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39th
Signal Battalion |
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| Battalion History (1950s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1952 - 1957 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Letter from Jim Gillespy, 595th Sig Spt Co, 1952-1953) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 39th Signal Support Bn DUI |
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| Organization of the 39th Signal Support Battalion, November 1952 Lt Col Thomas K. Trigg, Commanding |
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| ORGANIZATION (June 1956): | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| (Source: Email from Richard B. Leather, HQ 39th Sig Spt Bn, 1955-56) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
A 1955 draftee after one year in law school, I was Hq Company Clerk from about April 1 1955 to September 1 1956.
Our C.O. was Lt Col Bardwell -- a rather refined officer by the standards of the day. I never heard him employ a loud voice or profanity. Of course Gen McAuliffe had set a particularly high standard at Bastogne!
The post [Panzer Kaserne, Böblingen] had an uncommon number of relatively recent West Point graduates when I got there, many of them still understandably up tight over deaths of classmates in Korea. I had early run-ins, at a brief 6 week interval, with two lieutenants who took a swing at me (yes, minor assault) for alleged insubordination, and whose career-protecting apologies (one delivered most abjectly in front of Bardwell) cited that factor. Both had thought I was only 17 and needed a lesson in keeping my mouth shut, though that of course served as no excuse.
Several other officers were highly stressed by the prospect of release from the Army in that downsizing era. A Lt. Ramsey comes to mind in that category. He was an exceptionally intelligent individual, made intensely nervous at the prospect of such release.
Master Sgt Wamsley was head of the motor pool. His record was outstanding, from WWII onwards. He was informed that he could be considered for that post at West Point, but that his aptitude test scores were too low. He would instead be transferred to Fort Benning GA. As a black non-com who knew all too well the social setting of GA in that era, he came to me to discuss retesting. He and I worked together for several weeks on math especially, but also English and test elements. He retook the tests at Patch Barracks and got scores high enough for the West Point assignment. It was the first time I got a hug lifting me off the floor from a black man.
The steam plant was frequently down in the quite cold winter of 1955-56. We used bayonets to bang on the radiators from Bau Drei - Dritter Stock while shouting "haben keine steam" from that location into what passed for a phone. Sometimes it worked. When it didn't, that was one damned cold billet.
I was sent to Garmisch Partenkirchen to tax school for two weeks that winter. The quarters were quite refined! On my return I helped prepare tax returns for officers with dependents in Germany.
In those draft days a lot in the 39th beside myself were recent college graduates -- some notable examples:
 -- A Corporal Stuart Margulies was attached to the post as a member of a 7th Army soccer team. He had played on the Columbia University varsity. He later co-wrote a book on chess with Bobby Fischer, America's greatest chess player of the 20th century ("Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess").-- A Cpl Jackman (U. of Michigan?) was poised to enter paperback publishing on his return to the US. I never could find out how his plans worked out. But he was damned smart.-- Another corporal, a graduate of the University of Ohio, frequently burst into tirades of contempt for its fraternity thugs who dominated football weekends. He himself was about 6'3" and weighed 225 pounds.Two other career non-coms should be recalled:
-- A Chief Warrant Officer who was in charge of personnel. He was by most measures the finest skeet and trap shooter in 7th Army. He installed a range in one of the tank traps, and blasted clay pigeons with regularity. He liked to tell a genuine "war story" (but I remain skeptical) in which he and some buddies liberated a German pay wagon in February 1945, claiming that he bought his collection of Belgian Browning shotguns at bargain prices in 1946 and 1947 with his share of the proceeds. The shotguns were superb, I can affirm.-- The mess chief in 1956 was a very talented SFC, whose Section 8 discharge was openly resented by almost everyone on the post who knew him. He was a long serving and decorated non-com of no threat to anyone.In the spring of 1956 every able body in the Hq detachment was mustered to sweep the road to Böblingen, in anticipation of an inspection tour of the post by some general officer careening through southern Germany. He never did show up.
The back path to Sindelfingen and its welcoming bars was well trod in those days. Mercedes Benz was showing real signs of life. I met a beautiful dental technician in a bar there in late summer 1956, about six weeks before heading to Bremerhaven for transit back to the US. We got together about 10 times at the bar and had a serious interest in one another, it seemed. Finally she told me that in view of my limited income, my need to return to law school, and her disinclination to support a student, I should shove off. I liked her practical attitude almost as much as I like her. I wonder how her career and personal life turned out.
