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May 29 2015

Beast Barracks Ticket to Moscow – 1991

By Jim Russell, Beast Barracks Ticket to Moscow

jim5 — **Jim Russell at Red Square Moscow, Russia**

One of the few opportunities we new cadets had to choose among options during Beast Barracks, the first grueling weeks at West Point, was the foreign language preference form we all filled out. West Point then taught five foreign languages, and we were required to master one of them during our plebe (freshman) and yearling (sophomore) years. Each of us received a simple form listing the five languages – French, German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish – and were told to number our top choices, 1 thru 4. I picked German #1, since I expected to be stationed in Germany, and then puzzled over how to select the rest. I could see no value at all in Portuguese – Putting down a revolution in Brazil? Seemed unlikely – and French and Spanish seemed equally useless (I had not yet discovered French food, and Spanish was not yet widely spoken in the US). So I put my #2 beside Russian, by default. Heck, I thought, it might prove useful in a POW camp, if things in United States Army Europe (USAREUR) were to go really badly. I think I made Spanish my #3 and French #4. I assumed I’d get German, and didn’t think much more about it.

When we got our course assignments for the Fall semester, Surprise! – Russian! I had studied Latin in high school, and had no idea what Russian would be like. Suffice to say I found it challenging, the hardest course I took in four years, other than Advanced Calculus and Golf. I learned later, much later, that the word had gone out prior to the language signup to NOT select Russian as one of the top four choices, because it was the most difficult by far, and the Language Department had problems filling the course slots. I hadn’t gotten the word.

jim4 — **Beast Barracks Inspection 1965.**

Fast forward to November, 1991. Fortunately, there had been no POW experience to draw on my Russian, and I had not spoken a word of it since the last exam of yearling year. I’m working for a cellular phone company whose sister company is putting up a cellular network in Moscow, USSR, and they need some temporary help. Since I speak Russian, would I be interested in going to Moscow for 90 days to help train up the new Russian staff? Well, I say, it’s not accurate to say that I SPEAK Russian, only that I once studied (struggled with!) it, about 25 years ago. No matter, you’re the closest thing we have to a Russian speaker, and you’ve got the right functional skills, so off you go.

A couple days later I stepped off the plane into the Moscow winter. In the subsequent couple months, I did a lot of teaching, but more learning. My Russian language came back gradually, though the young adults I worked with spoke excellent English. Virtually everything about the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was different from its analog in the US.

jim6 — **Physical Training for New Cadets**

At this time, there was only one hotel in Moscow up to “western standards,” and that was where any foreigners of any importance stayed. It was also where the phone company put me up. Every morning the large lobby would fill up with all these guests, awaiting their rides. You’d meet some interesting and unlikely people. One morning a well-dressed American exec introduced himself to me and we chatted while we waited. He was a recently retired U.S. Air Force three-star General, who had taken a job with an American technology company and was calling on some Soviet ministry. He showed interest in our work, putting up the first cellular network anywhere in the USSR, and wished me luck. I asked him what he had done on active duty. He had most recently headed the Defense Intelligence Agency. Well, I said, maybe you can share some insight on something I’ve been wondering about. In the couple weeks I’ve been here, I’ve walked around town a lot, and I’m amazed at the run-down condition of just about everything other than the Kremlin and this hotel, and at the emptiness of the few retail stores that seem to be open. And this is the CAPITAL CITY! I can’t help wonder how things are out in the provinces. “Right,” he says, “This whole place is in sad shape. Always has been.” So, sir, my question is this: We Americans have heard forever that the USSR is a huge threat, militarily and economically. Maybe, they’re pouring everything they’ve got into their military, but their economy is obviously on its knees, to my great surprise. I can think of only two ways that we could have gotten such incorrect information. One is that our intelligence agencies somehow just missed this obviously crumbling economy. The other is that they knew about it, and lied to us. I can’t help wonder which it was. He looked at me silently for a moment, and then excused himself.

We closed the Moscow office for Christmas on 22 December, 1991, and we foreigners all went home. I returned to Moscow on 10 January, 1992, after Russian Christmas on 6 January. When I had left, a huge Soviet flag, the hammer and sickle on a red field, had flown over the Kremlin, and smaller ones of course flew all over town. This was the flag we of ’69 had prepared to defend Western Europe and our own country against, and many of us had expected to meet them in combat on the plains of Central Europe. When I returned to Moscow, the Soviet flag had disappeared everywhere, replaced by the tricolor flag of the Russian Republic. Our nemesis had disappeared, evaporated, gone, without a shot fired, and had been replaced by an entirely new-to-us country. It was eerie. And serene. And a wonderful outcome to a Cold War that could have gone much worse for us and for the world.

