HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2013

There is certainly a lot to be Thankful for this day and every day of the year. 

I wish You, Your Family, & Friends a Very Happy Thanksgiving Day.

Thank you for your support,
Dave Guerra
A/6/502nd Berlin Brigade

Sunday Morning SITREP 1013080013Z

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1. Berlin: Where history can be found on every corner

Article about the past, present and future of Berlin just by walking down the street.

link to article: http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/10726724.Berlin__Where_history_can_be_found_on_every_corner/

2. 5 of Berlin's Hottest, Hidden Spots

A list of the five "ultra-cool things" about Berlin.

link to article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/internationallivingcom/five-of-berlins-hottest-h_b_4064084.html?utm_hp_ref=travel&ir=Travel


3. Corn Diplomacy and the Cold War

"The Year: 1959. The place: Iowa. It’s the height of the Cold War, and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, on an official visit to the United States, makes a foray into corn country – and the farm of Roswell Garst."

link to article: http://backstoryradio.org/2013/10/06/corn-diplomacy-and-the-cold-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=corn-diplomacy-and-the-cold-war



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Saturday Morning SITREP 1012080013Z

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1. Fort Detrick's Eight-Ball -- a relic of Cold War bio-warfare

Talking about a four-story spherical structure used to test aerobiological agents at Ft. Detrick. Maryland.

link to article: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/health/diseases/article_09a3c63c-fe2b-5950-8f76-79d2c14455b2.html

2. 5 places to revisit the Atomic Age

A list of former top-secret locations and spacey spots to revisit the Atomic Age.

link to article: http://www.sfgate.com/travel/fiveplaces/article/5-places-to-revisit-the-Atomic-Age-4886572.php

3. Krimsky talks Cold War era

Former Associated Press journalist talks about his time in the Soviet Union and the Cold War as viewed from that side of the Iron Curtain

link to article: http://thedartmouth.com/2013/10/10/news/lecture

4. Nuclear Weapons are the United States' Instruments of Peace
An OP-ED piece about why nuclear weapons remain in the US arsenal.

link to article: http://www.cfr.org/arms-control-disarmament-and-nonproliferation/nuclear-weapons-united-states-instruments-peace/p31567

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Sunday Morning SITREP 1006080013Z

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Good Morning Everyone,

1. What Happened to East Germany's Workers?

link to article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-feffer/what-happened-to-east-ger_b_4016428.html

2. Film Review: ‘West’

link to article: http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/west-review-montreal-1200680119/

3. NSA Knew Berlin Wall Plans Days before Construction

link to article: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2013/09/29/NSA-Knew-Berlin-Wall-Plans-Days-Construction

4. A walk along the East Side Gallery – Berlin
link to article: http://www.baldhiker.com/2013/10/02/a-walk-along-the-east-side-gallery-berlin/

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Saturday Morning SITREP 1005080013Z

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Good Morning Everyone,


1. Three Eyewitness Scenes from Berlin: 1950, 1973, 2013
"Reflections on a city where my grandfather served and my mother visited."

link to article:  http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/10/three-eyewitness-scenes-from-berlin-1950-1973-2013/280184/

2. Espionage, Cold War thriller author Tom Clancy dies

Article recapping the brilliant but brief life of Tom Clancy



link to article: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131002/ENT07/131009900

3. Porsche to BMW Help Bridge East-West German Divide

Talking about the finance of bringing and keeping the automobile giant successful in the east.

link to article: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-10-02/porsche-bridges-former-communist-divide-as-macan-plugs-gap-cars


4. 5 Fascinating Former DDR Locales

Potsdam, Leipzig, Dresden among the cities in the former East Germany that are quickly becoming tourist meccas.

link to article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-stern/5-fascinating-eastern-ger_b_4024413.html


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Sunday Morning SITREP 0929101013Z

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DISTRO: ALL PERSONNEL

SUBJECT: SUNDAY SITREP 0929101013Z

1. Does the Berlin Wall still exist?

A BBC New article reflecting on the historical political division in a united Berlin. The article's graphic will look eerily familiar to anyone who ever served in Berlin.

link to the article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24238553

2. NSA spied on Martin Luther King, Muhhammad Ali, senators and journalists during Cold War

Article regarding how the NSA is reported to have "spied on civil rights leader Martin Luther King and boxer Muhammad Ali during the height of the Vietnam War protests, according to declassified documents revealed Wednesday."