Field duty is now a total blur of rain, tents and wire. But that era's peacetime army in Europe had a sensible view of itself and its mission (largely focused of course on the Russians). Eisenhower's heart attack in 1955 made everyone in our unit nervous, and so did the situation in Berlin. I considered myself most fortunate to be assigned to the 39th Sig Spt Bn then, and have been of the same view ever since. Today as a 75 year old, I think the draft should never have been eliminated, if only because service in a 7th Army unit would have benefitted anyone fortunate enough to land there. |
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| Battalion History (1973 - present) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973 - present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
39th Signal Bn DUI |
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| On 15 March 1973, the 39th Signal Battalion stood down in Vietnam and became the last Regular Army battalion to leave South Vietnam. The battalion colors were cased at Tan Son Nhut Airport and escorted to West Germany where HHD, 447th Signal Battalion was redesignated HHD, 39th Signal Battalion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ORGANIZATION (1982): | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Today the unit is located in Chievres, Belgium. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If you have more information on the history or organization of the 39th Signal Battalion, please contact me. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Jeff Lapp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
I was poking around the Internet looking the insignia for the battalion and discovered your site. I was assigned to the 532nd Signal Company from 1976 to 1978. Reading your site did indeed bring back many memories.
I was assigned to an "isolated" signal site in Cologne. The site was deactivated in the spring of 1978. I believe that I was "officially" the last american assigned to Cologne. |
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| (Source: Email from Roy J. Grona, 39th Sig Bn, 1987-88) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
I arrived at the 39th Signal BN in June of 1987. My original orders were to report to Bremerhaven but were amended to report to Chievres, Belgium about two months before I left. When I got to Chievres, the Battalion HQ was located in the attic of one of the older buildings while new space was being renovated.
The Battalion Commander was LTC Gary Clukey, the XO was MAJ David Lopez and the CSM was Donald Allbright. CSM Allbright was single and an avid long distance runner. I spent many days on the road with the CSM visiting the various sites. My office was located in the Battalion Commanders Building. We had the Commander, the XO, the CSM, a secretary and the Retention NCO (Myself). When I got there the Bn was very low in reenlistment and I told LTC Clukey that if he wanted to change his Company Commanders minds, then put me in an office next to his. That would show them that the program was important. Well, after a year, we were Number 1 in 5th Signal Command. That command team was the finest group I had ever served with. I never again had such leaders that really took care of their soldiers and that includes mostly combat unit assignments in my career. They were great examples of the Signal Corps and I would have followed those men to hell if they had asked. The assignment was great. I traveled every quarter to each Company and to many of the sites including Rotterdam, Schinnen, Geilenkirchen, Bremerhaven and so many numerous signal towers that I cannot even remember. I always had a great time visiting these places and will always remember them and the people. I believe that LTC Clukey and CSM Allbright PCS'd in July-Aug of 1988 and a LTC Lynch came in as Bn Cdr . My wife, who worked as a civilian in the S-1 section thoroughly enjoyed her time there.
In July of 1988, I was transferred to USAE, SHAPE, as the Retention Operations NCO when I was selected for E-8. We lived in a little town called Jurbise and our house was on Rue D'Ath, the primary road between SHAPE and Chievres. My wife continued to work for the Battalion until we PCS'd in May of 1990. As soon as I left, I got to the states and then was shipped to Saudi for Desert Storm.
