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From his arrival as a recruit in 1955, for
the next 5 years Wolfgang Scherp stayed in the same company --
Co D, 33rd Tank Battalion, Combat Command B (CCB), 3rd Armored
Division (in '57 the battalion became 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor).
He was with the Divsion from Ft. Knox, through Operation Gyroscope
(deployment to Germany), and into the 33rd's new home at Coleman
Kaserne in Gelnhausen.
Wolfgang had immigrated to the U.S. from post-WWII
Germany in 1951 at age 18 and first lived with relatives in Swanton,
Nebraska, a tiny farming town. In 1953, he moved to Lincoln,
the state capital, where he worked as a sign painter. He received
his draft notice, and in August, 1955, was inducted at Omaha
and sent to Camp Smith, Arkansas. But after a few days Wolfgang
was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he became one of more
than 12,000 young recruits to fill up the newly activated (to
combat status) 3rd Armored Division.
He was surprised and happy to learn that the
Division was slated to move to Germany the next year. He would
be returning to his native country where he had not seen his
family in 5 years. Returning as a well-paid ($72 a month) soldier
in US Army uniform, he was stationed in Gelnhausen only 100 miles
south of Kassel, where he grew up.
Wolfgang's varied Army career would span 26
years (1955-81), to include assignments in the States, Europe,
and Vietnam with duties as a tanker, photographer, and audio-visual
support supervisor. In 1980, he reached the rank of Sergeant
Major with the Army Recruiting Command. After retiring from the
military, he worked for another 17 years as a civilian for the
government in computers (technical writer, programmer/ analyst).
After a "final" retirement in 1998, Wolfgang and his
wife Waltraud (a German native from near Frankfurt) moved from
Chicago to Fairfield, California, to enjoy the better climate.
For more 3AD and other Army photos by Wolfgang,
please visit his website at http://wscherp.tripod.com/.
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