TRANSCOM at Camp King, Oberursel in the 1970s

Mr. David Strain contacted me via e-mail and offered to share some memories from his time in Oberursel, as well as these newspaper clippings for the Camp King Oberursel archives, of which I am a member. He then gave me permission to publish them here.

This is what David had to say about his time with Transcom in Oberursel, Germany:

I joined the HQ US Transportation Command, Europe (USTRANSCOMEUR) in December of 1970.  I was assigned to the Office of the Comptroller directed by Mr. Howard South.  In our group, there was an interesting mix of military personnel, U.S. civilians (DAC), and local nationals.  The local nationals were not always so “local” as I believe we had more folks from the UK than West Germany.  We traveled a lot throughout Europe as the scope of the TRANSCOM mission was wide.  I was later assigned within the Headquarters to the ACofS (Office) for Security, Plans and Operations.  In this position, I was a part of another team that was essentially military staff.  Our chief was Colonel Whitaker.  While assigned to TRANSCOM my wife and I lived in Friedrichsdorf.  My son was born at the Wiesbaden Air Base Hospital in 1971. I left TRANSCOM and Oberursel upon release from active duty in May 1972.  My assignment to TRANSCOM was a great one for a brand new Second Lieutenant (later First Lieutenant) looking to learn, explore and grow.  My time in Oberursel was quite a ride!

David, thanks for sharing your story with us.

Comments

  1. Alton Jarman says

    I could relate several funny stories about the officers club.

  2. Please do! I’m sure these funny stories would be really appreciated.

  3. I was at Camp King Nov 69 thru Sep 71. Worked in the Terminal Div then the Highway Div. I do vividly recall the DAC who was ACofS although the name is forgotten; I do remember he was of Polish extraction however. He was also of the habit of grabbing anybody wearing green and having them perform personal tasks for him like washing his car or picking up his dry cleaning. One day we got a supply of new office chairs in and he wanted one. Caught me. So I went to Supply, got a chair and carried the box back to his office. Some time later he came looking for me, wanted to know why there was a boxed chair sitting in his office. I told him with a sincere and unassuming smile that was what he asked for. He said that at least I should take it out of the box and walked out of my office. I went, opened the box and took the pieces of the chair out of the box and left them along with the box in his office.

    Sure enough he’s back. Now he wants it put together. I smile pleasantly and he stalks off again. I put the chair together in his office, leave the box and the wrapping and his old chair right where they were and go back to work.

    Shortly he is once again back steam coming out of his ears almost. He demands that I take the packaging and his old chair and throw them in the dumpster. I smile pleasantly once again and comply.

    Never washed his car again or picked up his dry cleaning much less put a chair together for him ever after that. Some of those DAC’s were hard to train.

  4. Wayne Fougere says

    Made probably my greatest mistake of my life there in 1971. It was a my first love in my life, her father was a colonel. Wish I could have done it over, but life isn’t that easy. Her name was Mary ohoro. I believe that I made the biggest mistake in my life. Hope she has done well and has been happy.

  5. Iwas at Camp King from 2/70 to 6/71. Assigned to JTMA in Transcom. JTMA was commanded by USAF Col HJA McGuire and we also had USN LTC Ken Gregory and USAF MAJ Bert Hudson. SFC Roy Threadgill and SSG Gerry Schleining were our NCOs. Greatest place in the world to be stationed at that time.
    Random memories: SGM Harris, 1st Sgt Belk, “Paul and Paula” in the EM Club, bowling alley, Rudisheim for wine, Amsterdam by noon on Saturday, weekend parties at “the girl’s” house on the hill, Berlin Orientation Tour, 2 men per room, Rick Budd was my roommate. Great memories in reading some of these comments.
    Dick June

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