Reforger Nostalgia

[Dr.Fusselpulli]

I think it was more an expression of the feeling to be overwhelmed, without chance of victory. I was a Bundeswehr Soldier as well, but long after the Cold War. I am too young for that. I only have one active memory of the Cold War, and that's the fall of the Berlin Wall when I was 4 years old.
But I know a lot of the older Generations, and have talked to them as well about their time in the Bundeswehr in the 80s or 70s. And quite often you hear "The Bundeswehr is only there to slow down (or hold down) the enemy until a real army arrives".

But you are right, during that time, the training and dedication was very strong. "Die Russen kommen", was always a fear of that time, and East Germany was for a lot of people already as far as Siberia.

[A Canadian Cat]

17 minutes ago, Dr.Fusselpulli said:

one active memory of the Cold War, and that's the fall of the Berlin Wall when I was 4 years old

I have a few more - heck my parents met on one of the Canadian bases in the '60s - but the Berlin Wall coming down was one hell of an event. I still get pretty emotional. I was at university living in a flat with 4 other students and we were pretty serious about our studies so did not have a TV. One guy did have a tiny little screen tucked away in his closet that he brought out and we watched CBC over the bunny ears. One of those events that give you hope for humanity.

[Aragorn2002]

3 minutes ago, Dr.Fusselpulli said:

I think it was more an expression of the feeling to be overwhelmed, without chance of victory. I was a Bundeswehr Soldier as well, but long after the Cold War. I am too young for that. I only have one active memory of the Cold War, and that's the fall of the Berlin Wall when I was 4 years old.
But I know a lot of the older Generations, and have talked to them as well about their time in the Bundeswehr in the 80s or 70s. And quite often you hear "The Bundeswehr is only there to slow down (or hold down) the enemy until a real army arrives".

But you are right, during that time, the training and dedication was very strong. "Die Russen kommen", was always a fear of that time, and East Germany was for a lot of people already as far as Siberia.

Born in 1963 I was a child of the Cold War and we were convinced the Soviets would attack sooner or later. De Russen komen! In the late seventies and early eighties (during my call of duty) the Netherlands had a full Army Corps in Northern Germany, knowing full well that after a German collapse we were next in line. The German soldier was motivated even more than we were because they knew very well what had happened in Eastern Prussia, Silesia, Saxony, Pommerania etc. in 1944/45. They must have heard the stories from the older German generations.

The younger generations now know little about the Cold war and think it was just about a idiotic arms race and needless fear, but I know better than that. Sad to see we're heading for another cold war...

 

 

 

 

[Dr.Fusselpulli]

17 minutes ago, IanL said:

I still get pretty emotional.

Yes. I remember it as well, even very good, although I was so young. I was already in bed back then, because I was just four years old, and the Wall came down quite late in the evening on the 9th of November. My father was so excited and woke me up, to shove me in front of the TV, so I would not miss that moment. I have never forgotten about it, even as I was a small child at that time.
I also remember seeing the scenes on TV the next days, how all the Trabbis were going west.

[Double Deuce]

I got to West Germany in May 83 so this game is slightly before that time frame however, my battalion was one of the last to get the M1s. When I left in 87 they still had the M60A3s and M113s (no units in our brigade had been upgraded). With what's available in this module, I can easily make 83-87 scenarios and a campaign. Time to dig out my old Steel Panthers stuff and get cracking on a conversion. 

[DerKommissar]

Wishing for a Cold War prequel to Khabour Trail, following PPCLI and friends in Europe.

56 minutes ago, Aragorn2002 said:

The younger generations now know little about the Cold war and think it was just about a idiotic arms race and needless fear, but I know better than that. Sad to see we're heading for another cold war...

The Cold War was over before my friends and I were born. In a strange way, there is a second-hand nostalgia towards the time period. It could be our parents and grandparents telling stories about duck 'n' cover drills. It could also be that Cold War-era media (music, movies, shows, games, books, etc.) are culturally significant. I agree about the geopolitical world seeming to want an encore.

[Lethaface]

The 'good' thing about the cold war seems to be that there was a sort of balance everyone agreed upon. Even though there were times that there was serious chances of it becoming a 'hot' war. 

Interesting to read stories of those who were 'there' and see the pictures (from all sides of course). Born in 82 I haven't experienced the cold war in a very conscious way, although I do also remember the wall coming down as a positive event and IIRC my parents had a little party with some friends. My memory of it is next in line with the Dutch winning the European Championship in '88. 

