Paddy's Gang: Up In The Motor Pool...
...there were three people I remember in particular.
1LT (later CPT) George Thomas was the 1/39 Inf Battalion Motor Officer (or BMO) after 1LT Tim Longanacre left that position. I've already written about Tim under Echo Company 1/39 Inf.** Chief Warrant Officer Bill Kalavsky was there in the motor pool as well.
I recall one night down at Graf, mid-winter, typically bitter cold with the ground harder than reinforced concrete and the wind whipping up little storms of fallen snow. These guys were out there at 0200 working on an M-113, ripped wide open, mechanical guts spilling out, the engine swinging on a hoist and casting shadows under the recovery vehicle's spotlight. How can someone fix a track like that when it's too cold to feel his own fingers?
A hard way to make a living.
Remember that truck that Chief Kalavsky converted into a sort of field hotel? It was almost as good as the one Field Marshall Montgomery used in North Africa, the one that's in the Imperial War Museum in London. I bet it was no easier to get into Monty's wagon than it was to get into the Chief's.
George Thomas retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and is working for the government in Virginia these days. Bill Kalavsky had a German wife and I'm pretty sure he's still living there near Baumholder, almost twenty years down the road.
**Tim Longanacre, if you spot this will you please send me a current email? The one you sent isn't working. Thanks -- Matt.
UPDATE: Send your name, company and dates of service with Paddy's Gang -- click here! -- and I'll upload your details on the web beacon and forward any contacts I have on the roster I'm building.
If you were also with 4/12 Inf (M), be sure to check here as well.
1LT (later CPT) George Thomas was the 1/39 Inf Battalion Motor Officer (or BMO) after 1LT Tim Longanacre left that position. I've already written about Tim under Echo Company 1/39 Inf.** Chief Warrant Officer Bill Kalavsky was there in the motor pool as well.
I recall one night down at Graf, mid-winter, typically bitter cold with the ground harder than reinforced concrete and the wind whipping up little storms of fallen snow. These guys were out there at 0200 working on an M-113, ripped wide open, mechanical guts spilling out, the engine swinging on a hoist and casting shadows under the recovery vehicle's spotlight. How can someone fix a track like that when it's too cold to feel his own fingers?
A hard way to make a living.
Remember that truck that Chief Kalavsky converted into a sort of field hotel? It was almost as good as the one Field Marshall Montgomery used in North Africa, the one that's in the Imperial War Museum in London. I bet it was no easier to get into Monty's wagon than it was to get into the Chief's.
George Thomas retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and is working for the government in Virginia these days. Bill Kalavsky had a German wife and I'm pretty sure he's still living there near Baumholder, almost twenty years down the road.
**Tim Longanacre, if you spot this will you please send me a current email? The one you sent isn't working. Thanks -- Matt.
UPDATE: Send your name, company and dates of service with Paddy's Gang -- click here! -- and I'll upload your details on the web beacon and forward any contacts I have on the roster I'm building.
If you were also with 4/12 Inf (M), be sure to check here as well.
posted by mhg at 1:30 AM
5 Comments:
You guys always impressed me. About the only thing that evidently could just NOT be repaired were the heaters in the tracks. . . .
I got a TM for the type of heaters we had and arranged to order spare parts out the wazoo, but we still couldn't keep those suckers running. I'm guessing that they were just too old to be fixed. The heaters in the M-901s always worked, and I think they were a couple of generations newer even though the chassis was the same as the M-113.
I'm not sure whether I visited Baumholder back in '73 or '74 -- I definitely passed through Germany -- but you're right, that was "before my time."
Funny to think that weapons that were introduced when I joined up are now being phased out as obsolescent.
Mr Kalavsky was working as adjutant for Baumholder BSB untul 2000s. It appears now he has a motorbike parts business and still employed by Army to help retires.
Do google for him, you may get his phone #
Well spotted!
About six months back I tried both Chief K's civvie address and the parts business, but without success. Will now pester him again and see how I go.
Were you with 1/39 Inf? Or located in Baumholder?
Thanks
Matt
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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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