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| 128th Signal Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Sourc: Email from Sue Tully, 128th Sig Co) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
I was assigned to the 128th Signal Company in May 1979 and left in September 1980 to take command of the 270th Signal Company in Pirmasens (also 2nd Signal Brigade, but 73rd Signal Bn). The headquarters of the 128th at the time I was stationed there was in Schinnen, Netherlands. We had the relay site in Brueggen and the relay site in Hoek van Holland which were the parts of the backbone to Martlesham Heath (I am not sure about that). We also had nuclear custodian communications responsibility in Teveren, Germany; Steenwijk, NL; Het Harde, NL; a communications center in Rotterdam; and another relay in Chievres, BE as well as communications support for an AUTOVON at the military attaché in Brussels, NATO HQ. The 270th Signal Company, the world's largest overseas automatic digital network (AUTODIN) switching center, was in Pirmasens, Germany; it was assigned to the 73rd Signal Battalion, one of the Battalions under the command of 2nd Signal Brigade, which was a brigade under the 5th Signal Command. The switch used mag tapes until around 1980 or 1981 when it was converted to disc drives (they were about the size of a small washer with discs the size of vinyl LP records....). The switch had 200 lines/circuits. Our fastest output at the time was 1200 baud; the slowest was 75 baud. One of the newer com centers that we serviced from Zweibrucken had 2400 baud coming in. There was a lot of backlog. We had around 180 troops, almost all of whom had to have Top Secret SI clearances to work in the facility. We also had a small group of MP's who guarded the entrance to the switch. It was a highly visible job and had its drawbacks .... I miss the troops but not the job or the battalion. |
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| (Source: Email from Tom Archard, DCS Chievres then DCS SHAPE, 1983-1989) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
I enjoyed reading through your site, and it brought back some fond memories! I have some additional information about the Chievres radio relay site. This site was actually not a radio relay site, but a Defense Communication System (DCS) station and technical control facility. We transported telephone circuits from the Chievres Dial Central Office (DCO) to Hillingdon, UK tech control. From Hillingdon, there were connections to the UK, Germany and elsewhere. There were several microwave radio relay sites between Chievres and Hillingdon, the closest to Chievres being Flobecq, which was about 15 miles away. This was an Air Force site, and these folks maintained the microwave radio equipment at Chievres. The 128th maintained the other communications equipment at Chievres.
When I arrived on site in August 1983, our equipment consisted of an AN/UCC-4 FDM multiplexer and an AN/FRC-148 microwave radio set. By 1985, this equipment was replaced by the new Digital Radio and Multiplexer Acquisition (DRAMA) program equipment: AN/FCC-100 low speed time division multiplexer (LSTDM), AN/FCC-98 multiplexer, AN/FCC-99 2nd level multiplexer, and an AN/FRC-170 microwave radio set. Hard to believe, but I've heard that this stuff is still in operation! Chievres was now a part of the new Digital European Backbone (DEB) system.
Chievres also added a T-1 cable link sytem to DCS Station, SHAPE. The system consisted of about 5 underground repeater sites between the two facilities. Chievres also began transporting circuits from the Jam Resistant Secure Communications (JRSC) SATCOM site on Chievres Air Base. The JRSC ws also part of the 128th and was installed around 1984.
Tom Archard
DCS Station, Chievres, 1983-1986
DCS Station, SHAPE, 1986-1989 |
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| 176th Signal Repair Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Jack M. Schwartz, 176th Sig Rep Co, 1951-53) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I arrived in Germany in September 1951, and was sent to the repo-depo (7720 EUCOM Repl. depot) at Sonthofen as a "pipeline" replacement. I was there assigned to the 176th Signal Repair Co, Boeblingen, Germany in the MOS 3648, Field Radio Repairman. In December of 1951, I went to the "EUCOM SIGNAL SCHOOL" at Ansbach, Germany for a 15 week course in radio repair, with about 12 others from the 176th. We finished school on March 30, 1952. The 176th Signal Repair Co. was at that time under Headquarters 7th Army, and to the best of my knowledge not affiliated with any other units other than those we shared space with. That is, our barracks were at the Panzer Kaserne, and we were quartered on the second floor of our building. On the first (ground) floor, were the 545th Signal Depot Co barracks. The 176th and the 545th shared a kitchen and mess hall in the building. Our building was one of 4, facing OUT from a quadrangle, and I do remember that the 5th L&L (Loudspeaker & Leaflet Co.) was there, and also the 75 AGL (Air Ground Liaison). The Building along side of us housed what we were told was a combat engineer unit, but don't hold me to it, as I am not sure. The 176th Signal Repair Co. was just that; a repair company. We were a high echelon repair facility, and we were sent on detached service all over the American zone of Germany. We were always assigned on detached service to Ordinance Maint. units. Each repair team had a Team Chief (Staff Sgt. or higher), an Asst Team Chief, and averaged about 5 or 6 men. Each team had 2 