Under Construction
Exchange visit to the
156th Field Artillery Brigade (Rainbow Division)
New York State National Guard
Fort Drum, New York, U.S.A.
by
266 [GVA] O.P. Bty R.A. [V]
4th July - 19th July 1986.
Personnel: WO11 [BSM] D.J. Driscoll, WO11 [TSM] R. Lockyer, Sgt B. Darbon.
***
We left Brize Norton on a R.A.F. VC10 and landed at N.Y. Dulles airport, arriving on the 4th July,1986 [Independence day] to be met by representatives of the N.Y. National Guard, and Command Sgt Major Murry of the unit that we were to join. He was only told the day before, while sitting by his pool, that we were coming to his unit. We then flew by Beachmaster aircraft, to Fort Drum which only had clearance to fly that morning.
That was the way the 2 week attachment was deemed to go, we were not allowed to join in with the unit and train with them or stay out at night with the unit, as we were classed as OBSERVERS only. We were billeted with the unit for only one day, on the first night we were there we went to their U.S. Army Club [N.A.F.F.I], after a few jugs of beer we started to sing and as our repertoire got louder and some may say dirtier, we were told by the manageress to be quieter, as the disco next door had complained about the noise we were making.
On the second day we were moved into officer accommodation and given a Ford truck to get about with, and Sgt Ashford got out his Union Jack and it was flown from a pole at the rear of the truck, many comments were passed about our right to fly our flag by various officers but no action was taken. As to a training programme or where or what the unit was doing day by day was not forth coming, we were left much to are own devices, so the evenings were spent in the officers mess.
On the first night that we walked in to the Officers mess, we were greeted by the site of three officers, with their backs to us, one of which was trying to teach the others the words to "Swing Low Sweet Charity"* we joined in from behind them, the smile on the face of one of them was enormous as he was Capt Brad Hard, "Brits" he shouted, he had played for the U.S.A." Eagles" Ruby team and had toured with the team in England.
In the following two weeks we taught them the 3 man lift, Bomber over Berlin, [engine fire] Old McDonald had a farm etc. But I began to noticed that when we entered the mess some would move away to the far corners of the mess, when asked why we were told that they did not approve of our boisterous antics, so we made our apologies to them and became little more subdued
The officers were very kind to us and arranged for us to visit their units in the field. We flew in helicopters over the range area with the National Guard on training flights, as the guests of Capt. Carlton O' Flanagan we visited the radio relay communications vehicles, watched different batteries firing and when we were with our host unit we were allowed to join in some of the training as instructors/observers, it was a totally different way of teaching. A group of 6 men sat in a half circle reading from a book and each took it in turn to read a paragraph, to make sure that they knew it off by heart. We saw a lot of this type of teaching but not to much individual hands on training. We tried when allowed, to make the instruction less boring by using empty milk cartons to make tanks, drawing a road in the earth and using string instead of wire to lay a telephone line across the road. It seemed to us that they had no responsibility in the lower ranks to teach or make decisions on their own initiative.
"By the Book" Explaining the fall of shot Telephone wire crossing road
My main observation is that the culture within the U.S. Army is all inclusive, if the book says this is the way to do something, then that's the way it is done. [Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.--Douglas Bader] not like the British Army which is more regimental / tribal in it's outlook and allows some degree of personal initiative. On talking to some of the older officers, the opinion was expressed that the Vietnam War changed the U.S. armies outlook and the fun and singing went with it.
On the last day with the our host Bty we were taken to an area where we were allowed to fire their small arms all blanks I have to say, the ammunition we were told came from the secret places that was used by the soldiers within the vehicles. Everything that was fired that morning was from all accounts left over, from previous exercise's.
On our last night in the officers mess before leaving the following morning, I was introduced by Capt W. D. Lawton to a 3 Star General of the National Guard, who said he was impressed by the confidence and knowledge shown by the junior ranks of the British Army and told me of his visit to a T.A. camp in Norfolk, England where he saw privates and corporals instructing on first aid, N.B.C., small arms training and acting on their own initiative in the field.
When we said are farewells, to all, who by their efforts had made our visit so memorable, Capt W. D. Lawton, told me that the General had ordered that we were to be met at Dulles airport and shown around Washington by the National Guard, what a trip that was, we visited the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, President Kennedy's grave in Arlington National Cemetery, Imo Jima Statue and the Pentagon and what a place that is, everything in America is so big and that extends to the welcome we received. The visit was not as I and the others had expected, the unit did not know that we were to train with them, it was disorganized, the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing, but that said, I would not have missed it, we had a great time. [D.J.Driscoll]
Letter of appreciation from Major W. D. Lawton. Field Artillery Operations Officer.
****
*Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home!
I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home!
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home!
Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home!
If you get there before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home,
Jess tell my friends that I'm acomin' too,
Comin' for to carry me home
* [Accredited to the U.S. singer, arranger and composer Harry Thacker Burleigh,1917.]
***
3 Days Rest and Recuperation over the mid weekend [R&R]
Outside Motel Niagara Falls
Members of 266[GVA] Bty and 307 [South Notts Hussars] Bty R.A. [V]
WO 2 Driscoll, Lt Sadler, Sgt G Ashmore, Sgt B Darbon, WO 2 Sam
front W.O. 2 R. Lockyer.
*
Buffalo, New York State.
Driscoll Lockyer
Niagara Falls
Consists of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls.
Picture to be added
Washington
Imo Jima Statue
It's no good hiding Sgt Maj Lockyer, we can see you.
*
The Pentagon
Washington State
This is a really large and imposing building seen from afar, but it is only when you get close to it do you realise really how big it is. The security is very dominant with guards everywhere, we had to have ID tags which we had to give back when we left and no amount of asking would they allow us to keep them as a souvenir. The inside passage ways are enormous and the amount of people hurrying here, there and every where is staggering. We where taken for a meal in one of the many restaurants within the building and we had to pay for it!!. Afterwards we were taken to a small bar outside of the Pentagon which was very nice but when we started to sing, the bar manager thought that we were drunk and he had to be told that we were Brits, and that we always sing while we drank and that we were honoured guests of the U.S. military. The National Guardsmen must have thought we were bonkers the way we drank, but we had to tell them that their beer was weak and tasteless, which they did not fully appreciate.
We were then taken by the Guardsmen to the Dulles airport where we were met by a Colonel from the British Embassy, who wished us a save journey home, he explained the reason he didn't meet us when we landed was he was celebrating Independence Day with his family and friends, nice for some we thought!!. Having said goodbye to our National Guardsmen and thanked them for the tour of Washington, we seemed to have left a lot of Brit uniform as mementoes with them. They in turn gave us small enameled metal badges of different National Guard units.
End.
Comments/ Observations
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