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 WELCOME to
the reunion website of an unsung band of U.S. soldiers who
served with the Public Information Office (PIO) of the 3rd Armored
Division between 1965 and 1968. (In today's Army, it would be
called the "Public Affairs Office.")
Assigned to Drake Kaserne, a garrison in Frankfurt,
Germany, the PIO was a crew of military journalists, photographers,
and public affairs specialists whose beat was on the front lines
of the Cold War. Their duties included the Spearhead Newspaper,
Division historical records, regional liaison to the German military,
and civil affairs with the German population.
With this website, those distant Spearhead days
of the 1960's will come alive again. But in many ways, this site
is relevant as well to any American soldier who served in Germany
between the 1950's and 1970's. Enjoy!
DIVISION DEACTIVATED, for now:
In 1944-45, the 3rd Armored battled through France and Belgium,
fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and spearheaded the U.S. First
Army drive into the heart of Nazi Germany. It returned to Europe
in full force in 1956 to answer the ominous Soviet threat against
NATO. Thirty-four years later in 1990-91, the Division left its
German bases for action in the Persian Gulf War, attacking deep
into Iraq as a lead division of the U.S. 7th Corps in Operation
Desert Storm.
Then the following
year, in 1992, the 3rd Armored was sadly, and almost suddenly,
deactivated after 51 years of service. But is it really gone
forever? Is the era of large, modern, land armies really over?
Given the unexpected twists and turns of world and military events,
our bet is that the Spearhead colors will one day ride again.
ABOUT MAJ. GEN. ROBERT B. SOLOMON:
He was the most accomplished alumnus of the 3rd Armored PIO.
Our officer-in-charge for a term during 1965-66, then-Major Robert
Solomon went on to become a 2-star general and the Army's Chief
of Public Affairs with offices at the Pentagon. We were saddened
to learn that he passed away on March 29, 1998, at the age of
67 due to cancer. We are honored that his first Public Affairs
command was our Frankfurt office. |
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WHEN THIS WEBSITE FIRST BEGAN:
Initial research to locate the staff members began in May, 2001,
and the site first opened on June 28, 2001. For an Army office
unit that existed in Germany 33-36 years earlier, there were
many obstacles. One of which was that no help could be expected
(and understandably so) from either the Dept. of the Army or
the Armed Forces Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. Only
a handful of the PIO staff had kept in contact with each other
over the decades. Still, so far we have located 35 of 49 known
members from that 1965-68 period.
| ABOVE PHOTO:
A sample of our outstanding "Action" collection of
photos taken by PIO staff members. 3rd Armored Division M-60
tanks on the plains of Grafenwoehr in 1965. Photo by Bud Lee. |
ABOUT PHOTO AT EXTREME TOP OF THIS PAGE:
Our special gratitude to Berry Thompson of Nashville, TN, a former
Company Commander of 503rd Admin. Co., who in September, 2001,
sent us this splendid 1966 shot of 503rd troops (including some
PIO staffers) returning to base after a grueling 6-mile road
march. The photographer has not yet been identified
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Copyright © 2001-2008 by
the 3rd Armored Division History Foundation. All rights reserved.
This website 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 U.S. Army veterans who served with the 3rd Armored Division
between 1941 and 1992. |
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