vehicles; a duece and a half with a 1½-ton trailer, and a SAR (Shop and Repair van) which was a 2½-frame with a large workshop (van) complete with workbenches, electric outlets and racks for test equipment and tools etc. with storage space beneath the workbenches. The SAR pulled a 5000 watt generator as we supplied our own electricity if needed in the field. Besides the necessary test equipment, we carried supply cases which contained standard electronic replacement parts such as vacuum tubes, switches, resistors, capacitors etc., etc. We carried a number of 5-gallon cans of gas in the trailer. We also carried a full case of of carbine ammo, and two thermal grenades. The grenades were for us to burn out the vehicle engine blocks if we ever had to abandon the vehicles under hostile conditions. When we reached a duty station we would turn over this ordnance until we left. At each duty station we were given a room which we would set up as a workshop. Units in the area which we served would fill out work order forms and bring their equipment to us for repair. We would notify them when the equipment was ready and they would pick it up. The equipment and repair supplies which we had were valued at about $70,000 (we were told) and that was a lot a money in the early 1950s. We kept an inventory of everything we used (with work order #s) and would reorder on a regular basis. We repaired all radio, telephone, electro-mechanical and electronic equipment. The one thing that we did not repair was Radar Equipment; as there was special people for that. I believe that we had about 20 plus repair teams in the field. I myself served on a 6 man team (Signal Team #15) for about 3 weeks with the 357th Ord. MM Co. at Nellingen, Germany in April 1952 // 6 months on a 8 man team (Signal Team #5) with the 556th Ord. MM Co. at Zirndorf, Germany (Pinder Barracks) from May, 1952 to Dec. 1952 // and on a 5 man team (Signal Team #10) with the 48th Ord.MM Co. at Baumholder, Germany from Dec. 1952 to April 1953. When I joined the 176th in Sept. 1951, the commanding officer was Capt. ( ?Glenn J.? ) Christopher and later Capt. Mac C Eversole, but I don't know when the changeover took place. The first indication that I know of that we were part of the 301st Signal Service Group was on my orders to Zirndorf in May of 1952. The first I knew of the 39th Signal Support Group was in Dec. 1952 when I got orders for Baumholder. My orders to ship out in April '53 were also from the 39th, and included men from the 176th, the 545th Signal Depot Co., the 595th Sig. Support Co., and the 596th Sig Support Co. |
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| 518th Signal Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Jerry Hathaway) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
I just want to know if the radio site (part of 39th Signal Bn) is still in Paderborn, Germany. I was stationed with the 518th Sig Co from 1972 to the 1975. I was a microwave radio repairman. Paderborn and Buren were the same radio station at the time I was stationed in Germany. As you may know we were attached to the 22nd Artillery Detachment, which was attached to a British Regiment.
I have misplaced my photos of Linderhofe and of Sennelager (the actual radio site) and I was wonder if you had any so I could share them with my family? It is amazing to just playing around and typing in 518th Signal Company and I found your incredible history page on display.
We use to sit in the mess hall in Linderhofe and look out across the valley below. It was so beautiful.
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| (Source: Email from George Remhof, 518th Sig Co, 1973-76) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I was with the 518th Sig Co and stationed at Linderhofe from 1973 until I left the service at the end of June 1976. It was nice to see Jerry Hathaway and Bob Armour left messages. I knew both
as well as Bob's dad - Big Bob (he was a big guy). I was a 32F2T and one
of the few Crypto guys they ever had. I worked in the MRC-85 vans until
they were packed up and shipped out in 1975. The last year I was there I
clerked for the XO and handled three-times weekly mail and ration runs to
Muenster and back (yeah, we only got mail Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays). If I do some digging, I am sure I can come up with some photos of the site. I will scan them and send them to you. I just looked it up on Google Earth and noticed that the big, square tower they had is gone (similar to the one at Stein). I wonder when that went? It would be nice to reconnect with old friends. On a somewhat related note, my old NCOIC, James Cook, has been trying to contact me via Classmates.com. I listed there but didn't take the bait to pay to become a gold member so I can't read his messages. If one "Googles" my name, I am easy to find. Thanks for hosting and maintaining those USAREUR pages. You are collecting a wealth of neat information. |