When I was young I imagined the Iron Curtain as a literal Iron Curtain 

Quite some colleagues and members of my football team who are 10+ years older did however serve time in the army though (conscription not yet 'postponed') and I heard plenty of stories about those including the drinking in Germany.

[IICptMillerII]

1 hour ago, Double Deuce said:

I got to West Germany in May 83 so this game is slightly before that time frame however, my battalion was one of the last to get the M1s. When I left in 87 they still had the M60A3s and M113s (no units in our brigade had been upgraded). With what's available in this module, I can easily make 83-87 scenarios and a campaign. Time to dig out my old Steel Panthers stuff and get cracking on a conversion. 

That sounds great to me!

The equipment upgrades for both the US and the Soviets really were all over the place. I know for the US the cav units got priority for all the new stuff because they were the ones expected to take the brunt of the fighting, at least initially. Anything to increase their survivability was welcome. A lot of the newer stuff also was put into the equipment depots for REFORGER units to fall in on. 

Of course, you can always assume that if there was any type of build up to the war, some of this newer equipment would have been sent out to the line units, for both the Us and Soviets. 

[markus544]

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Always thought the Abrams looked cool in the MERDC camo schemes. 

[Sequoia]

Back in the late 70's the Cav battalion on my base of the 2nd ACR had this camo scheme of small black, brown, tan, and green squares on their vehicles. Our FA BN CO liked it so much he had us paint our vehicles in the same scheme. I'll see if I can dig up a photo.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

3 minutes ago, Sequoia said:

I'll see if I can dig up a photo.

From a modellers perspective that would be fascinating.....I don't normally do US stuff, but I like anything a bit unusual.

[Sequoia]

Found this link to an example:

 

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=A5ujpCXt&id=78213BCAC0ED1437CEE11182B1D9A6E63B095189&thid=OIP.A5ujpCXtnTP6uCCWB3-bjwHaKe&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.tankograd.com%2fhtml%2fimg%2fpool%2f3017+CAMO+5.jpg&exph=842&expw=595&q=1970s+us+army+vehicle+square+camouflage&simid=607996223931288286&ck=84953C402061AEA2A1033A9800437233&selectedIndex=50&qpvt=1970s+us+army+vehicle+square+camouflage&FORM=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Now that will take some masking tape!  

I've got a couple of M113s in the stash.....Might see if there's a suitable M577 conversion kit and give it a go.

PS - What's the base colour?  Forest Green?  That surely ain't Olive Drab unless there's something funky going on with colour filters.

PPS - No worries, tracked down the source of the image:

From this rather handy tome:

That'll be on my shopping list then. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Sgt.Squarehead

[markus544]

Edited February 18, 2021 by markus544

[markus544]

[Aragorn2002]

1 minute ago, markus544 said:

Dragon, right?

[markus544]

I think so I pulled it off the WEB

[markus544]

It's interesting that the turret is like an M-48, but the hull is a give away.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

The M48's curved Glacis was more graceful.....But grace isn't terribly high on the list of wants for a tank (sadly IMHO). 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Sequoia]

@ Sarge S. The new vehicles as they arrived were one color what I would call forest green. Like the color in the M-60 below your earlier post. It's also shown there at the front top of the M577.

Edited February 18, 2021 by Sequoia

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I'll know for sure when I get the book.....I'm definitely going to do at least one model in this scheme now as it's piqued my interest. 

The other US stuff in my collection is all Pattons (at war), M46 in Korea, M48 in Vietnam (still ongoing), M60 in Kuwait.

[Sequoia]

The 2nd Cav unit had all their vehicles in that scheme including the M-60s.

 

 

[Sgt.Squarehead]

As it goes I do happen to have two M60 kits, I bought a M60A3 as it was all that was available, but then Found a USMC version with ERA on eBay.

But I really do like that M577.

I'm also planning to build a M551 Sheridan in Airborne markings.....For a bloke who 'doesn't really do US stuff', I seem to have a few on the horizon.

[IronCat60]

If you think living in the United States during the Cold War was scary think about the folks who were living in Western Europe.

If you lived next to one of the many military bases then you had a pre-registerd artillery, air attack, nuclear, chemical (take your pick) target as a next door neighbor.

You basically lived in a occupied country where hundreds of foreign strangers were rotated in and out. Strangers who you had to hope could be trusted to be good people because they drove your streets, visited your towns, communed with your local citizens.

Where if hostilities broke out and no matter what side won, you would still be the loser.

Those were some perilous times that somehow we survived despite several close calls where by luck, fate, or people that remained calm and thought things out prevented the start of what would have surely escalated into the end of humanity.