SGT Thomas P. Keller, HHC Support Platoon, 1/39 Inf (M) 1971-1972
After being under indictment throughout basic and AIT to join other grunts assigned to Viet Nam, I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the graduates of my AIT unit were given orders to Germany. Specifically to the 1st Battalion, 39th Infantry, 8th Infantry Division, located at Baumholder, West Germany. Upon arriving in Baumholder in April of 1971, I was assigned to C Company. Not long after my arrival I was told I would become a driver of an M113 also known as a track, or APC. I did not have a fondness for being locked inside a steel box in the dark and driven around long enough to become thoroughly disoriented. So, when the Battalion XO came to morning formation and announced a need for cooks, welders, and truck drivers, I quickly decided to volunteer to become a truck driver, a job I was fairly well qualified to do. Very soon I was transferred to HHC, Support Platoon, and began driving an Army 5 ton. However, that did not last long, because the 1st Lieutenant, Support Unit Leader (Tom Baskin) decided I should become his jeep driver and so that became my MOS during the entire time I was in the 1/39. It was an interesting experience, including BTX training, an extended trip to Grafenwohr and later to Hoenfels.I can certify that driving around at night in Germany during the winter months in a jeep without a top, is an exhilarating experience. And there were times when I still was able to use my truck driving experience, like when we became lost in the field, and all the POL trucks and trailers had to be turned around in a tight place, a task most of the truck drivers could not do because they did not know how to back a trailer.In 2005 my wife and I returned to Germany to visit our son who was assigned to a tank unit, located at Grafenwohr. We spent two weeks touring Germany, including Berchtesgaden, where Hitler’s Eagle’s nest is located. That was an enjoyable trip that allowed me to see the parts of Germany I missed seeing when I was there in 71-72. We did not return to Baumholder however. I suspect it has changed a great deal since the 70’s.I had forgotten about “Paddy’s Gang” and the AAAO logo. How could I forget that?Thomas P. KellerSgt. E-5HHC SupportApril 1971 - June 1972buffalorun@mtida.net
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