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| (Source: Email from Ed Armour, American dependent, 1974-76) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It was fun to find a site detailing the 2nd Sig Gp after all these years. My father (Edward B Armour) was a civilian stationed at Linderhofe from Sep 1974 to December 1976 and helped the 518th Signal Company with tech support for the NODAL and the CRE equipment stationed there along with the tropo radio gear. I was there, too, as a 14 -16 year old and attended a British Military Brat school in Rinteln nearby. Spent many an hour in the day room there and made friends with most of the GI’s during this period. Also spent a lot of time with my Dad at the NODAL. There was a huge four legged tower there with microwave dishes and all the rest. I made many a late night trip with my Dad to many sites in the 2nd Sig Gp (including Schinnen’s 128th Sig Co). When the gear went down and the GI’s couldn’t fix it they called my dad who was a GS-11 with USEUCOM. I am still in touch with several of the officers and enlisted folks that served there and will always remember the US Bicentennial in 1976 we celebrated with a barbecue on base. I had the distinction (sic) of being the first “summer aide” dependent hired there to mow lawns, paint radiators, whatever. As I was the ONLY dependent above two years old (Linderhofe was considered a hardship posting and family was not common). I also traveled to many of the surrounding GI bases (the nearest was Bueren as I recall and also many trips to the PX in Giessen to stock our one room PX at the 518th. My Dad was later attached to the 73rd Sig Bn in Pirmasens where I graduated from an AF High School at the Zweibruecken Air Base. (Our commencement speaker was the general commanding the 21st Support Command). I would be interested to hear if more info and or stories are available as I would love to hear from the other GI’s I made friends with in those days. Ed Armour |
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| 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: ECHO Jan 1989, 5th Signal Command newspaper) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bocksberg 'family' undaunted by remoteness. Six-man crew develops relationship with German hosts By J.A. Harnois-Hogfoss |
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| 532nd Signal Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964-65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Curtis Berge) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Got drafted in May of 1964 when so many were burning their draft cards and skipping to Canada. Did hard basic at Ft Leonard Wood Mo and was subsequently sent to the 2nd Armd Div 142nd Signal Company at Ft Hood, Tx. Did not have any AIT or signal school training yet so I did rotten ass details and KP and guard duty for about a month or six weeks finally I was sent to the NCO Academy at Ft Hood to the CW operators course (I was a mere E2).
Prior to being drafted I was a railroad telegrapher and also worked teletypes on the railway to be exact..Hired out on the old Great Northern Railway at the age of 16. I aced the radio school at Ft Hood. Very soon afterwards after a brutal 16 hours on KP stopped by the orderly room to see if I had any mail. All I heard was 'Hey, man, you are going overeas'. . Cool. To make a long story short... Did the troop ship thing... I was somewhat naive fresh off the troop ship (USNS UPSHUR) then a troop train from Bremerhaven to Metz. Got rescued by Cpl Dobbs at the Metz depot ... wound up in Toul, France, as a member of the 532nd Signal Service Company. Did about 10 days in Toul then was put on a train to Mannheim and Sgt Clark . Then was sent to Miesau where I was mostly on convoy duty running that ANGRY 26 (AN/GRC-26). Got shipped to Pirmasens later but the website mentions only three at USAADM that is wrong... at least during my tenure there... for awhile at least. Myself and Andy were on our own. Then a Comm center was installed and my two person detachment became a horde of 10 or so. Got sent to Pirmasens in Dec (around xmas) 1965 and finished my tour there For some silly reason we had to go to company HQ at Toul every so often in our radio rigs (duece and a half with the Angry 26 Radio) ... kinda sorta van mounted on the back ... cabled secure on the bed of that deuce and one half with big antennas tied down and a large trailer with a large generator behind. |
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| 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: ACCent, Aug 17 1977) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Vacation retreat' is all things to men of the 532d Signal Company by Spec 4 Joyce Vinson Imagine a wooded area in the mountains, 2,500-feet above sea level and surrounded by more than 100 lakes. Sounds like a vacation retreat, right? For men of the 5th Signal Command, though, it is a home, job site and recreational area rolled into one. The men are members of the 532nd Signal Company assigned to the Bocksberg radio station southwest of Goslar, Germany. The five people who live here year-round are responsible for the maintenance and operation of the relay equipment at this isolated site in the Harz mountains. Operational since 1951, the site plays an important role in communications in Europe. The facility is the only American station in direct contact with Berlin providing digital and tropospheric relay between Berlin Brigade and the rest of Germany. In addition, the station provides a tropospheric link (Defense Communications System) to a 261st Signal Company site at Breitsol. Bocksberg is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of one microwave site. Equipment at the site has received constant updating and a single tower built in 1954 now stands in place of two towers formerly used to transmit and receive. The men at Bocksberg admit that life at the isolated site has its ups and downs. As a prime tourist area, the cost of living near Bocksberg is quite expensive so all men live right on the site, cooking their own meals in the billet kitchen. |