link to the article: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_09_26/NSA-spied-on-Martin-Luther-King-Muhhammad-Ali-senators-and-journalists-during-Cold-War-3577/?from=menu

3. JFK Visited Hanford 50 Years Ago, Trying to De-Escalate Cold War

Article recalling President John F. Kennedy's visit to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington.

link to the article: http://kplu.org/post/jfk-visited-hanford-50-years-ago-trying-de-escalate-cold-war

4. The 'Little Traffic Light Man' That Could
"How Berlin's iconic Ampelmännchen were born, saved from destruction, and still matter today"

link to the article: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/09/the-little-traffic-light-man-that-could/279968/

5. Benghazi -  Swift and Decisive

Article reference the LaBelle Disco Bombing, the actions taken after (Operation El Dorado Canyon) versus the incident in Benghazi in 2012.

link to the article: http://www.citywatchla.com/8box-left/5749-benghazi-swift-and-decisive

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Saturday Morning SITREP 0928080013Z

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Good Morning Everyone,

Here is a little something I have gathered and think you will find interesting.

1. Cold war bunker out of cold storage

Video article about a "genuine" Cold War Bunker in Gravesend (East of London), England.

link to article: http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2013-09-20/cold-war-bunker-out-of-cold-storage/

2. War hero turned Cold War spycatcher locked up some of Britain's most ruthless traitors

Article about one of Britain's most famous spycatchers.

link to article: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/hero+turned+Cold+spycatcher+locked+some+Britain+most+ruthless+traitors/8942471/story.html

3. US Army Military Police Corps observes 72nd Birthday

Read about how the US Army's Military Police celebrated and remembered its past during this week's "Regimental Week."

link to article: http://www.myguidon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16438&Itemid=39


4. Land of the Giant Mushrooms: Albania's 750,000 Cold War Bunkers

A Slate article about the thousands of bunkers built by the Albanian government for an invasion that never came.

link to article: http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2013/09/27/land_of_the_giant_mushrooms_albania_s_750_000_cold_war_bunkers.html

5. BOOK REVIEW: Stalin's Curse: Battling for Communism in War and Cold War

Review of a new book focusing on former Soviet premier, Josef Stalin and what many are believing was that Stalin and the USSR had only intentions of peace and secured borders and not that of expansionism and the global domination of Communism.

Author: Robert Gellately
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Knopf

link to article: http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/stalin-s-cold-war_757205.html

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About the SITREPS

Greetings All,
Thank you for indulging me this time. I want to say Thank you for reading and following along.


Over the past two weeks I have been adding the SITREPS and I do hope you have found them interesting. However, I have found that doing a daily report is just not in the cards.

However, starting this weekend (September 28-29)  I will publish Weekend SITREPS.



 Please, I would love to hear from you and what you think. You can email me at dave@berlinbrigade.com

Thank you.
Dave  Guerra
A/6/502/ Berlin Brigade

A Brief Note to the Citizens of Germany (22 September 2013)

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Im Namen der Veteranen des ehemaligen US Army Berlin Brigade, würde Ich mag ein herzlichen Glückwunsch an die Bürger DEUTSCHLAND verlängern über den Abschluss einer der größten Prozesse jede Nation eingehen kann: Freiheit der Bürger, ihr Wahlrecht Übung !

Ihre Ausübung Ihrer Rechte als Bürger des deutschen Volkes sicherlich verstärkt die Tatsache, dass unser Engagement in Deutschland, das deutsche Volk, der Stadt West-Berlin, und die Bürger von West-Berlin von 1945 bis 1990 gerecht und richtig war.

---
On behalf of the Veterans of the former US Army Berlin Brigade, I would like to extend a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to the Citizens of GERMANY on the conclusion of one of the Greatest Processes any nation can undergo: Freedom of its citizens to Exercise Their Right To Vote!

Your exercising your rights as citizens of the German nation certainly reinforces the fact that our commitment and dedication to Germany, the German People, the city of West Berlin, and the citizens of West Berlin from 1945 to 1990 was just and right.  


We Thank You Again & We Congratulate You!
David G. Guerra
BerlinBrigade.com

Saturday Morning SITREP 0921081013Z

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Good Morning Everyone,
Here is a little something I have gathered and think you will find interesting.

