DJ Judge reviews Tankograd Publishing's American Special #3007, REFORGER 1979-1985 by author Walter Böhm. This is Tankograd's 2nd offering in the REFORGER series.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

This looks like a very interesting book. I was an MP in Germany and went through 3 REFORGERs in Germany from '79-'82. Although I didn't actually participate in the excercises several armor units were billeted in my Kaserne (Muenchweiler/Rod. near the French border). They may have been advance units waiting to entrain for the East German border. Tents and armored vehicles were everywhere. One of my most vivid memories was the smell of wet canvas and diesel fuel in the cold crisp air. I just remember how sorry I felt for those guys because of how cold and miserable they looked They were sleeping in cold tents and confined to post while we spent or evening downtown in the Gasthaus and slept in warm beds.
I remember the Soviet Military Liason Mission vehicles in Germany. I even still have my SMLM (smell 'em) card somewhere. I just glad there's no need for those kind of excercises in Germany now.

Jeff

Jeff-- you might want to pick this very well done book up. It has loads of photos that will stir your memory of the cold, dirty days of REFORGER.
Hope you get it and enjoy reading it.
DJ

DAGGONNIT, Colonel you're killin' me here...LOL. Now I got to get this one to see if there's anybody I know in any of the pics in it. My old platoon commander from my days in Wilchicken was in one of the old USAREUR books. My wallet is already screaming from the pain. BTW, what time frame were you with 2/10 Cav? IIRC they were out at Planet Ord with 7th ID back in the early '80's.

I too was an MP in Germany on the Czech, East German border in Bamberg/Ansbach area from 1980-82. I can remember sleeping in cold tents, patrolling in Jeeps 12 to 16 hours a day and convoy escorts, traffic control points, and all the paper work I had to do after a few M60 tanks went thru houses and anything else that got in their way. I have really been thinking of picking up this book. When I saw this book I instantly went back to those days, what memories

Good memories, funny how those days didn't seem like fun at the time, but there have been days I actually find myself missing Hohenfels during mud season. Man, to be back in the day when we had the world by the short and curlies, or at least we thought we did... To be that young again and not creak when I walk!

Doc-- in 1987, they reflagged 5/33 Armor as the 2nd Battalion 10th Cavalry formerly (as you mentioned) of the 7th Infantry Division. I was privileged to assume command during the transition. I would assume with the demise of the 194th Armored Brigade to which 2/10 was assigned at the time that the colors reverted to Fort Carson where the 7th ID is homed based I know it is part of a reserve restructuring effort.
DJ

Fred-- I would urge you to get this book. I looked at those cold, unwashed faces in the photos bundled against the biting winds and felt shivers.
DJ

PS-- I trust you never had to do an accident report on any of my guys...we had some doozies crashing into buses, crushing VW bugs with an AVLB and putting a gun tube through a bakery window. How did we survive?