Transition: U.S.S.R. to Russia This 90-day cellular project ultimately morphed into an 18-month project with cellular systems not only in Moscow, but also in 11 other Russian cities. I got to visit most of them. Three – Vladivostok, Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky during the USSR), and Samara (Kubyshev during USSR) – had been “closed cities,” meaning that Soviets had needed special clearance to visit them, and visits by foreigners had been strictly forbidden. When they became part of Russia in January 1992, they were no longer closed. The timing of all this was such that in Samara and Vladivostok, my American delegation was among the very early foreign visitors, and possibly the first Americans to visit these cities. It was very cool, and felt important to be involved in opening these doors. Somewhat to my surprise, we were warmly welcomed wherever we went, with no trace of Cold War antipathy. I asked my closest Russian friend how this could be, after decades of mutually assured destruction, and he responded that the Russian people and the American people had shared a common enemy for many years, and now were at last together. I didn’t get his point, and asked whom he meant as our common enemy. His answer: The Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Oh, of course.

All this from having picked Russian as my #2 choice during Beast Barracks!

May 29 2015

The Feint – 1979

By Joseph C. Gelineau : Military Art and Engineering

feint2 — **Textbook Used at the United States Military Academy**

I remember in my Firstie year being intrigued at the thought of taking the course “Military Art and Engineering”. They even had a Department there by the same name, based on the studies and publications of a Brigadier General Vincent J. Esposito. Napoleon was clearly my favorite, as I was fascinated by his generalship, and his ability to out think and out perform the greatest armies of Europe. Later, as I went out into the world, first as an American Army Officer, and later as an American businessman, I wondered just how the lessons and inspirations I gained in this course would effect my performance in a world with vastly different challenges and technologies.

The answer came during my Egyptian campaign with Westinghouse Electric in 1979-80. I was tasked with winning the Shoubra El Kheima Power Plant Project from General Electric who was the favored American contractor using U.S. AID grants to Egypt by the U.S. government. It was a tall order. Not only did G.E. have a powerful existing presence with the Egyptian Electrical Authority, the owner, they also had a strong and influential relationship with Bechtel, the Owner’s Engineer Consultant. Both EEA and Bechtel would evaluate and determine the winner of a public bid process between GE and Westinghouse.

As I pondered my steps to win this must-win bid for my company, my thoughts went back ten years to Napoleon in the 1805 Austerlitz campaign. The little general also faced overwhelming forces in the combined armies of Prussian, Russian, Bavarian and Austro-Hungarian armies. I recalled that Napoleon had defeated his adversaries with surprise, speed of maneuver, and boldness of action to capture and exploit initiative in battle. This inspired me to come up with a strategy to defeat GE’s stronger position.

feint — **At the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt**

A steam turbine generator plant is evaluated by it’s capital cost and it’s long term operating cost over the life of the plant. The Egyptians needed block power, reliability, and technical support first, while operating costs were a secondary concern, especially when considering Egypt’s abundant access to indigenous fossil fuel sources. Westinghouse had developed a new super efficient 50 Hz Low Pressure turbine to combat GE’s standard offer. It occurred to me that I could gain the initiative using the classical Feint strategy, a tactic designed to draw defensive action aimed at preventing a perceived advantage, using a counter, unexpected blow to surprise the competition where they were most vulnerable. GE offered their standard product and attacked our reliability on the new high efficiency model. I played the game right up to the bid date promoting our better efficiency, only to switch our bid for the lower cost, old reliable standard at the last moment. The Competition’s bid was high priced based on their over-confidence with the Owner and Consultant. In the end, Westinghouse was awarded the contract and I came to realize the true value of Esposito’s Military Art and Engineering.

Apr 16 2015

Crossing Cultures – 1976

By Claudia Clark , WIFE OF LTC PHIL CLARK

KaiserstrasseinSiegburg,2007-creditJarqu-pac — **Kaiserstrausse in Claudia’s Hometown, Siegburg**

While Phil was fighting a war in Vietnam, I was demonstrating against that war in Germany. The general opinion in Germany of the American military and American politics was at that time not the best – the war being seen as an impediment to the aspirations of emerging nations. When I met Phil after the ending of the war (he was studying then at the University of Bonn as an Olmsted Scholar), the sight of an American military officer at a German university was slightly shocking. Needless to say, our discussions about American politics were somewhat contentious – which led to our getting married within a year.

