Oral History Interview with Donald F. Michaels taken at the 2006 Association Reunion.
I joined the 17th Signal Battalion in October 1964 and remained with the Battalion until it was deactivated in 1965. We were located in Neureut, Karlsruhe Germany. I served in C and A Companies during that time. We were all over the hillsides, but I really didn’t have any problems in the terrain. It was pretty flat along the Rhine River. We had a wonderful motor pool but of course it was icy in the winter and muddy in the spring. The billets left a lot to be desired, but the NCO club and enlisted men’s club were pretty nice. The weather in Karlsruhe was pretty nice.
I joined the Battalion when LTC Gorlinski was the Battalion Commander and I was a SFC (E-7) and joined C Company. In C Company I was fortunate enough to pass the First Sergeant’s Board and was transferred down to A Company. When LTC Gorlinski left, LTC Sweeney took over in 1965 and closed out the Battalion.
We carried the old M-1 rifle and hoped the veterans of WWII would remember that. It was a nice weapon. It was dependable. The status of our food and clothing at the time was pretty good.
I really believe Company A and Company C did an outstanding job in the field. In a matter of fact, I remember Company A when I was at Ft. Dormir at the 144th Signal Battalion and we spent most of our time in the boonies and the two sergeants in operations main signal battalion I had the support of the switchboard and main frame of A Company during one of our maneuvers, and we deployed many exercises down into France between Karlsruhe and Mason Ford and B Company was provided the VHF links and A & C company the message center facilities and high frequency radio facilities. We traveled mostly by military convey and lost a lot of vehicles on the way sometimes, but it was all just part of the game.
Our radio equipment was primary the TRC-24 series, MRC- 54’s, the TRC-69’s , and TRC- 26. The 26 was the high frequency radio system.
And of course the old land lines and switchboard took the message through the board for the commanders and higher headquarters we supported.
I can’t recall any instances of communications being compromised, nor am I imagining any effect of any jamming countermeasures. In my opinion the battalion was pretty good with its communications with its subordinate units and higher headquarters, and I really can’t identify any key messages that were received.
All I know, is that I enjoyed the 17th Signal Battalion and I was with it when it was deactivated and reconstituted as the 72nd Signal Battalion which essentially had the same mission.
Well, I believe we had a very effective communication system. We had very dependable personnel and the logistics administration and maintenance.
When the battalion deactivated and was reconstituted as the 72nd at Neureut Kaserne, they did do some improvements. I guess the most notable improvement was lowering the ceiling in the mess hall. The commissary and PX were always pretty good and we always had adequate medical facilities. There was all kinds of recreation whether it was at the NCO club or the enlisted men’s club.
And Karlsruhe was pretty accessible to the Alps, France and most any place a person would like to go. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any children while I was at this station. I almost adopted a little German girl, but unfortunately, her mother backed out at the last minute. Who knows, maybe it was for the best.
Who were your best buddies in the 17th? I remember SFC Stanley A. Wogsinsky, a good Polack. You might say that we were bosom buddies.
What kind of training did you get in the 17th, going through training in the 17th or just maneuvers? Well, we did in-house training and actually in C Company I was the Operations Sergeant and that was my first experience in the areas of communications security and classified documents.
Looking back at your time with the 17th, which specific assignment (I think you must have had several there) was the best? I think that the best assignment was when I got the order to go down to A Company as First Sergeant and got my feet wet.
Do you have any mementos that you want preserved? Yeah, I have the glass German boot. When you were shipped out, they gave you a big boot. You can fill it up with most any thing, and it was your obligation to drink it. They had many, many parties when people went home.