The above-listed units participated in normal and specialized training, operational missions, and in installing and maintaining fixed-plant communications facilities when not committed to their primary mission.

The 516th Sig Gp also operated and maintained, on a full-time basis, the minimum essential communications required at the Allied Alternate Radio Relay Site (AARRS) pursuant to instructions from CENTAG Signal Office. This mission was performed by the 175th Signal Company (Svc), augmented by personnel from the 17th Signal Battalion (Opr).

Also, this headquarters furnished personnel and equipment to Seventh Army, EUCOM, SHAPE, Com Z, 4th Signal Group, and various Military Army Advisory Groups (MAAGs) in support of their normal operations or field exercises.

In addition to that, the major signal construction effort was performed by elements of the US, German, and Polish signal construction units assigned to the Group for the installation and maintenance of fixed-plant facilities in Germany and France.

The Class IV signal projects included all types of signal construction and maintenance for Area Commands, Seventh Army, and USAREUR Signal Command.

The Commander of the 516th acted as senior commander at Neureut Kaserne and was responsible for the functions of Barracks Coordinator (Post Commander). This included participating in local German-American activities and providing special services to organizations in the American community.

In Fiscal Year 1957 plans were made and prepared for the objective layout and reorganization of AARRS. Wartime emergency plans of this headquarters and all subordinate units were completly reviewed and revised.

NOTE: The group was deactivated in Germany on 13 November 1967

By the time I had completed my report the Lt. was "one foot out the door". I asked what I should do with my findings and he asked me what would I recommend (mind you, I'm a slick sleeve pvt.). I suggested a three day maneuver to include the entire 516th Signal Group, he said fine, write it up!

When I had completed my assignment; which included forced marches, bivouack in the boonies, live target shooting, map reading exercises and a bunch of other stuff I can't even remember; the Lt. was gone!

I took my work to a Captain Becker; the Headquarters Company S3 officer; who called Major Hoover, the Group S3 officer. I presented my work to them and they both thought it made sense; "OK Belden, let's do it!"

They put it into effect almost entirely as I wrote it and; because of my outstanding "soldiering", assigned me to drive the post commander, a Col. Wm. A. Glass Jr, while the maneuver was in effect! Boy, my army buddies didn't like me much after that! I was then reassigned to Post Headquarters to work direct for Major Hoover.

This might seem quite trivial but the memory just "wafted" back to me and made me smile. So, for what it's worth................

While assigned to the 516th Signal Group at Neureut Caserne, I needed to get an additional job because my first wife was receiving part of my pay due to an allotment which we agreed to; we were separated when I was drafted; she was to "bank" the money and until I got out of the army. If we were to decide to get back together we'd have a nest egg, if not we'd split up the money. What happened to the money is another story!

So I found a job in the post theater, one feature every night and two on Saturday & Sunday. Without the extra money I couldn't go anywhere anyway, so I went to work. I moved from usher to ticket taker to manager within a few months. The theater manager; Nick Dan; that hired me was rotated home. All this while maintaining my "day job" in the army.

There were three of us working at the theater plus a German civilian who was the projectionist. Herr Baz spoke no english so we communicated very little verbally. Being the curious type, and with little to do while the movie was showing, I'd often go upstairs to the projection booth and watch Herr Baz at work. Being proud of his work, he started showing me how to load the projectors (there were two of them), and how to switch from one projector to the other when the roll of film in one ran out. He also taught me how to splice the film should it get damaged.

One Saturday, Herr Baz didn't show up for work for the matinee. Since we'd already sold tickets and seated people I was in a quandry as to what to do; turn everyone out & refund their money or run the projector myself. In the spirit of "the show must go on"; and I supposed, if I ran the projector I'd collect both my managers pay and the projectionists pay; I decided to take it on!

The movie was Hitchcock's 'Vertigo"; James Stewart & Kim Novak; in the news lately because of the new movie about Alfred Hitchcock and recently voted the "best" film in recent history.

I started up the projectors & loaded them as I'd been taught by Herr Baz. We started a bit late but everything seemed to be running OK. I'd handled the switch from projector to projector and the movie was running smoothly until I noticed the film flickering on the screen and a clicking sound coming form the projector. I immediately stopped the projector announced "mechanical problem, please bear with us" to the audience, and opened the cover over the area in which the film is threaded. When I did so, "miles" of film popped out of the machine; all crimped and broken; all over the projection room floor! I re-threaded the film remaining on the reel and continued the movie.

OK, we finished the matinee, I had 3 or 4 hours to repair the film for the evening showing! I could do this!! After hours of start and stop I found that the little pieces of film were too small to splice back together, so I had to cut out an entire scene to make the re-splicing work.

If you recall the movie, Kim Novak supposedly jumped out of a bell tower that James Stewart couldn't go up to because of his vertigo. It was a con, she really didn't fall out of the tower, she was hired to pretend she did to fool Stewart (why I don't remember). Stewart had fallen in love with her and was devastated!! He then spotted a girl that looked like the one that he was in love with and zeroed in on her. They hit it off (Novak had developed a soft spot for him), and Stewart decided to re-make her in the image of the girl that jumped out of the tower. Her hair and makeup were different and her dress was less fashionable.

I had to cut the entire sequence of events from when he decided to remake her; through the hairdressers, the makeup artists, and the expensive dress shop to the point where she walked out of the dress shop, a finished product! Probably 15 minutes of the movie was cut!

I showed the movie that evening and Sunday and sent it on it's way through the film distribution system to the rest of the military base theaters and nothing was ever said!

I have the distinction of having edited Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo, and distributed the "cut" version throughout a large segment of the military viewing audience.

Herr Baz came back to work on Monday. He had been sick!

Historical depictions of various units talk about the 516th in various ways, but not as a "Signal Support Group". Furthermore, for the 516th Signal Group history, there is an apparent gap if it was disbanded in 1967, what if any relationship did our Group have to this older one aside from sharing some units and missions? When I was there, the Group ran the USAREUR/7th Army Signal Center in Heidelberg, 2 signal battalions with radio relay and HF platoons, a Polish construction battalion, and, in Battalion 102, the Transportable Communications Company with troposcatter capability.

The USA Signal Battalion 102 presents a similar conundrum. There are listings to a 102nd Signal Battalion both before and after the time I served in Germany, but it is never clear whether this oddly designated battalion was related to those slightly differently characterized battalions or not. When I left the Signal Battalion 102 was well into the process of being dissolved. As well as I can recall, its remaining units and missions were to be taken over by the other Battalion in the Group, the 72nd.

Do you have any idea how to fill in these gaps and fill in the missing history?
(Webmaster note: Will add more details when I find any relevant historical or organizational information.)