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| The area receives a substantial amount of precipitation and the station has had at times been hit by 6 to 8 feet of snow, providing excellent skiing conditions. Bocksberg is remote from any other US installation and trips that are routine to site members may sound like major tasks to those not familiar with life at an isolated site. The soldiers' parent unit, the 532nd Signal Company, is located in Lahn, about 165 miles to the south. Despite this distance, members from Bocksberg site travel to Lahn an average of once a week to pick up mail, supplies and do their shopping at the commissary. When the need arises to go more often, the soldiers take turns for the trips to avoid conflicts with station needs and company requirements. Being away from the normal military installation and its usual facilities, the men do not have the opportunity to spend their money as they usually would. A walk through the billets would surely prove this as many rooms sport elaborate stereo systems or expensive camera outfits. "You have to have an interest," admitted Super. "And you've usually got enough time to develop a hobby." As isolated as it is, Bocksberg receives AFN-radio broadcasts. AFN-TV does not reach them, but the station is on the free film circuit and may receive up to seven films a week. Taken as a whole, life at Bocksberg radio station is an interesting twist to military life, to say the least. Everyone is not cut out to live in an isolated area, the soldiers themselves admit. But those who can make the necessary adjustments usually find their assignments at Bocksberg a memorable and valuable experience. |
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| (Source: Email from Terry Allan, 39th Sig Bn, 1979-81) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recently I stumbled across the 'US Army in Germany' web site and found that the site brought back many memories from my time stationed in Germany. I was stationed there from early in 1979 until late in 1981 as an Army Tech Controller (32D). My first unit posting was with HHD Company, 39th Signal Battalion in Bremerhaven (Carl Schurz Kaserne). I worked in the Battalion Control Center (BCC), which was responsible for monitoring the status of all of the battalion's communication stations scattered throughout northern Germany. I lived in the same barracks as the folks in the 581st Signal Company. The 581st was responsible for the Bremerhaven Radio Relay/Tech Control Facility - which supported the northern Germany backbone radio shoot. They also had a telecommunication center located on the Kaserne. The rest of the 581st were scattered across the general area around Bremerhaven at Germany Army Kasernes to support the 59th Ordinance Battalion. In 1980, I transferred to the 532nd Signal Company, headquartered in Giessen, Germany. I was actually stationed at the Stein-Neukirch radio relay station (DCS Station Stein). This was located in Germany's Westerwald area. We were on the back bone radio shot that went from Rhein-Main to Feldberg (USAF station) to Stein to Bruggen, Belgium to Hoek van Holland to Martlesham Heath, England. In addition to the radio back bone, we also supported the 59th Ordinance units scattered around our immediate vicinity. I have recently heard this called the Cemetery Net. We supported the encrypted hot lines that went out to these small Army units stationed on Germany Army Kasernes. Basically, we took six circuits off of the backbone and into our CRE switch. The CRE then switched the circuits out to the eight Kasernes that we supported. It was never discussed, but we all assumed that these Ordinance units had nuclear weapons - hence these hot lines. In addition to the 532nd and 581st, the battalion also had the 518th Signal Company headquartered at Linderhofe, Germany and the 128th Signal Company headquartered in Belgium. The Linderhofe station had the same equipment and duties that Bremerhaven and Stein had. I don't believe the 128th Signal Company's stations in Holland and Belgium had the CRE and hot lines. There were about 10 Americans stationed (at the Stein site). The married guys lived a few miles away in a Germany Army housing area. The rest of us were single, and lived at the station. The main building had a kitchen and day room at the end furthest away from the tower. Then there were six barracks rooms, a couple of offices, and then the main radio room/tech control facility. The CRE switch was located in a large semi trailer parked beside the building (you can see it in the pictures). The quonset hut that you can see on the left hand side of each picture was divided between a rec room and a garage. Those of us who lived at the station received separate rations pay, and cooked our own meals in the kitchen. I thought it was great to be able to set my alarm clock for just a few minutes before the start of my shift, throw my uniform on, and walk 30 feet down the hallway to work. Except for the Station Chief, assistant Station Chief, and the clerk, we all worked a 3 day on/3 day 12 hour off shift. We would work the day shift, get three days off, then work three night shifts - so we continuously rotated our shifts. As a young man, I loved this kind of shift - but now it would probably kill me. For entertainment, we had a TV and a VCR (the first I had ever seen). There were various cases full of video tapes (movies and TV shows) that circulated between the Army units in the area. Our company headquarters were in Giessen, and usually one of the off duty guys would drive the site's van down there for mail, which also gave them a chance to hit the PX. The only really interesting times were when there was some reported terrorist activity in the area - I believe it was the Baader-Meinhof group that was very active then. We would be put on alert, issued our M-16s along with live ammo. Thinking back, we were pretty much sitting ducks at night. Our entrance gate was secured by a chain and padlock, and people would drive up and press a buzzer that sounded in the radio room. At night, when you walked out to the gate to open it, you were facing right into the vehicle's headlights, so it was difficult to see who it was. |
