Neue Seite 1

It was such a pleasure, and a surprise, to receive your email and to read the items on your web site. My youngest son's family was with us over the New Year's holiday, and I proudly showed them your message. Their visit did delay my response, but my son helped me scan one of the photos.

Besides yourself, the only other name I remember of those you mentioned is Richard Clayton. I wish I had written the names on the back of the attached photos, because it's hard to recall names after so many years. Hopefully you will recognize our fellow soldiers in the first platoon of C Troop in a photo taken probably in 1959, and in the 1960 photo of the S4 Section and Support Platoon of Headquarters Troop, before I became XO of D Troop or Tank Company.

What I remember most clearly about the LeClerc Team is that we were supposed to fire our TO&E weapon, and that I was not doing well shooting the .45 Cal pistol in practice. After discussing the situation with one of the sergeants and mentioning that I was more proficient with an M-1, he tactfully suggested that one of the tankers could shoot the .45 and I could use an M-1 since it was a recon platoon. He was right. The tanker was an expert, and, I believe, we won the Regimental Title although we didn't go farther in the competition.

You also mentioned the wrestling team, and I recall watching one of the matches. I'm surprised I didn't get involved, since I was on the wrestling team at West Point. Either you couldn't be on the team as an officer, or I didn't volunteer because I didn't want any more additional duties. The anecdote about the Self-propelled Howitzer rolling over the hill is still clear in my mind. We have stayed in touch with the How Battery Commander, LTC (Ret) Welborn Matthews, and I was going to mention it in my book, but my wife thought it might be too embarrassing for him, so I used another story.

The book I wrote is, "Across the Barbed Wire," a historical novel about an East German family attempting to escape to the West in 1964. The initial setting is Fulda, but the characters are fictional and include soldiers and their families on both sides of the Iron Curtain and others who are involved with them over the course of the Cold War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. It can be ordered from the Publisher, www. AuthorHouse.com or from the 14th Cav Supply Room.

Thanks for contacting me. Your web site is very promising, and I was surprised to see my photo from the Dubuque, Iowa seminar on the Cold War. Isn't the Internet remarkable! I hope my information is helpful, and I will try to add to it as recollections come to me.

Jim Pocock

Be sure to pick up from Amazon a copy of General James Pocock's book "Across the Barbed Wire Fence". It is good reading about the 14th and the border.

The following photo is of the 1st Platoon C Co. 1st Battalion 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment about 1958 or 59. It was sent to me by our former Platoon Leader Major General James Pocock Ret.

I was TDY on the Le Clerc Regimental Rifle at the time this

platoon photo was taken. Jmmie C. Decker

I know every one of these faces but some names have left me. Do you know any of them? Let me know. catsauto@earthlink.net.

1st Lt James Pocock platoon leader. Retired as a Major General. A great man and a Honor to his Country

Front row left to right- ?-Savio Garcia of Portales NM. He jump on a burning M59 personal carrier at Wildflecken and pulled the fire extinguishers saving the M59 from exploding as it was combat loaded. I was sleeping next to my old M59 as it was burning with a gas tanker parked next to me. Thanks Garcia. 3rd from left, Dorence "Dutch" Hoffman tanker, 4th from left is Richard Clayton tank driver, North Planefield, NJ, ?, Could be Horce J. Stafford but not sure.

Second row, ?, SFC. John R. Schultz Scout Squad, Master Sergeant Santiago Tank Commander, 1st Lt James Pocock Platoon Leader, ?, SFC Simpson Tank Commander, ?

Third row, ?, Spec Andino Martinez, Tanker, ?, ?, Walker from Mo., Infantry Squad, ?, Paul D. Dobsovic, Scout Driver, ?, Spec. Andrew C. Owens, Infantry Squad, Macki, Mortar Squad, ?, ?, ?, ?.

There were 3 other platoons in C Co.. They were HQ, 2nd, and the 3rd. We had friends in all of the other platoons.

C-30 with members of the 2nd Platoon. Photo courtesy of Bruce Lantz. What are the soldiers names on this tank? It looks like the the infantry squad.

