Occupation Duty

Did I volunteer to remain for Occupation? Hell No! I was an inactive reservist who had volunteered for active duty,. I fought in 6 campaigns and survived by a miracle. I had been overseas for two years, most of it in infantry combat, and I wanted to go home to my wife to whom I had been married only 8 weeks before being shipped out. And get on with my career as an engineer.

But my unit was a regular army unit. I had come in as a replacement officer and was not “regular army†but rather “reserve†volunteer for active duty.

The 7th Infantry and 3rd Inf. Division were†regular army†and so they were deployed for occupation duty along the border of the Russian Occupation Zone to assure the Russians didn’t attempt to move further west. I was part of it.

I had enough “pointsâ€to go home, but I was declared “essentialâ€, because 3 of the jr officers in my company signed on for the regular army and were rewarded with a one month leave at home with 30 days travel time each way. Regulations permitted the Army to hold any officer for 3 months beyond his eligibility date for rotation, if he was considered essential. So there I sat! 1st Lt. Essential! And I stayed their for another 3 months and was then allowed to go home, even though the other 3 officers had not yet returned.

I remember a discussion of the pros and cons of signing on over drinks at the Officer’s club we had set up in Germany. I remember one Lt. saying, “I think I’ll sign on. It beats going back to the steel mills in Youngstown!†Another commented, “I’m not anxious to go back to the old fire station either.†I was neither a steel worker nor a fireman! I wanted to go Home!

To each to his own, but I had had enough. To volunteer in a time of your country’s need is one thing. To volunteer for a life of drudgery is something else. I stayed in the reserve, but was never called to active duty.

Why, is a whole ’nother story!

Russ Cloer

Occupation Duty

Did I volunteer to remain for Occupation? Hell No! I was an inactive reservist who had volunteered for active duty,. I fought in 6 campaigns and survived by a miracle. I had been overseas for two years, most of it in infantry combat, and I wanted to go home to my wife to whom I had been married only 8 weeks before being shipped out. And get on with my career as an engineer.

But my unit was a regular army unit. I had come in as a replacement officer and was not “regular army†but rather “reserve†volunteer for active duty.

The 7th Infantry and 3rd Inf. Division were†regular army†and so they were deployed for occupation duty along the border of the Russian Occupation Zone to assure the Russians didn’t attempt to move further west. I was part of it.

I had enough “pointsâ€to go home, but I was declared “essentialâ€, because 3 of the jr officers in my company signed on for the regular army and were rewarded with a one month leave at home with 30 days travel time each way. Regulations permitted the Army to hold any officer for 3 months beyond his eligibility date for rotation, if he was considered essential. So there I sat! 1st Lt. Essential! And I stayed their for another 3 months and was then allowed to go home, even though the other 3 officers had not yet returned.

I remember a discussion of the pros and cons of signing on over drinks at the Officer’s club we had set up in Germany. I remember one Lt. saying, “I think I’ll sign on. It beats going back to the steel mills in Youngstown!†Another commented, “I’m not anxious to go back to the old fire station either.†I was neither a steel worker nor a fireman! I wanted to go Home!

To each to his own, but I had had enough. To volunteer in a time of your country’s need is one thing. To volunteer for a life of drudgery is something else. I stayed in the reserve, but was never called to active duty.

Why, is a whole ’nother story!

Russ Cloer

This post was sent to me courtesy of Papa Art. This was on another forum.

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Historian Wanted

Posted: 22 Jun 2005 04:42 PM

I am looking for a veteran/military history buff to write articles and post battlefield studies on my website (http://www.PlatoonCommander.com). This website is used by junior Marine Corps Infantry officers and acts as a open forum for professional discussions about the job. Any assistance in finding someone who would be interested in being a part of the PlatoonCommander.com team please contact me via this forum or at info@platooncommander.com.

Thank you and Semper Fi.

Occupation Duty - Germany - late 1945

The United States made a terrible mistake when it agreed to use a common Occupation currency throughout Germany, east and west. German Deutsche marks were worthless, now that the government had fallen. The U.S. gave the other occupying powers duplicate plates for printing the Occupation Marks being used by the Americans. There was little problem with the British and the French, but the Russians really took us for a ride.

The Russians had not paid their soldiers throughout the War other than providing them with necessities. When the War ended, these soldiers were mostly in Germany and they were paid off in full, for all their years of Wartime service, with Occupation Marks printed from the American plates. They were not permitted to convert any of this money to Rubles nor to send it home, but could only spend it in Germany. Of course, the Germans had nothing to sell them and they would have stolen it, rather than buy it, in any case. So American liquor which cost us $1 per ration bottle, brought $50 a bottle from the Russians, a pack of American cigarettes for which we paid 5 cents would bring $10 in occupation currency. Cheap, used wrist watches went for $200.

The American soldier could then go to his mail clerk and convert these Occupation Marks into a postal money order which he could send home where it was converted to American dollars. In this way, the Russian Government got the American Government to pay for a large part of their soldiers’ wartime pay and the American consumer paid for it in the postwar inflation which took place in the U.S. in 1946-47.

The problem, of course, was in making contact with the Russians which was not easy. We were deployed on opposite sides of the Fulda River. (Allies who didn’t trust each other!) But with opportunistic combat vets on both sides, eager to take advantage of the situation, many were able to find a way. Enterprising vets, both American and Russian, skilled in evading odious regulations, found ways.

Shortly before I came home, the Army finally smartened up and instituted a currency control system whereby no one could send home more money in postal money orders than he received in pay.

Russ Cloer - 3_7_I_Recon

Sam Merante, 1st platoon, Co. B 48 Engineers died 20 February, 2005. Sam was a holder of The Purple Heart, Invasion Arrowhead and Six Battle Stars.

This info was supplied to me by Al Kincer of the 48th. My condolences to you, his buddies and family.