AAAO!
Here are a few more fellows who were with us in the late 1980s.
SFC Norman, whose first name I forget, had moved up very quickly through the ranks. Although I wouldn't swear to it I think he had been a teacher before joining the Army and I'm pretty sure he made it to E-7 in four years. He had been with the Berlin Brigade and met his wife in Berlin. SFC Norman was assigned to Alpha Company 1/39 Infantry before being tapped for a job with the S-3 shop.
SGT James Farrell was with Echo Company 1/39 Infantry as an 11 Hotel. Originally from Saint Joseph Missouri, he'd been around the Army for a while, including a tour in Korea. He and his wife lived out in Niederalben at the east end of the tank trail.
I had both of them pegged as potential CSMs, and hope they got there, too.
Am pretty sure that both of them were still there in 1989 for the redesignation to 4/12 Infantry
By the way, you can add you name to the roster while you're here!
SFC Norman, whose first name I forget, had moved up very quickly through the ranks. Although I wouldn't swear to it I think he had been a teacher before joining the Army and I'm pretty sure he made it to E-7 in four years. He had been with the Berlin Brigade and met his wife in Berlin. SFC Norman was assigned to Alpha Company 1/39 Infantry before being tapped for a job with the S-3 shop.
SGT James Farrell was with Echo Company 1/39 Infantry as an 11 Hotel. Originally from Saint Joseph Missouri, he'd been around the Army for a while, including a tour in Korea. He and his wife lived out in Niederalben at the east end of the tank trail.
I had both of them pegged as potential CSMs, and hope they got there, too.
Am pretty sure that both of them were still there in 1989 for the redesignation to 4/12 Infantry
By the way, you can add you name to the roster while you're here!
posted by mhg at 3:04 AM
7 Comments:
More than likely I am posting this in the wrong place, but what the heck. For anyone who was in the 1/39th from 1971 thru 1975, we lost a member recently. Sgt Mike Prall passed away in May 2006 in Sugar Land Texas.
Sgt Jerry Stern
B Co. 1/39th
Sgt. Stern,
Sorry to hear about Sgt. Prall. I was in his squad in 1974 in 1st platoon. SSG Lake, followed by SFC York were the platoon sergeants back then. Smith was the 1SG, I believe. The CO's were Cpt. Gartenberg, 1973; Cpt. Joseph May, 1974-75. Bn Cdr was LTC Stallard (?) 1973, then LTC Siebold, 1974. Siebold left unceremoniously in 1975 and I can't remember who replaced him in 1976, but he used to do white glove inspections on top of the fuel tank in the M-113's when we had motorpool inspections on the hill. An idiot.
I remember a lot of folks from that era. I arrived in B Co. 1-39th Inf in Feb 73 and departed Jun 76. Some of the guys I remember besides Sgt Prall are: SP4 Prater; Sgt Gillins; SP4 Daley (HHC); SP4 Hicks; SP4 Wisnowski; Sgt Stern; Tennis shoe-Brown; Hoghead-Brown; Lurch; Sgt Yamashita; Sgt Gearhardt; SP4 Taylor; SP4 Vaughn; SP4 Dehart; SSG Lake; SFC York; 1LT Gilley; 1LT Martin (both West Pointers); Sgt Southern; SSG Aguigui; SSG Garcia; SFC Santos; SSG McBurney.
A long time ago, but still stuck in my memory. If you use Google Earth, you can see Baumholder Kaserne and the 1-39th barracks, but the AAAO on the slope is long gone.
I went to flight school in 1978, flew Cobras and Apaches, and retired a CW4 in 1993.
Nice talking to you.
Mike
Mike,
Thanks for dropping by and leaving the message with the bonus list of names -- exactly the sort of thing I'm hoping to see!
Perhaps by coincidence, Jerry Stern just dropped me a line at my Gmail account . . . anyway, you might try to contact him directly at thesterns@earthlink.net if you're not already in touch.
Have been struggling with my home computer lately, so no updates to the Web Beacon since June. Hope to beat this into shape and get back to it shortly. Will add the names you've mentioned to the roster and post them where there'll be a better chance of someone searching the net being able to find them.
Are you still in contact with anyone else from those days?
Cheers
Matt
p.s. somewhere on the system I've seen a photo of H D Smith barracks with the giant AAAO spelled out in rocks -- will try to track it down and post it. If you have any digitized photos from those days that you'd like published on the Web Beacon, please send them in and I'll get them on-line.
Here you go -- a link to a photo showing 'AAAO' spelled out in rocks, on the slope in front of Bravo Co.
http://1-39inf.blogspot.com/2009/02/h-d-smith-barracks-baumholder-frg-c.html
Will keep my eyes open for a better one. Can anyone help?
AAAO!
1977-1979 Bravo Company 1/39 Mech infantry regiment at Smith Barracks Baumholder Germany: THE ROCK! Sp4 Manalo Bravo 3 driver for the CO. I also drove Bravo 13 m113 apc my first year. I never made it to NCO because I was always getting in trouble. BAUMHOLDER sucked but I loved Germany. Hit me up on facebook, i am starting a group there for all service members.
http://www.facebook.com/el.playero?ref=profile#/group.php?gid=115885896916&ref=mf
I WAS SSG. IRVIN WILKINS B.CO I/39 WITH SSG'S TURNER AND JAMES AND,SFC KEITH. I WAS THERE WE STOLE C.COMPANIES GGUADON ,THEY THEN USED A VTR. TO PUT A LARGE BOLDER IN OUR 1SG PARKING SPACE. WE USED SLEDGE HAMMERS TO BREAK IT DOWN SOME AND, THEN PAINTED IT YELLOW AND BLACK WITH A BENGAL TIGER BRAVO BENGALS! DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THIS?
I spoke with SGT. Moreland in 1979 on the phone, and I actually ran into CPT Joseph May in the Officer's Club at Fort Rucker in 1979 while I was in flight school! That was a great thing, as I hadn't seen him since 1975. CPT May was Infantry branch, but he was also an Aviator, so he was at Rucker for some school. I miss all those guys. It's been almost 40 years now, but the memories are still strong. I hope everyone I served with in the 1970s and 1980s has fared well and had a good life. Mike
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PLEASE INCLUDE AN EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT ! ! !
This is the right time and place to include your email address.
It's the only way your old buddies can contact you via this site.
Thanks!
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