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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 1963)
MEDFORC MAIL THIEUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON , ' WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 14. 1963 0 lemons Pcartmiers in Safeguarding Pee Editor's note: In mid- August, 1944, hundreds oi thousands of American troops were pushing east across- France, fighting fiercely against stubborn German resistance. Today, some of the same Ameri can soldiers who fought against the . Germans in that campaign and others are helping to train a peacetime - German army. This dispatch was written by a member of the UPI Washington bureau who recently toured U.S. mili tary bases in West Germany. By GEORGE WEEKS United Press International Munich, Germany-IUPD-"These guys are just like most of us they want to serve their time and get out." That was . an American G.I. talking. The "guys" he was referring to were Ger mans, members of the grena dier, panzer, mountain and airborne divisions which are now partners in safeguarding the peace with United States and other NATO soldiers. Today, West Germany's 28,000-man navy helps pro tect the NATO flanks in the North Sea and the Baltic. Its air force is a vital link in NATO defenses. And the army, the real German bul wark, has more than 240.000 men, with a planned peak strength of 12 divisions. On the 20th anniversary of the American army's entry into western Europe, the in evitable question still comes up about the wisdom of the re-birth of military forces which once terrorized Europe. Germans Immune The armed forces booklet of the Federal German gov ernment has this to say: "The experience of the re cent past has rendered the German people immune to the danger of seeing the new army as anything but a genu ine defense instrument . . . The soldier's position within the social structure of the nation has changed from what it used to be in former times . . . The new army is being built up under the handicap which is also a blessing or starting from scratch." More blunt was an Ameri can two-star general: "You can say what you want to about the revival of the Ger man military, but we're damned lucky to have them on our side this time," he said. "NATO would be lost without them." Added a U.S. officer who once fought against the Ger mans and now helps train them: "They're not sharp in the sense that the heel-clickers of old were. I wouldn't be surprised to see the goose step come back some day but never with that same mo tivation they had before." Has Weakness One of the most qualifed judges of the German armed forces today is Lt. Gen. Hugh P. Harris, commander of the U.S. Seventh army, which has within its ranks two Ger man corps for NATO opera tions. Harris, who monitors German training, said the German army is good tactic ally but weak logistically. Much needs to be done in building its support units, he said. More than 1,500 crack U.S. and German troops under Harris paraded shoulder to shoulder together in Stuttgart Getting Back in Touch Dick West, Home From Vacation, Catching Up On News of World . By DICK WEST Washington - (UPI) - When I go on a vacation I usually lose touch with the outside world, and s o m e times with the i n side world as well. It al ways takes me a couple of days to get caught up on what happen ed while I was gone. Mean- west while, it is a little difficult to carry on an intelligent conversation. During my first day back on the job after this year's vacation, I went to the Senate restaurant for lunch, taking a seat next to my friend and colleague, Sam Freeloader. As might have been pre dicted I was immediately drawn into a discussion of current events. "Do you think he deliber ately lost that game?" Free loader asked. "That's for the jury to de cide," I replied. "The jury? What jury?" "Aren't you talking about that football case down in Georgia?" "No, I'm talking about Dean, Rusk," Freeloader said. "1 didn't know he played football." "Not football. Badminton." Dennis the Menace 5 last month at ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of the Seventh Army, which was formed at sea to fight Germans. Americans and Germans train together daily, a situa tion unique in the military history of both nations. Aft er participation in an exer cise with German soldiers. Lt. George Joulwan. a U.S. infantry company comman der, said he was "over whelmed by their interest and efficiency." U.S. ambassador to West Germany George C. McGhee, after watching German and American troops march to gether, said it was "hearten ing" to see former enemies training for common defense. Of the West Herman air force, a low-flying U.S. Army pilot, after pulling his single engine craft out of a sudden dive to avoid two German jets approaching on a colli sion course, told a frightened passenger: "You have to watch out for : these German flyabouts. They 1 like to buzz castles and tele vision towers. They give our control tower the fits.'' The air force is rebuilding in dramatic and sometimes startling fashion. Maj. Gen. W. A. Cunningham, com manding general of the U.S. 24th division, was unable to get U.S. Air Force planes for a training exercise so he called upon the German air force for napalm drops 400 yards ahead of the advancing troops. "The German pilots were beautifully accurate," Cun ningham said. "It was a good example of real Allied co operation." One handicap facing the German air force is a short age of adequate air space. It lacks facilities for aerial live fire exercises, and the air space already is crowded with military and commer cial traffic. Limited air space was a factor In the recent agree ment giving the U.S. Air Force responsibility for training West German pilots at Luke Air Force base In Ari zona to fly the supersonic F-104G Starfighter. Ameri can instructors and German students already are flying together in Europe. As of a year ago, the Ger man Air Force personnel numbered 82,500 and con tributed to NATO one trans port wing, four fighter wings, one reconnaisance wing and five fighter bomber wings. There have been increases since then, as there have been since buildup of all German armed forces since the demilitarization of Ger many after World War II. ASHLEY I STOVES Parts A Repair Service BIS Y FEED & Seed 1941 Pec. Hwy. 773-JHO No. T Badminton!" I exclaimed. "That's a fine how-do-you-do! What do you suppose Khrushchev was doing while our Secretary of State was playing badminton?" "He was playing badmin ton, too," Freeloader said. "I must have missed some thing while I was away," I said. "How did Rusk and Khrushchev happen to be playing badminton at the same time?" "They were playing each other." "Were they using an ICBM for a shuttlecock?" "No, they played at Khrushchev's place on the Black Sea." "Rusk went all the way from Washington to the Black Sea for a badminton game?" "No, he was already in Moscow." "What was he doing in Mos cow?" "Signing a treaty." "A badminton treaty?" "No, nuclear test 1 n treaty." "And Rusk lost it?" "Not the treaty. The bad minton game." As I was saying, it takes a little while after a vacation to catch up on the news and get it all straightened out. I expect that in a day or two I will have it all clear in my mind. But first I want to find out who this Christine is that everybody is talking about. I HAD A 10m TALK WITH THE MLM4M, AN' HE SAYS THEKE $ SUCH A THING AS GOAT MILKl Subscribers To report Improper or non riplivery of the Mail Tribune in 1 Medford. phone 772-6141; Ash land call at 416 Bridge St., or phone 482-3002; Yreka, phone i Victory 2-2898 before 6:45 p.m. I daily and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. If regular delivery arrives j shortly after you call please notify office, thus eliminating 1 special messencer service. 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