Caution ... the life you save .

m ay be your own
By SP4 John Ann Floyd
Assistant Editor
Any day of the week people can
turn on their television set and see
hundreds of deaths - caused by
suffocatl on,
fire,
automobile
crashes, rlfles, pistols, knives and
innumerable other ways.
But death can come about In qui
eter, less theatrical ways, as well.
During the recent Reforger exercises, several soldiers died "accl
through
dentally",
either
carelessness or through other factors beyond their control.
Although 56th Field Artillery Brie did not participate In the R
)!r there have been several
dllltles In the past year. The vie
tlms had several things In

common: they were male, young

(under 26) and for the most part,
single. Alcohol or drug use was evident In some of the cases, but not all
of them. Lastly, a couple of the
deaths took place during the soldiers' off-duty time.
If any of these soldiers were your
friends, or If they were part of your
family, these deaths are more than
statistics for a file or tidbits for
gossip. Dealing with a friend's or a
loved one's death is a difficult thing
to do and most people have to find
their own way through the mourning period.
But If vou didn't know these
people then you probably "watched
your step" for a few days, talked
about the accident with your

mountain climbing at Garmisch.

friends and forgot I t - These accidental deaths are not
Another soldier also fell to his
that uncommon, and they could death while climbing a telephone
strike anywhere as they did to these pole at the dare of some friends.
young men:
In Hellbronn, one soldier drove a
A 19-year-old Private First Class deuce-and-a~alf Into another car
was kllled when he was thrown and kll led a German citizen.
from his Volkswagen after an accl
Recently, a private who was
dent. He was not wearing a seat belt acting as a ground guide, was ki lied
at the time of the crash.
when he was caught between a tracTwo other men, one 2:5-year-old, tor-trailer and another vehicle.
and one 26-year-old, suffered mulDeath Is not a subject most people
tiple head Injuries after hitting the llke to think about. They would
windshields of their cars efter a prefer to think about life, love or
crash.
going home - that's only normal.
Another soldier was k"ltled when There's no need to be preoccupied
he lost control of his car, and It with death. With a little caution and
rolled down an embankment.
common sense, death can be an abOne private died from skull frac- stract thing and not a reality for you
tures after he slipped and fell whlle and voyr friends.

the

Pershing Cable
56th Field Artillery Brigade
October 1977
Vol. 13, No. 10
5"ppor11Ac tile 1/41st.1/llst, 1/Mlh l'leld Artllleties and lhe 2/ffll lnfaavy

/.;

'

'

GANGWAY FOR PEltSHING - A German soldi guides o Bravo

Battery, ht Bottolion, 81st field Artillery erector louncher off the

barge after ltt cro11ing of the Rhine River. Story and photo, on
pages 4 and S. (Phote by SP4 Couey)

- - -1181 st, 3184th ferry across the 'long and v

"In war, natf'in

impossible, ,--1ov
you use audac
Gen. George Patt

Soldien follow their equipnent onlo the barge. (Photo by SP.if~.)

.I

A German soldier of the 2d Compart)'. Swingbridge lattallon 880

appears unperturbed a1 CSM Russell Anderson checb out hi,
gucll'd post during the cro11ing. (Photo by SP5 Garrett.)
Page 4

A 0 . - soldier gulclet an et9dw louncher onto the barge.

.. ..

(Phalo by SP5 Garrett)

Pershing Cable

Octol>

rinding' Rhein River-----t.

By SP5 Ron GarNtt, Y84th Journalist
KARLSRUHE - Headquarters, Bravo, Service, and part of Delta Batteries of the 3d Battallon, 14th Field Artillery tOOk part In a recent threeday Rhein River crossing e,cerclse Involving American, French, and
German Army units.

Each battery - at a different location - was fll'rled across the Rhein

Sunday morning, September 18 on ferries befonglng to German' Army Engineers. The batteries came back across lat that evening oi,German
Army swing bridges under blackout conditions. The c,otslngs w,re ma~
quickly and without Incident. .

The men and vehicles d B Battery, ~IMth erassed the Rhein w!lh the
help of the 2d Company, Swlngbrictge Battalion 880, Karlsruhe.

1/81 st fflOW9I out

By SP4 Willis Couey, 1181 It Joumalllt
NEU-ULM - The men and women of "PerStling's Flnest," the 1st Battalion, 81st Field Artillery, crossed the Rhein River on birges. Sept9mber
' - 19-20 on a tactical movement e,cerclsa.
The German Army provided two large barges, each powered by four 200
horsepower engines for the crossing.
The Germans directed the toa<llng and unl<*tlng of the barges as well as
the operation of the barges. Realism was added by tbt German Luftwaffe
(Air Force) as they proviOed si mutated air cover. . . .
"I thought It was great. I'd heard so much about the Rhtln River when t
was In school, so going across It was a big thrill," said Private First Class
Pedro Leal, Bravo Battery.
. .
.
Specialist Four David A. Swisher of Bravo Balte!r'( thought the e,cercise
went wel I. "The G.et'man soldiers were big help IQ us," he.noted.
. .
PFC Bruce Rogers of. Servi.ta Battert clal~. ''We Should do It more
ten for the experience; a tot of people got a kick out of it."

PFC WI I lie Nixon of HHB said that crossing tbt Rhein was, "Not badsomething like riding across the water In boat.'' .

is r

:led

'ry.''
,n

Some soldiers tab a br.alc befont c:rossl119 the Rhein while

German civilians look on curioualy. (Phato by SP4 Couey)

"Wa'rs may be fought with

weapons, but they are won by
.men. It is the spirit of the men
who follow and of the man who
l~ds that gains the victory."
Gen. George Patton.

:.
The driver ca..fully maneuvers his ,,.t,lcle off the barge onto dry land. (Photo by
SP5 GamtH)

- ~ , !

..,

Germans operate the

ba,ves, which have four
200-honepower
.,...
glnas. (Photo by SP4
Couey)
r 19n

Pershing Cable

Pacae 5