Anyone with 2/42 Jan 74 to July 75?

I was with Alpha co. 2/42 from 1982 thru 1986. It was my first unit out of basic and my best unit during my whole 20 years in the Army. I just retired this summer.

I loved the post, being so small it seemed like you knew everybody. Of course with 1/51 inf. and 501st Ord. sharing the post sometimes that wasn't so great.

I spent a lot of time down town in the Stern, which was almost always off limits. I ended up marrying a German girl who worked in the PX. We are still together and as happy as ever.

I have been back a few times to visit. The post is totally gone now. It closed down, I think sometime in the early 90s I can't remember for sure. For a long time the German goverment used the barracks and the housing for cheap housing for people coming over from the east. The last time I visited the only thing left standing was the family housing area (which was mostly empty) and the Gym. The sign over the front gate (Mckee Barracks) stood for a long time but was also gone the last time i was there. The motorpools which had just been rebuilt before we started turning post back over to the Germans have been flattened and some factories have been built there instead.

I sure have a lot of memories from that place. It's gone now, but I still have the memories.

Nuke'em Sir
Till They Glow

That was our Battalion Motto in the 80's. Was it the same when you where there?

Take Care

Greg

I was with 2/42 from 12/78-12/81 I loved my time there. Served with A Btry, B Btry and HQ Btry . I recently learned that Cpt James M Hughes died at Ft Sill in 85. A lot has happened to us all since our time with the unit. I had returned to Ft Sill after my time in Crailsheim and then back to 17th FA Bde in Augsburg. Got out and stayed in Germany. went back in for a short period and was with 12 CAG in wiesbaden. Returned to the states in 87. What ever happened to 1sg Haynes, Col Vanhorn? Anyone know how to get an old unit roster?
Nuke em till they Glow!

I feel like an old man. When I was in Crailsheim they converted the barracks from open bays to 2 man rooms. I was in B Battery and HQ Battery working for CSM James Hair and Lt Col John Soloman. We did not use The "Nuke em till they glow", we just used "Festina Lente". Let's hope the messages keep flowing. I don't know how to get a roster, unless the archives in DC have them. That information may not be public because we were nuclear.

Anyone else?

I live today in Virginia.

I sure remember COL Vanhorn! I was in front of his desk as an E-2 for getting picked up by the MPs in the Stern (you guys remember the Stern). Man, that guy was so mad! I remember his ears getting a real dark red. He had to let us off though due to the fact that they had put us on extra duty over the weekend before we had any charges read to us or had a chance to see JAG, so our punishment ended up being two days extra duty (clearing the leaves out of those ditches).

I also remember he loved to run. We would come back with ice in our hair and mustashe. He would run us through plowed fields. He really loved to run his troops, but he was always in front.

Wow, what a great website!! The flood of memories from the 'sheim are incredible. It truly was the best duty station I experienced. I was there from Jan 85 to Jan 88 in good ole "C" Battery 2/42 FA(later it became 4/12 FA)under Cpt. (The War Pig)Schwannenburg and then later under Cpt Pete Keller with 1sg Gilroy and Anderson("Rolo"). I started out as a "gunner" in 2nd fire and later became section chief. We accomplished an amazing feat back then, in '86 2nd Fire got a 100% at Crete, no comments no deficiences on our NWTI and all 1st time goes in the ARTEP. I made a lot of lifetime friends there and think of them fondly, namely lowlifes that go by the name of Robert Macias, Doug Mifflin Benard Wright and John Young. LTC VanHorn became the 17th FA Bde Commander when I was there and I heard all the stories of what A bad ass he was. I later went on to become an instructor at the LANCE Branch and did my final tour at the 83rd USAFAD before calling it quits in '92. The STERN was great and what about that rot gut "Crailshiemer and Uncle Tucker" beer? Fond memories of doing my laundry Sunday evenings and getting plastered at the Rod & Bottle next door.