The Photo of Major General James Pocock Ret.was taken at a seminar on the Cold War in Dubuque, Iowa. James Pocock wrote a book called "Across the Barbed Wire". ..\Across the Barbed Wire.htm Every former Border Patrolman should have a copy of this book. From the first pages it puts into real life one of the reasons that we were there. Along with protecting against an evasion was our duty was to save lives and help people who were fleeing from oppression. You can find this book on Amazon but if you contact me I will put you in touch with General Pocock about getting a signed copy. jimcdecker@earthlink.net

In the photo above you can see men standing on the top of C Co.. Just to the left of them and down to the roof you can see a small window. That was my room for a few months when I was off from the Le Clerc Rifle Team and on the paint detail. I think that only the CO and the 1st Sergeant knew that I was staying in that room. But as luck would have it one day there was a AGI Inspection and I was up in my little room kicked back on the bunk and in walked what looked like every officer from V-Corps. They asked what I was doing there and opened my locker. To this day I wondered why that bottle of Zeller's Schwartz Katz wine roll out of my locker. Well needless to say the party was over and it was back to the 1st Platoon Squad Room.

It is a wonderful poem. I think a lot about the experiences we shared. They
happened at a time that we were just coming into manhood. We were ready for
anything. We were in many ways like the musketeers. We were mounted on our
great steeds of war ready for that final charge against superior numbers,
victory certainly would be ours. A Cavalry charge blown on a hollowed out
bulls horn turned into a bugle blasting as the Iron Horses raced out of the
compound into a clash to come as Charlie Company of the first Battalion
Fourteenth Armored Cavalry drove itself into what ever we would encounter in
the Gap. Some thought we would last fifteen minutes, some thought twelve
hours, but to teenage Crazy Horse Warriors adrenalin driven youth having no
fear we would race to be the first to strike. We walked into the Russian
side across the ten meter strip to chat with and talk a couple of young
ladies with a cow in a meadow into crossing over. The Russian-East German
patrol showed up. We ended up sharing some food with the teenage warriors we
would some day fight. We drank many a stein of beer together. We fought side
by side against some pretty good odds and laughed and enjoyed our youthful
adventures. We certainly were not much for convention, we did not take any
guff from anybody but we were friendly to the friendly. Jim the end result
of those experiences was to create a bond of brotherhood that is eternal.
Even though we do not see each other we no that we are out there and that we
have a brother in arms to call upon. Apo

In Sixteen hundred and seven, four hundred years ago this year a people known as the English landed on the eastern seaboard of a new land called America. This small but determined group of stout hearted individuals survived conditions that would test the metal of a people who would become the embryonic beginning of a future nation called the United States of America.

One hundred and sixty nine years of gestation and then its magnificent birth with the immortal words “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, That among these are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

For four hundred years you have provided leadership, sweat and blood to bring about and preserve this great nation you birthed on July fourth of seventeen hundred and seventy six. All Americans of all backgrounds, of all races and religions will celebrate this most American of American holidays with you, the founders of this great nation.

May you, the descendents of those that landed on American soil in the year 1607, continue to prosper, May your hearts always be as stout as oak in your defense of freedom and justice. May you continue to provide leadership to our country and to a world in search of freedom.

As a proud pro American, American of American Mexican decent, as the father of an American soldier that returned safely from Iraq last December, as the president of “The Agricultural Workers Human Rights Campaign” as a human rights activist I say to you the descendants of 1607: Truly the hand of providence has guided your great work. May all Americans this day join you in a rededication of self to the preservation of this nation’s creed, the equality of mankind. God bless American, Arthur J. Apodaca, J.D.,

Great to hear from you. Those pictures I sent----the guy with the AR and trophy used to be me a long time ago, those on the way downrange---me and I think Keally, but time has fogged my memory.(the photo is on the Le Clerc Rifle Team Page) Looking at the pictures you posted of the Platoons reminded me of a lot of folks I'd forgotten.

One of the things I do remember well was after we rail-loaded to return from WinterShield 2
. there was not enough room on the train for my entire crew. Since I was the driver, I had to go back with the tank. When we arrived at the rail-head in Fulda, I untied the thing by myself. then I tried to get a ground-guide fro the other unit to get me off the train. No-one would! Since I was about 8 or more cars back, I was holding up the whole works. One of the NCO's from the other company, I wish I could remember which, told me to get "that thing" outa the way. So I figured screw it and did the "go for Broke" trick. So me and my babe got off the train and made it back to the motor pool all by ourselves. That was an exciting trip!
Bruce Lantz