1. Power city: Berlin’s political nerve centre

"What happens in the German capital affects us more than the goings-on inside the Washington Beltway or even Whitehall’s square mile. Ahead of Germany’s federal election tomorrow, it’s a good time to stroll through the heart of the Berliner Republik"

link to article: http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/power-city-berlin-s-political-nerve-centre-1.1534795 

2. One cheap switch saved US from nuclear catastrophe in 1961, declassified document reveals

Article talking about how a nuclear crisis was averted when a B-52 bomber carrying a nuclear weapon broke up over North Carolina in 1961.

link to article: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/21/20608882-one-cheap-switch-saved-us-from-nuclear-catastrophe-in-1961-declassified-document-reveals?lite

3. Berlin, Prague, Vienna: Far from the beaten European path

Planning on traveling to Berlin here's a little bit of info for you to consider.

link to article: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/126581/berlin-prague-vienna-far-from-the-beaten-european-path#ixzz2fWzLIHJ0

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Wednesday Morning SITREP 0918060013Z

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Good Morning Everyone,
Here is a little something I have gathered and think you will find interesting.

1. Cold War Relics in the Caribbean: The Abandoned Planes of Pearls Airport

A small article and a couple of photos of an old SOVIET aircraft that were in place in the island nation of Grenada at the time of Operation Urgent Fury in 1983.

link to the article: http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2013/09/17/cold_war_relics_in_the_caribbean_the_abandoned_planes_of_pearls_airport.html

2. For first time since Cold War, Russian navy sets up permanent Arctic presence

Story about the Russians returning to their old Cold War stomping grounds: the Arctic.

link to the article: http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130916/first-time-cold-war-russian-navy-sets-permanent-arctic-presence

3. Cameras disguised inside coat zips and bugs hidden in tree trunks: Fascinating insight into the crafty tricks and devious gadgets German spies used during the Cold War

Article about some the gear the Stasi spies used during the Cold War. Some of it obvious and some not so obvious. There was one that had me thinking "Oh, that's how they did that."
Guess which one it was?


link to the article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2423361/From-cameras-disguised-inside-coat-zips-bugs-hidden-tree-trunks-Fascinating-insight-crafty-tricks-devious-gadgets-German-spies-used-Cold-War.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

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Tuesday Morning SITREP 0917060013Z

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Good Morning Everyone,
Here is a little something I have gathered and think you will find interesting.

1. Germany's Refugee Policy Tested By New Arrivals

"As many as 5,000 Syrian refugees are moving to Germany this month after Chancellor Angela Merkel's government agreed to a U.N. request to host them. But they aren't receiving the warmest welcome in a country where a growing number of Germans are unhappy about the steady stream of asylum seekers."  Many are locating to HELLERSDORF district of the former East Berlin.

There is an audio version of this story on the page.


link to the article: http://publicradioeast.org/post/germans-tire-taking-refugees-warn-torn-nations

2. Cold War plane unveiled at Alberta Aviation Museum

"The Alberta Aviation Museum unveiled the newest addition to its collection this weekend: a CF-104 Starfighter plane that flew in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1961 until 1984."

IMHO, The F-104 is one of the coolest jets ever made.

link to the article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/cold-war-plane-unveiled-at-alberta-aviation-museum-1.1309400

3. Eric Schlosser's 'Command and Control' tracks nuclear mishaps

A new book tackling the what ifs and uh-oh's during the nuclear age.

COMMAND AND CONTROL: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety, by Eric Schlosser. The Penguin Press, 632 pp., $36.


link to the article: http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/books/eric-schlosser-s-command-and-control-tracks-nuclear-mishaps-1.6048702

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Sunday Morning SITREP 0915075513Z

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Good Morning Everyone,
Here is a little something I have gathered and think you will find interesting.

1. Our view: Disturbing Cold War-era discovery

The discovery of Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, starter fluid for the Nike ground-to-air missile fleet in a Chicago suburb.

• link to the article: http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/opinions/22549889-474/our-view-disturbing-cold-war-era-discovery.html

2. Teufelsberg mirrors Berlin's dramatic history

"An artificial hill in former West Berlin was once a major building site for Nazis - then a surveillance center during the Cold War. Today, it's being restored by artists and conservationists, and welcomes visitors."

• link to the article: http://www.dw.de/teufelsberg-mirrors-berlins-dramatic-history/a-17074597

3. Cold War airbase turns ghost town

Interesting little article on how post Cold War realities are affecting life in the former USSR.