Marburg-Claudia'suniversitytown — **Downtown Marburg. Claudia’s University Town**

Becoming a military spouse and being part of a military community at an Army post got me into contact with Phil’s collegues, their spouses, their values, and their style of life. I was impressed by their openmindedness, their integrity, their willingness to discuss world affairs, and their thoughtful and reflective attitude towards American and German politics and history. This did not altogether correspond with the image the German media had propagated, and made it easy for me to feel at home in an unaccustomed environment.

UnivofMarburginforeground — **Marburg, Where Claudia Took Her Degree**

People in the Army community were helpful and welcoming, and that made for a good experience; it did not however competely prepare me for a very confusing and unintelligible question I was supposed to answer when visiting the clinic on post for the first time: “What are your last four, Madam?” “What???” Sensing my utter confusion, a lady, who was behind me in line, put her hand on my shoulder and explained: “Honey, they mean the last four numbers of your husband’s social security number which is on the front of your ID card.” I have been forever grateful for this helpful hint.

USArmyinAschaffenburg,Germanyin1960's — **Aschaffenburg, West Germany – First Encounter with U.S. Army.**

I have always liked and admired the attitude of adventurism among military families as well as their readiness to set up shop in different parts of the world. Conquering terra incognita while raising children stands in stark contrast to how most Germans feel about moving. When our son was in third grade in a German school, I received one day a personal visit from my son’s teacher and the assistant principal of the school. They both warned me (in a very heartfelt way) that we were psychologically destroying our son if we subjected him to yet another move. This was indeed the prevailing opinion of the German educational establishment at that time. I am happy to say that our son proved them wrong.

Leading a life as a military spouse and raising children while living in different places has been a satisfiying as well as adventurous experience that I would not want to have missed.

Feb 17 2015

9-11, The Pentagon – 2001

by Harry Dolton

By Colonel Harry Dolton, Pentagon

Numerous graduates of the Class of 1969 have served in the Pentagon over the past forty-five years in a wide array of military and civilian positions during periods of varying types of challenges to our nation’s security. My own period of service there began in 1985 during a three-year tour of duty in Army War Plans. At that time, there was a fairly large number of classmates working in the Pentagon in an interesting variety of mid-level staff positions, almost all still on active duty, during a period when the Cold War was still very much at its height. I would return to the Pentagon again in 1995, this time for a four-year tour in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) staff position. Many classmates were still there, with a number serving in military positions of considerable responsibility (Mike Nardotti, Jack von Kaenel, and Bob St. Onge—to mention just a few), and others serving in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Army, and Joint Staff positions and addressing new challenges in the post-Cold War world.

My final six-year period of service in the Pentagon began in 2000 following my Army retirement in 1999, when I returned as a civilian working in support of the Army. It was during this time in late 2001 when I, along with thousands of others in the Pentagon and New York City, would experience firsthand the dramatic effects of a new era in security challenges to the nation—the onset of the global war with terrorism.

In September 2001, I was working as a civilian contractor for the Army Staff (Force Development) in Room 3C525 of the Pentagon. On the morning of 11 September, our office learned at 0900 of the incidents that had just occurred at the World Trade Center in New York. Being shocked at what had taken place, we immediately speculated on the likelihood of a terrorist attack and the possibility of something similar in Washington. We soon returned to our normal work, which for me involved having a phone conversation regarding the Army Modernization Plan. At 0938, while I was sitting at my desk and still on the phone, we felt and heard a loud noise like a nearby explosion resulting in all the windows in the office immediately blowing open. Without a word, everyone immediately ceased what they were doing, leaving everything in place and began walking rapidly out the door into the C ring and toward the nearest corridor (5). From there everyone proceeded to the available routes of exit from the Pentagon. Since the exact location and nature of the explosion was unknown, people went in all directions, and, like mice in a maze, kept moving until heavy black smoke forced a deviation.

Initially I recall having an eerie feeling of almost being in a dream with many people quietly but quickly scurrying about to escape from an uncertain chaos. I remember feeling how strange this was, after so many years wearing a uniform, to suddenly be in such an environment while in civilian shirt and tie.

Once outside the Pentagon, a co-worker and I made our way toward the side of the building where there was a large fire blazing at what was the point of the explosion. By then larger numbers of people were emerging and there was evidence of initial responses. It was not at all apparent then that a plane had struck the building, since it was immediately subsumed within it and only the fire was visible. From within, however, and once the fire outside diminished, the cause of this catastrophic event became quite obvious.

In the ensuing several hours outside the Pentagon, we waited in groups of volunteers to assist those still inside, watching the marvelous work of medical staff providing treatment to people scattered on the grass outside the building. We were ordered then to run from the immediate area by some who said another plane was heading to Washington. We watched as helicopters landed on the other side of the Pentagon to board military members who would establish an alternate command location if needed.