2/42...Damn,I had some of the best times there. First duty station out of basic from '83 to '85, I would have spent my entire 3 years there but the morons at PAC screwed up my extension papers. Bravo Battery, 2nd Fire. Yeah, I remember the girl in the PX...And what about the german girls that used to cut hair in the post barber shop. Every guy I knew would stick there elbows out over the chair so the girls would have to rub up against them..LOL. Damn, I'm sad that the post is gone, I always wanted to go back and see the post and then check out if my copy of my room key still worked. Bravo..Let's see..SFC Stevick, Capt. Edwards, 2Lt. Wick, 2LT. Little, 1LT. Anderson,Sp4 Able, Sp4. "Willie" Williams,SSG. McLamb,PFC Nuendorf, SSG. Taylor from C Battery. I used to be in Heavy Metal band called "Sinister" back then with Nuendorf and we had a riot at the "Rod and Gun" Club on post when everybody, and I do mean everybody started in on chanting "FTA". And as Far as Scoring 100%,We, Bravo 2nd Fire were the first ever to score 100% back on July 25, 1984. I still have a white shirt with comments from people in Bravo and our LT's Cap with white marker tape around it with everyone's in 2nd fires name on it: 2Lt. Wick, SFC Stevick, SSG McLamb, Sgt. Scott, Sgt. Hamilton, Sp4. Niezgocki, Sp4. Norris, Sp4. Lamphere, Sp4. Velez, Pfc. Terrell, Pfc. Ramirez (me),and PV1 Reineke. The Missile ribbon was hung up in Zorba bar across the street from the Nato barracks in Crete, I hope to see it again some day... Crailshiem..what about the Treff Punkt or the Ratskeller..Man I can go on and on...

Ah all the old names are coming back now. Lamphere and Norris I can still picture. I was in the other barracks between HQ and CQ. Was Stevick the short guy with thick glasses from the South or was he sort of the Tall lanky guy that Top never let up on and was trying to get him to quit the Army.

I was the quy that was in the Armory/Supply and then went on Ski Patrol in 83 and then back to the world in 84.

When I first got there,(Jan 85) Bravo had it going on, I mean they had their shit together. What I thought was pretty cool was the fact that the barracks between the Btry's were pretty close together. We were constantly giving the Alpha boys grief. Not to mention the League games at the gym were pretty intense, it might have been flag football and Basketball but damn if we didn't have a couple of throw downs. Does anyone recall the Italian delivery place( might have been the O-club) that delivered pizza and stuff? You would get your money's worth and I always ordered the stuffed tortellini. Does anyone remember when Cherynobel went up in 86? We didn't have fresh eggs, meat or dairy products for about 2 months; ate those damn powdered egg omlets in the mess hall. One good thing that did come out of that was we got free beef at the commissary(on our ration cards) for a while. We use to have the biggest barbecue's in front of the Charlie's Barracks on the weekends with a brother named Chris Farmer (Bullet)who was the best damn cook in LANCE. His Ribs and chicken were pretty awesome. Pretty good times at the "Crying Shame".

Man, Do I remember the 'Sheim! I was Bn FDC Chief and then S-2 from 86 to 89. Sgt Tal Miller, Vinnie Cataldo, BC was Cpt. Mike Florio (we had an AWESOME softball team!) - 1SG Denny Brown, who died just a few years ago of cancer...

Later I saw Tal and some of the other guys in Korea when I was 1SG of C 6/37 MLRS. Retired down in Florida now.

Lots of great memories here!

Strike Deep!

Great stuff. Cpt Pete Keller was a new Lt. for My Plt. in C btry. All the familiar names and places. Any one seen Vinnie Cataldo or any of the old gang? Remember the LIVE DISCO? haha

Just ran across this board. havent thought about Crailsheim in a few years. I was there 84-87 as a medic in HQ BN. I worked at the Aid Station which was located under the bank. Crailsheim was my first post out of AIT and probably the most fun I had in the Army....

Yeah, the aid station under the bank,LOL. I remember that Horny ass Warrant Officer in charge that got busted for doing full body examines on female soldiers. No matter what they said they had he had them strip. "Oh, Private Newgirl, so you say you have a rash on your arm...well, let's just make sure it not on your ass as well" LOL. BUSTED!!!

I remember you Mike. Me and Vinnie Cataldo used to be pretty tight.Do you remember your co-worker Jane......whats her name? Anonymous must be talking about Chief Gaylord at the clinic.