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| (Source: ECHO, July 1984) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Geilenkirchen Radio Site is operated by a detachment of the 532nd Sig Co. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 545th Signal Depot Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Email from Robert Frost) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When I arrived at the 545th Signal Co (Depot) in 1956 the unit was located outside of Hanau, Germany near Frankfurt. The base was known as the Fliegerhorst Ksn. A few months later we relocated near Mannheim at Sullivan Barracks. It was still there when I left in '59. During my time the unit was always removed from the main BN HQ. There were two sections: Signal Maintenance and Supply. I worked in Maintenance on radars, but the bulk of signal work was on field radios. They also repaired cameras, mine detectors, teletypes, telephones, and even Signal Repair Vans. |
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| 581st Signal Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (Source: Port Reporter, June 27, 1986) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 581st expands communications by Wayland Jessup Perhaps the fastet growing unit in Norddeutschland Military Community is the 581st Signal Company, which is part of the 39th Signal Battalion. With the addition of such groups as the Data Processing Installation and the Bremerhaven Library the strength of the 581st has grown to 177 persons, civilian and military, in the last year. Capt. Richard L. Coxwell, company commander, estimates that by October the company's strength will grow to between 250 and 280 persons. The reason for this astonishing growth is because anything that has to do with information is being incorporated into the unit. Responsibility for all computers and word processors are included in the new 581st mission, he said. The 581st, which came into being January 13, 1941 as the 3rd Sig. Repair Co., is the "Ma Bell of Northern Europe," Coxwell said. He said they provide all of the telephone service and repair throughout NDL, including seven remote sites and Holland. "All in all the 581st is responsible for about 25 000 square miles." The seven remotes sites serviced by the 581st are Lahn-Soegel, Kellinghusen, Barnstorf, Delmenhorst, Meyn/Flensburg, Het Harde (Netherlands) and Steenwijk (Netherlands). Besides telephone service, the 581st is also responsible for telecommunication message traffic, "which is one worldwide system that links everybody together," Coxwell said. This is done by using a communications relay control station (CRCS), which is serviced by the 581st. AFN also use the CRCS to broadcast to NDL, Coxwell said. "The 581st also provides voice communication support to DoD elements located within the NDL area of responsibility," Coxwell said. "We provide worldwide AUTOVON access and dial service and local lease communication to DoD elements within the NDL area" Currently, the 581st is installing a new Dial Central Office (DCO), which translates what is dialed on a telephone and sends it to the proper receiving telephone, said Sgt, (P) Donald C. Chapman telephone installer. The DCO is equipped with a magnetic tape that records every telephone call that goes through the system, Chapman said. "If anyone makes an unauthorized telephone call, they will be caught," he emphasized. In July the European Telephone System will come to NDL and the 581st will be responsible for installing and servicing it, Chapman said. He said the new system is much more efficient and quiet than the present system. "The ETS consists of seven numbers. All they have to do is dial 343 and the last four numbers. If they remember that the first number after the exchange for Carl Schurz is 8, for the hospital is 7 and for Garlstedt is 6 they should have no problems." Despite the growth of the 581st and its added responsibilities, the level of responsibility to the individual soldier does not suffer in the unit. "The people make the difference," said Sp4 Marilyn Alailima, administrative specialist."They're here if you've got a problem. They do what they can to help you out." "I like it here," she said. "People do their jobs in a professional manner. I feel a sense of pride." Growth can sometimes bring an end to continuity, but its this professionalism and pride that has kept the 581st a cohesive unit. |
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| Related Links: 596th Signal Company Veterans - the website is hosted by John Osbeck and is the unofficial web site for veterans of the 596th Signal Company, the 596th Signal Company (Support) and the 596th Joint Assault Signal Company; includes a nice aerial of Panzer Kaserne, prob 1970s. Make sure to read Robert Stephens' personal recollections of his time with the 596th in Germany - Pages 2 and 3. Very interesting. American military transmitters in Hoek van Holland - a very nice page on Petr Kazil's web site "Deserted Places" |
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