Were you in B Troop? Do you have any photographs of your time in Fulda. Do you have a story that you would like to tell? Contact us at  catsauto@earthlink.net and we would be happy to put them on the web site.

Did B Troop have a small bore range on the top floor? Let me know.   Jim Decker at catsauto@earthlink.net

Oliver H. Dunham

14^th Armored Cavalry Regiment

A Border Incident in 1958

OP Alpha

May 6, 2010

A little over a year ago, Jim Decker, a former trooper of the 14^th ACR, C Company, Fulda, Germany (1958-1960), asked me to write an incident report (story) that he could publish on his website, http://www.cats4x4.com/14thacr.htm regarding an incident on the Iron Curtain (East/West German Border) in which I was involved.

About myself:  My name is Oliver Dunham, PFC, B Company, 1^st Bn, Company Commander: Capt. Hodges, MOS: Mortar Gunner.  I arrived in Fulda, in July 1957 from Ft. Sam Houston as a Medic and was assigned to Hq & Hq Co., Regimental Hq…Life in Hq Co was uneventful, so in the spring of 1958 I moved to B Company where I got to do more fun things like guard duty and Border Patrol.  (The primary mission of the 14^th ACR was to alert the world to any mass movement of Soviet armament to the West through the Fulda Gap.)  While recollecting fun things, let me mention that I was privileged to play two seasons (1957-58) on the 14^th AC Regimental football team, the Cavaliers, and travel all over Germany.

Now:                            A Border Incident in 1958

It was a warm summer evening in June 1958.  The sun had already set and darkness had closed in all around. The only light came from the stars, as it was a moonless night.  My platoon was assigned to LP duty (listening post), as the darkness made observation of the border region impossible.  Each platoon member was stationed in a LP about a quarter to a half-mile apart a few feet from the border, behind the cover of brush or trees.  Each man was armed with his M-1 rifle.  Our job was simple.  Report any sound or perceptible movement in the Fulda Gap.  How?  We did not have any field radios, and fire signals and drumbeats were frowned upon.  Of course we could always fire our rifle. Ooops!  More about that later.

Normally, there is nothing going on and the silence along the border is deafening.  Let’s face it; a lot of guys had trouble staying awake, especially if they had had a belt of something alcoholic before going on duty (strictly forbidden).  Lt. Marshall Mundy, a recent VMI grad, a shave-tail, we called him, or 90 day wonder, was notorious for quietly slipping into the LP’s and catching guys asleep at their post, a definite NO, NO.  In addition to the undesirable Write-Up, there was the extra duty penalty or demotion.

I was hunkered down in my LP behind some bushes in case a sudden burst of light appeared from the enemy across the border.  I looked out into the black nothingness that lay in front of me.  I could hear the faint sound of a motorized vehicle way off in the

distance.  I listened intently for several minutes as it continually got louder and closer.  In the valleys of the Fulda Gap noises echoed off the hills confusing your senses of where sounds were coming from.  The sounds grew louder and closer. It was the noise of a jeep.  I remembered the stories I had heard of Lt. Mundy sneaking into LP’s.  He definitely had my attention, whoever this was coming into my perimeter.  I stepped out from behind my cover, pointed my rifle in the direction of the sounds, and bellowed out a loud verbal challenge, “HALT”!  He kept coming.  Tensing up, again, I challenged, yelling, “HALT” at the top of my voice.  The jeep kept coming.  Adrenaline was pulsating through my veins as I loaded a round into the chamber of my M-1 rifle, and leveled it at the dark shadows coming into my vision.  I screamed, “HALT” with all the voice I had.

He kept coming; my finger was squeezing against the trigger.  All of sudden, the jeep went silent and I heard a panicked, “don’t shoot, D’DON’T SHOOT.”

“Who goes there?” I yelled.  “L’l’lieutenant M'mundy”, he stuttered.  (Now I was starting to enjoy this little episode.)  “Advance and be recognized.” I shouted.  He stepped forward with his driver, a flashlight in their faces.  I admonished him and his driver for foolishly trying to sneak into a secured area and that it almost cost them their lives.  I’m sure it must have been the adrenaline talking.

Lt. Mundy asked me, “Where were you?”  I explained I was waiting for them over in the brush.  He said, “Nice job, Private, damn nice job.”