Wishing THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS to one and all!  By  oldchopperguy (Read 903 times)

Terrilee,

Tour from 1967 to 1970.

My original unit was the 15th PSYOP Battalion, Fort Bragg, assigned to the JFK Special Warfare Center.  At the time, under the command of both the 7th SF and 82 Airborne jointly.  Some of us got transferred to Karlsruhe, Germany, forming a psychological warfare battalion to coordinate the psychological element of various campaigns in Viet Nam.  And "other places" that shall remain nameless.

That unit was christened USAMISSAEUR (United States Army Mission Support Systems Agency Europe).  Whew, one of the longest anacronyms in the entire Army...

Soon after some very successful campaign coordination with the Special Forces in-country, we were officially merged into the 7th.  Underwent some NASTY fast training to get up to speed, (including "jump qualification" from a Huey at 800-feet altitude!  Ouch!) and received our green berets and uniforms with a maze of cords and badging, jump boots, etc. and remained part of the 7th until my ETS in 1970.  We wore the flaming sword/rainbow shoulder patch of the WWII occupation Army, along with the De Oppresso Liber SF badge on our berets and shoulder epaulettes.



In addition to the psychological warfare aspect of our unit, once officially part of the 7th we were heavily involved in potential nuclear targeting... Stuff I can't talk about even 47 years later.  I was very proud to qualify for the rare COSMIC/Krypto security clearance.  (Krypto because our work involved geographical targeting).  My COSMIC clearance being The HIGHEST clearance there is, above TOP SECRET served me well later in civilian life.

Instant credibility (except HERE of course...).

I believe at that time, there were fewer than 30 individuals in the entire nation to carry that level of security.  It was mandatory because of the nuclear targeting aspect of what we did.  I was stationed at Gerzewski Barracks, Karlsruhe, Germany, which back then, was a clandestine repository for warheads.  We were right at the Chech border...  We were occasionally "blessed" with visits from commanding Generals, and even the President.  Talk about having to keep a "strack" situation...  The rocks got spit-shined...  LOL!  Gerzewski still exists today...  You can see it on the Net.

I do get a chuckle when someone on this site trashes me, calling me a liar, etc. when they don't even know me or my background.  Wish I could have had them under my command back then... LOL!

Billeting, work and discipline REALLY changed with that transition...  Our unit was part of a very few who were actually "inducted" into the Special Forces without volunteering... But I wouldn't trade that esprit de corps, or the comradery for anything today...

Many, many years ago, but I remember those days better than yesterday...

So, that's how the Old Chopper Guy ended up in the Special Forces, and I'm glad I did!

Stay safe,

Leo

So do both of you have similar preferences for dresses and high heels?

Ah, I got 3" heels on my BOOTS... But I think I'm missing something here...

I was thinking that back in the sixties, gals weren't found in the Special Forces, Rangers and Airborne except in very specialized roles. Are you a little DIFFERENT today, than when you were in the military?

My Wife sternly tells me NOT to notice if ANYBODY but her looks good in heels and dresses no matter what sex they might be... ESPECIALLY if they resemble "Jessica Rabbit"... HeHeHe, Woo-HOO!...

She just now reminded me that SHE is NOT quite drawn that way, and IS currently a female, with a rolling pin in-hand... Cheesh, I'd rather face "Charlie" with a shiny new AK... LOL!

We might not quite agree on some things, but I doubt we'd have any problems we couldn't solve by mutually toasting riding 2-wheels, and roasting guys like North Korea's "Kimchi Yuk"...  I am glad we're pals on the site, and that you're outta that place you were "vacationing" in...  Besides that, we both like cats...

Ride safe, and look good in whatever you like to wear!

Leo

PS: My Army career was a "perfect storm" of weirdness you just have to get a chuckle from... In basic, I was pretty hot with the M14, and was encouraged to try for sniper school! Then, they found out I was a skilled artist with advertising background... So I got the MOS 83E20 (Combat Illustrator) shoved on me, "by virtue of civilian-acquired-skills" and then ended up in the 7th with a few others because the MOS was needed in PSYWAR... I could have opted out, but I'm glad I didn't... Kicked my butt outa the Huey and that stupid, old school round "umbrella" 'chute barely blossomed in 800 feet, as I hit the parade ground at, like 40-mph... Cheesh, almost got a purple heart! Duh... Probably shoulda gone to sniper school... LOL!

I spent one in Germany... and 1 Christmas. And one each in Fort Bragg... Germans take Jesus seriously, and do up Christmas pretty nicely!  Now, at Lent, Fasching season was something else... Sorta "religious" mixed with "Mardi-Gras" party 'til ya' puke atmosphere... Locals stayed pretty much wasted, spending free time fooling around.  Lots of bars would "fine" guys for showing up with their own wives...  The thing most fellows fasted from was monogamy...

What I remember most about that crazy season was the over-the-top fireworks everybody had.  Lots of wicker-wrapped "bombs" that approximated 3 or 4 "cherry-bombs" or "M-80's" at once.  Reminiscent of the classic cartoon bowling-ballesque "anarchist's bomb"...  You did NOT want to be close to one of those "Hitler's noisemakers" when it detonated...

Probably NOT exactly what the church envisioned for the "time of fasting"... LOL  

Christmas IS right around the corner, so be good, and hang up that sock...  A BIG one that will hold that new ride you asked Santa for!