3rd ARMORED
DIVISION
HISTORY FOUNDATION
New Haven, CT, U.S.A.
Founded in 2003
www.3AD.com
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Comments, suggestions, and contributions of materials
are most welcome. This site, which opened in April 2003, is embarked
on a long-term project to build an in-depth, permanent Internet
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WEBSITE STAFF
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Vic Damon
Webmaster & Editor
Meriden, CT
3AD Hq PAO,
Frankfurt/M, Germany, and
Ft. Benning Infantry Hq PAO
Jim Chorazy
Cold War Consultant.
Pendleton, OR
HHC, CCB, 2nd Brigade
3AD, Germany
Don R. Marsh
World War II Consultant
Tustin, CA
2AD & 3AD in WWII
MG Maurice Rose biographer
Robert M. Forrest
Nuclear Weapons Editor
Lt. Col., USAR; formerly
V Corp & faculty Army Field
Artillery School, Ft. Sill, OK
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Jim MacClay
Research & Special Projects
Valley Forge, PA
HHC, 3/33 Armor & 4/8 Cav,
2nd Brigade, 3AD, Germany;
1st Cav Div, (incl. Gulf War I)
Dan Fong
Military Hardware Consultant
Battle Tank Specialty
Cleveland, OH
US Army/civilian
Steven L. Ossad
Military History Consultant
New York City, Manhattan
MG Maurice Rose biographer
Citizen
Military Historian
Dan Peterson
3AD Historian & Curator Emeritus.
3AD 1970's; Director of Spearhead
Museum, 1981-92; now Director of
Ft. Campbell, KY, Pratt Museum
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SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS
(in alphabetical order)
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Michael Gollaher, Boise,
ID; 3AD Gulf War vet.
Paul Leopold, Stockholm, Sweden; 3AD Cold War vet.
John R. Marshall, Macon, GA; 3AD Cold War vet.
Dominic Rizzo, Rocky Hill, CT; 3AD WWII vet.
Ken Robinson, Monroe, WA; 3AD Cold War vet. |
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About this website: Copyright © 2003-2019
by the 3rd Armored Division History Foundation. All rights reserved.
This website, www.3AD.com, is not associated with the U.S. Department
of the Army or the Department of Defense. This site is a private,
non-profit, historical project that is supported and maintained
on behalf of 3rd Armored Division veterans and their families. |
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IRAN and the
U.S. 3rd ARMORED DIVISION
-- A NUCLEAR CONNECTION
--
An Irony of History
Top photo below: In 1965 U.S. soldiers
from the 3AD's 3rd Bn, 36th Inf demonstrate to Iranian military
personnel the set-up of the M-29 Davy Crockett launcher, designed
to fire a 51-pound nuclear warhead. (text continued below) |
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The location was the U.S. Army's Hohenfels Training Area in
what was then southeastern West Germany and within 30 miles of
the border with Czechoslovakia. In the next photo, the Iranians
mingle with 3AD troops after being bused for discussions and
a live-fire demonstration of the launcher. On this occasion two
dummy rounds were fired. In the 3rd photo, a 3AD soldier cleans
the 37mm spotting gun on the launcher. Looming on the right is
a W-54 nuclear warhead dummy (inert training version). The actual
W-54, at 51 pounds, was the smallest and lightest nuclear munition
ever detonated and deployed by the U.S.
Of course, after WWII and up to the Islamic Revolution of
1979, Iran was a close military ally of the U.S. Its leader during
that time was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, aka the Shah of Iran, and
Iranian military men occasionally visited U.S. military installations
and training areas in Europe for observation and/or training
purposes. It is fair to assume that discussion and demonstration
of U.S. (and 3AD) nuclear weaponry also included nuclear rockets
and artillery, and "backpack" nuclear munitions carried
by small elite teams of U.S. Army combat engineers (including
the 3AD).
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By Vic Damon of 3AD.com;
Photos © by David L. Smith,
veteran of 3 Bn, 36th Inf, 3AD |
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