• link to the article: http://barentsobserver.com/en/security/2013/09/cold-war-airbase-turns-ghost-town-05-09

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Saturday Morning SITREP 0914085013Z

START TRANS-----

Good Morning Everyone,
Here is a little something I have gathered and that you may find interesting...

1. Fake mustaches, hidden cameras, 80,000 agents: How Stasi brutalized a nation
An interesting little article by CNN on how the STASI used "disguises and complex surveillance techniques" A nice little look back. The accompanying photographs have an individual that looks familiar. Hmmmm, could be the disguise.

Link to the full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/13/world/europe/stasi-images-book/?hpt=hp_c3


2. From the Fall of the Berlin Wall to Tahir Square: The Case for Freedom, Democracy, and Peace
Huffington Post has an article on geo-political divisions in the world and the need for REAL Leadership in the world.

link to the full story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amb-alexandros-p-mallias/from-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall_b_3916348.html

3. Bulgaria closes probe in Cold War umbrella killing
Story about the death of Georgi Markov, Bulgarian journalist, who fled Communist Bulgaria and settled in the UK. Markov is believed to have been shot with a poisoned tipped umbrella and died four days later in 1978. The story centers on the current Bulgarian Government's attempt to find the culprit but to no avail.

link to the full story: http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/2013/09/12/bulgaria-closes-probe-cold-war-umbrella-killing/M9QAIUzupdX2DJHGMm75rO/story.html 

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Friday Morning SITREP 0913060013Z

START TRANS-----

Good Morning Everyone,
Here is a little something I have gathered and think you will find interesting.

1. Bloomberg News is reporting the following headline: Berlin to Turn Cold-War Airlift Site Into 1,700 Affordable Homes 

It seems the grounds of Tempelhof Central Airport are slated to be the latest location in Berlin to be turned into affordable housing. You can read the entire article here: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-09-12/berlin-to-build-homes-at-airport-used-for-cold-war-airlift


2. "And Then We Take Berlin"

The new book by author John Lawton is out: "And Then We Take Berlin". It offers a new and different spin on life in Post War Berlin and the early goings of the Cold War. "John Lawton’s terrific “And Then We Take Berlin” tells the story of a British soldier-cat burglar who becomes involved in post-war Berlin’s black market, then is asked to apply his skills in the service of a serious Cold War plot."

Should be interesting to read.  Read the Seattle Times Article here: http://seattletimes.com/html/books/2021755698_lawtontakeberlinxml.html


3. 1940s drama ‘Foyle’s War’ returns on PBS

For those of you that want the Cold War served up on your television screen be sure to check out "Foyle's War" on PBS  (check you local listings for time and date). This British produce series is in its seventh season and it promises to be a good one. The lead character Christopher Foyle is "asked" by British Intelligence Service MI5 to investigate and confirm the existence of a Soviet spy network working in London.

See the Preview video


or

Read the Miami Herald's article: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/11/3620713/1940s-drama-foyles-war-returns.html 


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Leadership Lessons of a Berlin Brigade Soldier: Introduction

Hello again! I am about to take to the next level something I have been working on for quite a long time but never went public with, that is until now. The following is the basis for a book that I have wanted to get really serious about and now the time has come to do so. This book is something that I would like to see as something that up and coming leaders can use as a reference in the modern workplace as I truly believe that famous quote by George Santayana: "Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Therefore, we WILL revisit the past. Over the next 20+ weeks I will introduce one new addition to what I call "LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF A BERLIN BRIGADE SOLDIER." I will publish other content news and information in between these "chapters".

The premise is to show a new generation how we saw and did things in Berlin from 1945 to 1994. It was by doing these "things" with Dedication, Commitment, and Professionalism that we, the United States, along with our Allies (France and the United Kingdom) won the Cold War. Don't forget this is one Soldier's interpretation of how we did things. Therefore, if you will indulge me and if you could do me the honor and favor of providing feedback it would be greatly appreciated.

