we were called to fight the Cold War. Since
then, many have been surprised how fast communism has fallen - no
one is surprised that has fallen. The seeds to its downfall were within
the system. (During the Cold War) our mission was to ensure communism
didn't spread beyond its borders. Our hard work and training were
effective in deterring them from making a move." Soon after the Berlin Wall crumbled to the ground, the 26th Signal Battalion was called upon to tackle a new mission on a new battle field. In the beginning of December, 1990 the unit deployed to Southwest Asia to provide the `Voice of the Corps.' Zelazny commended his soldiers for their accomplishments through Operations Desert Shield and Storm. "The battalion's ability to provide communications support during Operation Desert Shield/Storm was a major factor in the success of VII Corps. . . " Three soldiers were recognized for their extraordinary performance during the deployment with Bronze Stars. Zelazny pointed out, ". . . these soldiers are certainly not the only soldiers that have or will receive an award for their heroic action in combat. There are 44 Bronze Star medals pending and 267 Army Commendation medals have been approved... The mission could not have been accomplished without the brave commitment of every soldier standing before you." The battalion commander recognized the value of the unit's German and French partnership units, the Luftlande Fernmelde Lehr Battalion 9, and the 42nd Regiment de Transmission. "This is our last opportunity to enjoy a day with these two outstanding military units. The professional exchanges, joint training ventures and friendly international competitions shared with them in the past have meant a great deal to our soldiers and we will miss them in the future." In conclusion, Zelazny praised the hard work and dedication of the battalion. "You are the best soldiers I have worked with. If I had one wish, it would be that there were no more wars, but if there were, I would want to be with you, the soldiers of the 26th Signal Battalion." At the conclusion of the commanders' remarks each unit passed in revue, showing discipline and dedication in each crease and shined boots as they marched in perfect step. The 1st Armored Division Band then fired the hearts of all with a stirring rendition of the Army song, "As the Army goes Rolling Along." The 26th Signal Battalion is scheduled to deactivate October 15, 1991, as part of USAREUR force reductions. According Zelazny all of the 600 soldiers will have been reassigned tostateside or other USAREUR units by the deactivation date. |
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| Related Links: The Hill "Bad Duerkheim" - Site 09, part of the Emergency Deployment Communications Network (EDCN), was located just west of Bad Duerckheim and operated by 1st Signal Battalion |
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