17th Signal Battalion History
Sam Lietz & Rudy Tellmann
Marilynn K. “Sam” Lietz –COL, USA SC Retired (Commander 17th Signal Battalion 1997-1999)
Rudy Tellmann - (Company B-Message Center Operations -1956-1958)
Both Sam and Rudy are members of the 17th Signal Battalion Association
The 17th Signal Battalion was first activated as the 17th Signal Operations Battalion on November 20th, 1942 at Camp Crowder, Missouri. A total of 82 enlisted men and 3 officers made up the unit. Major Alf Helmer was the first Commanding Officer. The unit provided communications support at the Tennessee Maneuvers from 30 March to 30 June 1943; then on to the Northwest Maneuvers 17 August to 3 October 1943. On October 11 1943 the battalion entrained for Camp Shanks, New York arriving 16 October 1943 for deployment in support of 1st Army Headquarters. By November 1st, the 17th was at Patchway - Filton Airfield, England to begin preparations for D-Day. The first SHAFE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Forces Europe) Signal School was set up by the 17th and its members were the instructors. After unsatisfactory attempts to operate teletype equipment from buildings and tents, all equipment was mounted in vans which retained a high degree of mobility. Company A of the 17th landed on Omaha Beach on D-day plus 3. They set up carrier circuits on Pont du Hoc transmitting to the Isle of Wright. The far circuit was at Middle Wallop, England..
The Battalion set up two complete communication centers in vans and leap-frogged across France thru Belgium to Germany. By May of 1945 they had moved 45 times. General Bradley commended the men of the Signal Corps in his “A SOLDIERS STORY”. November and December of 1944 was spent rehabilitating the Repeater Station at Aachen which was in shambles due to repeated allied bombing. On 26 February 1946 the 17th Signal Operations Battalion received five BattleStreamers: Normandy 1944; Northern France1944; Rhineland1944-1945; Ardennes-Alsace 1944-1945 and Central Europe 1945. The battalion was deactivated on 18 February 1946 at Camp Bowie Texas under the command of Major Alexander S. Turner.
The 17th was reactivated from the 1776 Signal Operation Battalion on 23 June 1950 with LTC Alexander S. Turner again in command and assigned to Phillips Kaserne near Karlsruhe, Germany to provide signal communications for USAREUR (United States Army Europe). Detachments of the 17th were located through-out France and Germany and provided support to the Berlin Crisis in 1951 and gained an Aviation Section with both fixed and rotary winged assets. . Later the unit moved to D’Isly Barracks in Pirmasens, Germany.
The 17th Signal Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) was approved on 8 May 1953. Its design is emblematic of the type of communications offered by the battalion. The two telephone poles denote land line communications and the radio denotes HF and VHF communications. The five signal flashes emanating from the tower are representative of the five battle streamers. FONS COMMUNICATIONES (Fountain of Communications) is the motto of the 17thSignal Battalion.
The battalion moved back to Karlsruhe (Neureut Kaserne) in 1956 where after deploying soldiers to Lebanon and , it was deactivated for the second time on 25 September 1965.
The 17th activated as the 17th Signal Battalion on 16 March 1981 at Hoecht Kaserne in Frankfurt with the mission to provide tactical communications for V Corps. The 17thparticipated in all of the major exercises in Europe over the next 25 years and during this period of service deployed it soldiers and equipment to over 25 different countries to include The Netherlands, Bosnia, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Macedonia, Italy, The Former Republic of Yugoslavia, Croatia, Poland, Kosavo, Herzgovenia, Czech Republic, Albania and two battalion deployments in support of operations in Iraq. Company C, 17th Signal Battalion was commended for providing the best possible communications for the 3rd Armored Division during their defense of Saudi Arabia and Liberation of Kuwait in 1991. For their support of Bosnia operations, Detachments from Company’s B & D were authorized the Army Superior Unit Award (AUSA) for Oct 95 – Nov 96. From Feb 03 – March 04 the Battalion served in Iraq to support 1st Armored Division elements as they prosecuted the war on terrorism. The Battalion again deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Freedom with the 22nd Signal Brigade in 2005 and returned home early in 2006 – just in time to start deactivation activities. The 17thSignal Battalion was deactivated for the third time on 17 August 2006 with LTC Glenn Kennedy rolling up the flag.
The proud heritage of the 17th Signal Operations Battalion and the 17th Signal Battalion live on in the hearts of its thousands of members from 1942 – 2006. Those members are honored during bi-annual reunions held around the United States as put on by the 17th Signal Battalion Association.