Overall, the day and collective experiences were unforgettable as we witnessed first hand the attack on our country, the initial casualties and responses of what would prove a long term battle.

As a postscript—we did reestablish alternate offices in the Pentagon that week, since our office was in the northwest part of the building damaged by the explosion and fire and no longer usable. On Friday, 14 September, I attended a moving inter-denominational religious service in the Pentagon auditorium. On the following Monday, 17 September, President Bush came to the Pentagon to receive briefings by the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on possible military responses. Following his briefings, the President remained in the Pentagon and visited and spoke with employees in the large corridor outside the JCS area. I happened to be near there at the time and walked to the area to see what was going on. It turns out I came face to face with him, shook his hand, and said “God bless you, Mr. President.” To which he responded “thank you” and continued to move unhurriedly to try to greet as many as possible of those gathering to see him. Needless to say, this was a very emotional and moving time in our country’s history and for me personally.

The emotion would reach another high point at the Pentagon on the morning of 11 October, one month following the attack, when a large ceremony took place on the east side of the Pentagon, on the opposite side from where the plane struck the building, at which the President and the civilian and military defense leaders presided over a moving memorial service including the families of the victims along with thousands of Pentagon employees. Chaplains of all faiths, including Muslim, spoke at the beginning, and President Bush concluded the event with an address that committed to the rebuilding and reopening of the damaged part of the Pentagon one year after the attack.

True to the promise in 2001, the President presided once again at another ceremony on 11 September 2002 on the west side of the Pentagon to commemorate the rebuilding of the damaged structure following round-the-clock shifts of construction teams. At the exact point of impact of the airplane with the Pentagon, there now stood an inter-denominational chapel where services could be held. In that chapel is a beautiful glass mosaic depicting an American eagle, the flag, and the Pentagon. Surrounding the mosaic are two crimson rings made from 184 pieces of red glass representing each of the victims in the Pentagon on 9-11 (125 Pentagon employees and 59 non-terrorist passengers of Flight 77).

In the years since that event, America and our military have remained engaged in a long struggle whose end is not yet in sight. West Pointers from younger generations remain actively engaged in a commitment to duty and country, a commitment that members of the Class of 1969 and countless classes before have embraced and proudly carried on at home and abroad.

Jan 27 2015

In Country Part II – 1970

By Colonel Wayne Murphy, PhD, PE, Hue, Vietnam

Part II

The Vietnam War was mistakenly fought using draftees and soldiers with fixed individual one year tours. Reserve units for the most part were not called up for active duty like today, and the National Guard and Army Reserve became another haven for those trying to avoid service. Johnson and MacNamara apparently did not want to disturb the home front. 18-20 year olds did not vote and did not have much of a lobby.

Hue_Streets_Power_Lines — **Hue, Vietnam**

Unit cohesion was hard to maintain. Each guy knew his DEROS (date expected rotation from overseas), and some even penned them on their camouflage covers. We fell in on the equipment and battalion colors and were “the men” for only a period of time. We had some “lifers” who were in their second or third tours, but usually with a unit new to them also. For the most part “experience” was defined as being in country for a few months.

Today the Army deploys as units. But in 1970 about a third of a platoon was always new guys (“cherries” or FNGs (F*&%$ New Guys)), a third was in mid tour, and a third was getting short. Your attitude changed with time. As a “cherry” you were frightened and were looked down upon by the “vets”. As a “short timer” you were frightened and only wanted to make it out. In between for about ten months you were resigned. The sayings troops used constantly were “there it is, breeze” and “sorry ‘bout that” which were reflections of our resignation and fateful outlooks.

Hue_Streets_2 — **Hue Streets in Vietnam**

At SERTS (Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School) we were issued gear and went through a week of airmobile training – after all the 101st was now the other airmobile division (1st Cav being the first). For me it was mostly refresher as Ranger School covered most of it. We were “slung” beneath UH1 Hueys (called “slicks” by troops), climbed down nets from CH47 Chinooks (called “hooks”), and rappelled from slicks.

Slicks carried 6 to 8 troops with full gear seated on the floor. There were no seats except ones for the door gunners and crew, no doors, and no seat belts. If they hit an air pocket you could go right out. We held on to the same tie down rings we used to secure the ropes for rappelling. On assaults the birds did not always touch down and we sat in the doors with our feet over the skids as we approached an LZ. The skids actually bent under the bird in flight, splaying out a bit under the weight of the aircraft on a full landing. You jumped out as the bird made contact or slowed near the ground.