-Thank you, Dave Guerra

Leadership Lessons of a Berlin Brigade Soldier

INTRODUCTION

    When World War II came to an end, the city of Berlin took on a new and unique role; that of the center of the Cold War. It was here that the victors of World War II played their unique game. It was a game of move and counter move, strategy and tactic. It was a game that involved everyone that ever-set foot in the city and no one was immune, not even its citizens. However, there was a group of individuals who went to Berlin willingly and were influenced by the city, the Allies, and the Cold War.  Today many of those who served in the city, at anytime in its post-World War II history, specifically cite that being in Berlin and serving in the Berlin Command was the most pivotal point of their military career and their adult life. Personally, it was the place where I saw the world for what it really was; cold, harsh and very real. It was a place where life and death was marked by a strip of land sometimes no wider than a football field. It was a place that saw families ripped in two all because of which side of the street they happened to live on. It was the place where friendships that would last a lifetime were formed, it was also the place that fostered and improved my leadership abilities and skills. Since leaving the Berlin Brigade there has never been a time in my that has left me in awe about being part of something bigger than me, something that made me proud to say I was a U.S. Infantryman in West Berlin during the Cold War.

    This book serves as a reminder to those that served in Berlin during 1945 to 1994 about those things that were an everyday part of lives. This book for those that never served in Berlin but are interested enough to pick up this book and take a peek into our lives and learn a little bit about what made each of us not just soldiers, and professionals but true Leaders for the rest of our lives.

    While the 20 chapters of this book might seem like a lot to someone that never served in the city but for those that served 110 miles behind the Iron Curtain this is but the tip of the iceberg. I know that I am leaving out many, many unique aspects of the Berlin Brigade (and that may be for the next four books). I assure you that what you will read is but a sliver of our day-to-day lives in Berlin.

    Now almost 20 years since the Berlin Brigade was deactivated, the lessons that we learned and lived then are still very much a part of lives today. The lessons in leadership that are presented in this book are part of who we are and it is our mission to continue to instill and pass along those lessons to others that we encounter no matter what they do. It is my intention to do my part to honor my fellow members of the Berlin Brigade by providing the tools by which we can continue to show what being a member of the Berlin Brigade meant to us and what these lessons in Leadership can do in your own unique situation.

    The Berlin Brigade had a brief, yet honored tradition and unique history as part of the US Army. Today, those that served continue to be faithful to that tradition and history. Therefore, this book is solely dedicated to all who served in the Most Illustrious and Unique unit in the history of the United States Army: The Berlin Brigade.

== Next Week: #1 The Citizens of Berlin ==

The Occupation of Berlin (1945 - 1990): The Four Sectors of Berlin

In this video, I talk about the Four Sectors that made up the Divided City of Berlin from 1945 to 1990. I go into a little detail about the US, FRENCH, SOVIET, and BRITISH sectors. More info will come in later videos.

-Enjoy

The Occupation of Berlin: You are leaving Sector signs 1945-1990

Here is a little video I did about the "You are leaving the American Sector" signs that were all over the perimeter of the American Sector in West Berlin. However, these signs were all over East and West Berlin but written so as to depict which sector you were leaving.

-Enjoy

July 2013 Book of the Month: Death On Devil's Mountain by David Von Norden

The BerlinBrigade.com July 2013 Book of the Month is "Death On Devil's Mountain" by David Von Norden

"Death on Devil's Mountain" is written by David Von Norden, a former member of the ASA, based out at US Army's former listening outpost on top of Berlin's Teufelsberg.

The Amazon.com website describes this exciting book as "The Summer of Love is past. The Cold War is heating up. Thousands of young men are being drafted for the conflict in Southeast Asia and hundreds more enlist in the hope of some choice of assignment. The best of these volunteers are channeled into the Army Security Agency and the brightest of this group gets sent to the National Security Agency's most important listening post,The Hill, in West Berlin. Teufelsberg, the Germans call it. The Devil's Mountain, a monument constructed from the rubble and ruins of the crushed German capital. But there is something terribly wrong in the 54th ASA Special Operations Command. People are dying. Death on Devil's Mountain depicts the twisted macramé of intelligence work, its effect on the 'civilians in uniform', and the mounting rancor of enlisted men against the cadre of sergeants and 'lifers'. This unit of hand picked misfits is a natural choice for a mad CIA-operated experiment code named MK-ISLAND. An experiment gone awry."


You can order your copy of "Death On Devil's Mountain" from Amazon.com

May 2013 Book of the Moth: The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halvorsen

The BerlinBrigade.com May 2013 Book of the Moth: The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halvorsen

Celebrating the end of the Berlin Blockade on May 12, 1949, the BerlinBrigade.com Book of the Month for May 2013 is The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halvorsen.


Read the story of the Col. Halvorsen's journey to and from Berlin during one of the hottest times during the Cold War.

From the publisher: "The Berlin Candy Bomber is a love story-how two sticks of gum and one man's kindness to the children of a vanquished enemy grew into an epic of goodwill spanning the globe-touching the hearts of millions in both Germany and America.

