Soldiers of the US Army, patrolling the German/Czech border.
Photos were taken by a Czech Pioneer Service Guard.
Archive for the ‘Cold War’ Category
What Americans Looked Like to Warsaw Pact Forces
Saturday, June 8th, 2019DDR Grenzaufklärer
Saturday, May 11th, 2019
If you ever patrolled the border trace of the Inter-German Border between East West during the Cold War, you invariably encountered the Grenzaufklärer, or Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic.
Forces TV – The Cold War Legend That Delivered Sausages To British Tank Crews
Friday, November 2nd, 2018Having served in Germany at the end of the Cold War, it’s always interesting to me, to hear these kinds of stories, even if they are from a different army.
The British Army of the Rhine consisting primarily of British I Corps and began duties as an occupation force but that quickly changed to a posture of defense in order to counter the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact forces. In this role, BAOR was lead force for NATO’s Northern Army Group and was equipped with nuclear weapons. The organization was changed slightly in 1993 and deactivated altogether in 1994.
Cold War Cartoons – Duck and Cover with Bert the Turtle
Monday, August 27th, 2018
Written by Raymond J. Mauer and directed by Anthony Rizzo of Archer Productions and made with the help of schoolchildren from New York City and Astoria, New York, this cartoon was shown in schools as the cornerstone of the government’s “duck and cover” public awareness campaign.
According to the United States Library of Congress (which declared the film “historically significant” and inducted it for preservation into the National Film Registry in 2004), it “was seen by millions of schoolchildren in the 1950s.”
Duck and Cover lyrics:
There was a turtle by the name of Bert
and Bert the turtle was very alert;
when danger threatened him he never got hurt
he knew just what to do…
He’d duck!
And cover!
Duck!
And cover! (male) He did what we all must learn to do
(male) You (female) And you (male) And you (deeper male) And you!’
Duck, and cover!’
School for Assassins
Friday, August 10th, 2018Why? Because I hate Commies, that’s why!
This video was made by the US Information Agency in 1982, just when the pressure was being increased against Communism by the Reagan administration.
Combat In Cities – Berlin
Tuesday, August 7th, 2018
REFORGER 87
Sunday, March 11th, 2018Return of Forces to Germany or REFORGER was an annual exercise in Europe during the Cold War. It featured units arriving in Europe and drawing equipment from Prepositioning Of Materiel Configured in Unit Set (POMCUS) sites and then rolling out to engage a fictitious enemy. European-based units conducted training based on their General Defense Plans. A Combat Photography unit captured III Corps’ portions of the 1987 REFORGER exercise on video. At the time there were two additional Corps (V and VII) already in Germany.
Since I am currently in Germany and participated in REFORGER 88, which was actually the last of the series to feature large maneuver, I thought it would be a cool share.
Part 1
Part 2
The King’s Field Jacket
Sunday, November 19th, 2017This is SGT Elvis A. Presley’s M-1951 field jacket on display at Graceland. Yes, that Elvis.
Elvis served as a scout in A Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor Regiment, 3rd Armor Division “Spearhead” at Ray Barracks, Freidberg, Germany from 1958 to 1960.
Photo by Thomas R Machnitzki
Edited to correct spelling of Friedberg; Western civilization is now secure.
