HHC 54th

[1Chaplain]

Nice to see the WVA is up and running. Thanks for all the hard work putting this together. Was on the hill for 30 months Jun 1973- Dec 75, clerk in HHC 54th. Met some really good people back then........ wondering what their doing now?

[duboisga]

You didn't happen to know the courts and boards clerk by the name of Byrd did you. I was a 2lt IN 2/15TH, but Jan 73 - Jan 74 was the Courts and Boards officer for the post consolidiated Courts and Boards under Col. Huff. Byrd was the detailed clerk from 54 Eng. who came down and worked with us. He did all the legal work for 54th. he was a good head.
Gary

[1Chaplain]

Hi Gary, The last name of Byrd sounds familiar but the MOS does not match who I'm thinking of.
Dennis

[duboisga]

Not sure of his MOS. He was a black guy.
all of my clerks from 2/15th had odd MOS's to be legal clerks. One was a 11H (anti-tank), one was 11C (mortars), one was 11B (infantry). Their common thread was that they could type. I think anyone who could type in those days wound up as a clerk somewhere in the chain of events. Needed a good typist to fight the mimeographs. Hell it almost took an act of congress to get a copy made from the photocopier.
Another subject: I am sure you remember when 54th moved Delta Company back from Bad Hersfeld. The Battalion had used Delta Co. to send all their rehabs to. Once they moved back, the post really had a company of thugs. You may remember one or two of them fire bombed one of the company headquarters and also threw a fire bomb into the post commander's (Col Huff) office.
Third Infantry Div. had also used 2/15th as a rehab place for the remainder of the Div. The soldiers were told if they screwed up they would be sent to Wildflecken.
I would like to think I had a key part in cleaning up the post. In 2/15, during my year as the Post Courts & Bds Officer, we processed out over 120 "soldiers" including a Captain, a 1SG, and a mess SGT. Sometimes I helped the Co. Cdrs make up "lost" counselling statements. Don't know remember how many we processed out of 54th, 144th and 1st ADA but it was also substantial.
I know some of the things we did to clean up the place may have been underhanded, but I think we ended up with a better Post and a better Army.
Some of the old timers may remember that in late '71 or early '72 (just before I got to the rock, a guy from 2/15 stole some claymores and set off a couple of them on post. I know he blew up the Support Platoon SGT's car, and I thinkone may have been set off down the hallway of 54th Bn HQ.
Later., Gary

[djmac]

Not sure of his MOS. He was a black guy.
all of my clerks from 2/15th had odd MOS's to be legal clerks. One was a 11H (anti-tank), one was 11C (mortars), one was 11B (infantry). Their common thread was that they could type. I think anyone who could type in those days wound up as a clerk somewhere in the chain of events. Needed a good typist to fight the mimeographs. Hell it almost took an act of congress to get a copy made from the photocopier.
Another subject: I am sure you remember when 54th moved Delta Company back from Bad Hersfeld. The Battalion had used Delta Co. to send all their rehabs to. Once they moved back, the post really had a company of thugs. You may remember one or two of them fire bombed one of the company headquarters and also threw a fire bomb into the post commander's (Col Huff) office.
Third Infantry Div. had also used 2/15th as a rehab place for the remainder of the Div. The soldiers were told if they screwed up they would be sent to Wildflecken.
I would like to think I had a key part in cleaning up the post. In 2/15, during my year as the Post Courts & Bds Officer, we processed out over 120 "soldiers" including a Captain, a 1SG, and a mess SGT. Sometimes I helped the Co. Cdrs make up "lost" counselling statements. Don't know remember how many we processed out of 54th, 144th and 1st ADA but it was also substantial.
I know some of the things we did to clean up the place may have been underhanded, but I think we ended up with a better Post and a better Army.
Some of the old timers may remember that in late '71 or early '72 (just before I got to the rock, a guy from 2/15 stole some claymores and set off a couple of them on post. I know he blew up the Support Platoon SGT's car, and I thinkone may have been set off down the hallway of 54th Bn HQ.
Later., Gary

Some good observations Gary. All the MOS's you sited are Combat Arms. Where today you would have the appropriate MOS in those slots and they would be assigned to that unit. Also using troops from other commands like you had would need 30 day Detail Orders from their Commands. The Army has changed a lot since 61. Back then the CO had complete control over you. When you PCS (permanent change of station) or ETS (end of time served) you left with your 201 file in hand. No more. Your 201 is in St Louis now and the Unit keeps records that eventually get sent to Army's Personnel Command in St. Louis. A Rehab place? Never heard of such a thing. You can't just send some body some where you want just because you think he/she is a screw up. The orders of assignment must have a paragraph and line number in the units MTOE in order to be placed. But to use it as a scare tactic probably worked. When I got orders in 61 I was only 17 and not a screw up. But, I couldn't find it on the map so I asked the Sgt where we received the orders that I couldn't find it, he says "You won't, its top secret" After doing 33 months I know why it was. It was a love hate relationship for sure.

[barthmanm]

Just a shout-out to anyone who may have been stationed with me. Mike Barthman, Sgt E-5, O5C40, Crypto Team Chief, Commo Section, HHC 54th Eng Btn, Mar '65 to May '67.