In June 1948, Russia laid siege to Berlin, cutting off the flow of food and supplies over highways into the city. More than two million people faced economic collapse and starvation. The Americans, English, and French began a massive airlift to bring sustenance to the city and to thwart the Russian siege.

Gail Halvorsen was one of hundreds of U.S. pilots involved in the airlift. While in Berlin, he met a group of children standing by the airport watching the incoming planes. Though they hadn't asked for candy, he was impressed to share with them the two sticks of gum he had in his possession. Seeing how thrilled they were by this gesture, he promised to drop more candy to them the next time he flew to the area.

True to his word, as he flew in the next day, he wiggled the wings of his plane to identify himself, then dropped several small bundles of candy using parachutes crafted from handkerchiefs to slow their fall. Local newspapers picked up the story. Suddenly, letters addressed to "Uncle Wiggly Wings" began to arrive as the children requested candy drops in other areas of the city.

Enthusiasm spread to America, and candy contributions came from all across the country. Within weeks candy manufacturers began donating candy by the boxcar.

In May 1949, the highway blockade ended, and the airlift ended in September. But the story of Uncle Wiggly Wings and the candy-filled parachutes lives on-a symbol of human charity."



You can order your copy of "The Berlin Candy Bomber" from Amazon.com

What Happens Tomorrow

"Nobody knows what's going to happen tomorrow" is what the song says.

When all of us woke up on the morning of Monday, April 15, 2013 no one knew just how much the world was going to change by sunset. The Boston Marathon Bombings brought the world of terrorism back to American soil and right smack onto our television sets as tonight's leading story.

While the two suspects are off the streets (one dead, one captured) their motives are yet to be fully revealed as well as what their ultimate plan was.  Maybe we'll know one day soon. In the meantime, we have to keep moving forward. 

As we move forward, there is something to always remember and never forget: Never Let Your Guard Down. Evil is everywhere because it very seldom hides in the shadows.

Those two jokers, in Boston, were living in plain sight when they decided that their agenda was more important than the lives of the people they lived among. Their logic escapes me as it did in April of 1986 when Libyan backed terrorists bombed the LaBelle Disco in West Berlin and as it escaped me after Pan Am flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, UK by Libyan backed terrorists. Logic most certainly escaped me on September 11, 2001 as well as in London and Madrid and every place else that individuals decide that terror is their only choice when it comes trying to create change.

Ghandi made change happen. King made change happen. The people of East Germany in the summer and fall of 1989 made change happen as did the people through out Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. These were welcomed changes.

Terrorism in the name of someone's perception of religion is NEVER a good change. Terrorism in any form is never a good thing.

However, it is an unfortunate byproduct of the world we live in today. Therefore, it is up to each and every one of us to stay vigilant and know that we are in this together and together is how we will get out of it. 

Stay Safe and Stay Alert

Goodbye To The Iron Lady

Yesterday, Monday, April 8, 2013, here in the United States it was just after daybreak that we received the news that Baroness Margaret Thatcher had passed away. She was 87 years of age. She was the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ('79 - '90).

She was the "Iron Lady" to her nation and to the world. She led her nation during some of the most illustrious times in our world's history; the Cold War. Then again, she also led her nation through some rough economic, political, and civil times and still managed to come out on top.

 To me she was one of the symbols of the Cold War. Though I never met the former Prime Minister, I did get a chance to work in direct contact with the Soldiers and Officers that were members of the British Forces in Berlin when I was based in Berlin. I remember those Soldiers spoke very highly of their Prime Minister.

For the most part, I do not recall a time that I ever heard a Brit talk bad about the leader of their nation on the contrary they were full of praise for their leader. I recall that for the most part they were not happy with their pay or their government food rations, then again ALL soldiers complain about their pay and that which is attempted to be passed off as military food. However, it says a lot about a nation and the soldiers that protect that nation when they completely believe in and stand firmly behind their leaders and the leadership they instill in those they lead.

Then again, it comes as no surprise because of her uncompromising politics and leadership style the nickname "Iron Lady" given to her by a Soviet reporter stuck with her till her last day and beyond.

Baroness Margaret Thatcher will always stand among the great World Leaders of all time.

