HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

After the liberation of Austria and the ending of the war in Europe in 1945, the various units of the U.S. Army that were involved in the liberation fully expected to be returned to the States. The United States and it's Allies, including the U.S.S.R., officially recognized during WW II that Austria was the first victim of Hitler. In 1943, the Allies jointly stated (in the Moscow Declaration) that Austria would be regarded as a "liberated" nation rather than a "conquered" one. The "Anschluss" under which Hitler annexed Austria was declared null and void. In 1945, the U.S.S.R did not honor this agreement and thus United States Forces Austria (USFA) was established as a separate command of the U.S. Army on July 5, 1945.

General Mark Clark was appointed the first U.S. High Commissioner of Austria as well as commander of the newly designated U.S. Forces in Austria. Successor to General Clark were Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes, Lt. Gen. S. Leroy Irwin, and Lt. Gen. George P. Hays. Austria was divided into four zones of occupation. The United States, the British, the French, and the Soviet Union. Vienna itself was surrounded by the Soviet zone and was divided into five sectors, one for each of the Big Four, plus an International sector in the center of the city with each nation then taking a monthly turn at commanding the policing forces.

Finally in 1955, the Soviet Union signed the State Treaty and the evacuation of all Allied military forces was completed. The occupation ended and the need for USFA ceased to exist. With the reunification of Austria this would be the first, and only, country to emerge from behind the Iron Curtain until the Berlin Wall finally came down in November of 1989.

(Written by Bill Billet, President and founder of the USFA Veterans Association.)

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OBJECTIVES OF THE USFA VETERANS ASSOCIATION

As Defined in our Constitution:

"The objectives of the Association are to promote comradeship among its members, to strengthen patriotism to the United States of America, to preserve and share memories of the occupation years, to maintain and strengthen friendship between the people of the Republic of Austria and the people of the United States of America."

To further exemplify the goals of the Association as I have observed throughout the years it is to bring together people who have a common experience, that being our duty in Austria. This does not mean we will join this Association to continue this experience. We are different people now than we were at that time, and our experiences and lives today are much different than they were. We will not be caught up in living only in the past, but share our lives as they are today.

To me as the founder of this Association I would like to consider it as the USFA Veterans Family. This is what it has become, a family. We share in each others joys, health problems, and sorrows. If this is the kind of Association you would like to become part of, then join our family. If you are just looking to relive the past, or finding a particular individual you served with, then this may not be the Association you may want to join. Whatever your decision may it be the one that is best for you.

Bill Billet