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I enlisted in the U.S.Army in 1957 at the age of 17,after basic training in fort jackson sc,i was sent to fort carson colorado and then to fort bragg for jump school,in 1960 i was posted to Berlin,Germany and assigned to "A" company of the 6th U.S.Infantry Regiment better known as the Berlin Brigade.It was during this three year tour that the Berlin Wall was constructed in an attempt to keep the East Berliners confined to the Eastern Bloc of the Soviet Union.At that time,Berlin was goverened by the Americans,the British the French and the Russians,all having thier particular sector.In order to travel outside Berlin,you either had to fly or go by rail,if you went by rail,you first had to get a Russian pass with translation and the train was apt to be stopped and boarded by either Russian or East German military personel and your belongings and baggage searched and/or confiscated.
At the time when the wall was first implemented,we were in Wildflecken,West Germany for our annual field training excercise,and were designated,along with the 18th Infantry,to convoy by truck back into Berlin,ostensibly to show the Russains that we were no to be intimidated by thier show of military hubris.We were issued full military gear,including flack jackets and live ammo,placed in the back of duce and a half's and convoyed for 110 miles through hostile territory.I remember looking out the back of the truck and seeing armed enemy soldiers commanding the high ground along the road...(to be continued)
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