Requiescat In Pace


(image courtesy of wikipedia.org)

April 2013 Book of the Month: Lucius D. Clay: An American Life by Jean Edward Smith

In honor of his April 23rd birthday, the BerlinBrigade.ocm April 2013 Book of the Month is "Lucius D. Clay: An American Life" by Jean Edward Smith.

An American Life takes you through early childhood of Lucius D. Clay to his time at the US Military Academy at West Point all the way through his time as Military Governor of Germany. It also covers the story behind his crowning achievement as the architect of the Berlin Airlift (1948-1949) when the USSR blockaded the western sectors of the city of Berlin, Germany.

You can tell that Jean Edward Smith, author, spent much time meticulously researching the life and times of General Lucius D. Clay. Smith not only goes beyond the raw data that is anyone's life, he goes into such detail that the reader can't help but feel to be a fly on the wall that is witnessing the life of General Clay unfold.


You can order your copy of "Lucius D. Clay: An American Life" from Amazon.com

Attention Berlin Veterans: I Have One Question to Ask

As the title states; I one question that I have been meaning to ask. Here goes:

What do you think about BerlinBrigade.com launching a VETERANS BUSINESS DIRECTORY?

Here is what I am thinking: I am thinking of creating a directory of the businesses that the Veterans of the Berlin either own or a work at or do. This is to help facilitate finding the right people for the right job. Who else to do that job than another Berlin Brigade Vet.

The process would be simple. You fill out an online form containing some basic information about you and your business. Then that information is broken down into at least three business categories and then posted online.

So let's say you are looking for an RV Mechanic in Michigan. You look at the Berlin Brigade Business Directory and find an RV Mechanic in Northern Indiana. He might not be next door but depending on where in Michigan you the Berlin Brigade Vet might be close enough to try.

So what do you think?

Would you use a Berlin Brigade Veterans Business Directory?

Would you submit your organization's information?

March 2013 Book of the Month: Mercedes and The Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven

The BerlinBrigade.com March 2013 Book of the Month is "Mercedes and The Chocolate Pilot" by Margot Theis Raven.

From Amazon.com: During the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949, Lt. Gail Halvorsen and his squadron dropped over 250,000 candy-loaded parachutes and twenty tons of chocolate and gum to West Berlin's 100,000 children. He received thousands of letters from children, and only the most important were translated and given to him for his personal reply. This is the true story of a little girl named Mercedes, who waited anxiously for candy drops from Lt. Gail, known as the Chocolate Pilot.

This book is written with the child in mind but Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot is a story of such historical value that everyone, of any age, will enjoy this wonderful story.


You can order your very own copy of "Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot"

International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2013

Today, January 27, 2013, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

BerlinBrigade.com takes time to reflect on and remember the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide that resulted in the annihilation of approximately "6 million Jews, 2 million Gypsies (Roma and Sinti), 15,000 homosexual people and millions of others by the Nazi regime and its collaborators."

We, the Veterans of the US Army's Berlin Brigade, served in the city where all this began.

We are honored to have helped the city of Berlin, the country of Germany, the European Continent, and the World move forward and beyond those atrocities. However, we must always continue to take time and look back at the past to ensure that such horrors never happen again. To confirm that the events of today are no where close to what happened in the 1930s and 1940s are exactly why we need to remember and never forget.


The photo was taken by David Guerra, on November 8, 2009, at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin.

February 2013 Book of the Month: The Batter's Out (Baseball Training Manual) by Charles R. Sledge Jr.

Jan/Feb 2013 Book of the Month: The Batter's Out (Baseball Training Manual) How to Play Defense: For Parents, Coaches, and Kids By Charles R. Sledge Jr. (Berlin Brigade Veteran)

Just as Pitcher's and Catchers are due to report and in time for spring training. This is the book you want your budding young athletes digging their cleats into. This book offers some of the greatest information on how to play the game, of baseball, was meant to be played: As a game that has strategy, tactics, and requires little skill but leaves plenty of room for mastery. Mastery at levels that are bound to take even the novice of players to the next level of the Great American Pastime.

From the Publisher: "The Batter's Out is a book of instructions on how to play baseball defensively. It teaches how to play all nine positions properly on the field by showing how each player moves during the course of a play through illustrations. The Batter's Out is a detailed description of what each player on any given team should do when the baseball is being hit to any given position. The illustrations are colorful and simulate real action. This book also holds a glossary of all the terms used for playing great defense. It's ideal for Parents who want to become Coaches, Coaches who want to improve there coaching skills and Children who dream of playing professional baseball everywhere."