Later I would learn the 326 Engineer techniques. When we rappelled out where there was no LZ cleared, we used “Swiss seats” made from a rope and clamp and repelled down in big “bites” of the line to minimize exposure to any fire from about 125 feet. When we did so to cut out some downed pilot or clear an LZ we also lowered chain saws and explosives. We usually made LZs on a hill top, so we would send half the guys to set charges on big trees and half to cut the smaller stuff on the other side. When ready we would all move to the “safe side” of the hill and blow the trees; then we would reverse the teams. Most of our area of operations (AO) in the 101st had an LZ already cut in every 1km square, created in the previous year in operation “Life Saver.”

CitadelHue — **Ancient Fortress of the Middle Kingdom, Hue**

We learned about SOPs (standard operating procedures) for the 101st , including smoke grenade SOP. You could pop any type color to ID your position or LZ except red. Red meant danger and engineers popped it before we set off explosives to warn choppers in area. When a chopper was trying to locate your position (to land, take out a casualty, or direct fire) you popped smoke. He then came back on the radio with the color he saw and you confirmed it. That way the gooks could not trick them. There was “goofy grape”, “alligator green”, “lemon yellow”, etc. The makers of Kool Aid did play a role in the process for our generation.

We did rappelling training with some ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) troops during my week. They were Hac Bau or black panthers (Vietnamese rangers). They were little men and very slight in build. Their NCOs were really hard ass. When one soldier apparently refused to rappel from the tower, his NCO put his foot in his chest and literally launched him toward the ground. In any case they appeared pretty good troops, but then again these were their elite.

We also had to take turns at night on the bunker line – the periphery of the base at Camp Evans. The base had elaborate wire and obstacles and interlaced bunkers and was pretty safe. One night I recall a “cherry” soldier freaking out at what he thought were sappers, throwing grenades into the wire. The next morning there were grenades all over the place, but they all had their pins still in and had not gone off.

Air_assault_(3) — **Arriving at an Assault**

On another night a “cherry” troop, who was so frightened at being in country, decided to wound himself in the toe using his M16 rifle to get sent home. The M16 round had great velocity and when the round hit it literally blew up the flesh. A demo in training was the shooting of a metal ammo box filled with water with an M16 and then an AK47. The AK round went through the case and made large holes. The M16 caused the box to explode. This was designed to give us confidence in our weapon over theirs. This guy forgot that lesson and really screwed up his whole foot.

SERTS also had a class for NCOs and Officers on drugs. The problem was pretty bad in 1970 in most units. The NVA reportedly was funneling cocaine and marijuana in to the area at rock bottom prices, and our troops, especially those in the rear, were taking advantage of the sales. In 1970 for $5 a troop got a vile filled with cocaine powder – and pretty strong stuff. Pot was everywhere. We were required to pass around samples to recognize the smell and taste. Anyone who ever went to a pop/rock concert knew the smell, but the 101st wanted the leadership informed. The joke was the troops had their dope, the NCOs had their booze, and the officers their porn.

Air_assault — **Combat Assault via Slicks**

The final exercise at SERTS was a patrol outside the wire. We were loaded on slicks and made a combat assault (CA) into a landing zone (LZ) not far from camp. From there we hiked back in infantry formation through some fields to Camp Evans. It was a safe area, but we were not so sure and took it very seriously.

During my tenure at Camp Evans we did visit an “O Club”. It was like West Point East. I met Bill Taylor (he would be BG Sid Berry’s aide, and in later years the number two guy on civilian side in the Iraq War; he also became Ambassador Taylor to a former Soviet state), Claude Alexander (who would lose a leg in Vietnam and become a real mentor for Iraq wounded at Walter Reed before he died from injuries sky diving at 62), Bob Seitz, Ralph Crosby, and others. I discussed the latest news on Bill Pahissa with Bill Taylor. We agreed the news was terrible but somehow it changed our attitude. What would happen would happen and worrying would not make things better. I mentally got over the new guy jitters.

We packed up and were again trucked in cattle cars to Camp Eagle and I arrived finally at the 326th Engineer Battalion. I was a 1LT, having been promoted on June 4 at the one year mark in VA. The need for officers at company level was so great in the Army that we made 1LT in a year and CPT the next. Little time was available to be with a platoon. In Vietnam the war was mostly fought at Infantry battalion level and below. Most actions were at platoon level. Engineer companies in a division supported brigades, with platoons farmed out to infantry battalions. Really, most combat for engineers was at the LT level, and I looked forward to getting a platoon.

An excerpt from an unpublished work called “Pop’s War”.