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To reunite all veterans who served in the liberation and occupation of Austria 1945 - 1955
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If you are not currently a member of the
USFA VETERANS ASSOCIATION
but would like to join,
please send email to Bill Billet or contact him at
P.O. Box 206 Red Lion, PA 17356-0206 Phone: 717-244-9716 or 717-751-0034 FAX: 717-246-3614 |
If you have suggestions or comments about the USFA Website
please send email to Walter Elkins
50th ANNIVERSARY
1955-2005
The Republic of Austria celebrates the 50th anniversary of the "Staatsvertrag."
As part of the celebrations, several eshibits have been organized:
The Exhibit "OFF LIMITS"(Thanks for the heads up, Jack Edmonds!!!)
from February 18 through June 3, 2005 in the Vienna Rathaus.
Click here to see Video clip with Dr. Hubert Prigl (http://www.hello-austria.com/)
requires RealPlayer
Erich LESSING- Photo-Exhibit “Von der Befreiung zur Freiheit”
(“From Liberation to Liberty“)
from March 11 through April 9, 2005 at the
Officers Mess, SCHWARZENBERG-Kaserne (former Camp Roeder), Salzburg
CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL MINFORMATION (MS WORD file)
HQ Land Forces Exhibit “Unser Heer – Garant der Souveränität”
(“Our Army – Guarantor of Sovereignty”)
from March 11 through April 9, 2005 at the Officers Mess, SCHWARZENBERG-Kaserne (former Camp Roeder), Salzburg
CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL MINFORMATION (MS WORD file)
If you are not currently a member of the
USFA VETERANS ASSOCIATION
but would like to join,
please send email to Bill Billet or contact him at
|
P.O.
Box 206
Red Lion, PA 17356-0206 Phone: 717-244-9716 or 717-751-0034 FAX: 717-246-3614 |
If you have suggestions or comments about the USFA Website
please send email to Walter Elkins
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.)