[Mitch]

I spent a few weeks at Patch in 79 - in what I believe was called SOTFE back then. I flew in from Devens on a commercial flight into Stuttgart - not sure how we made that connection, but I know we did.

I was part of an advance team for Scharzes Pherd 79. Essentially, we were there to setup all aspects of running the EDH –each of us had a specialty – mine was commo. I essentially became the Comm Chief for the all EDH Commo – to include all phones, all RTT, all VHF and HF circuits, the AirFore E&E Net, the DZ coverage Net, ect. Also all the Commo support folks were mine too. It was good that I was a fast learner – because all I really was, was an E6 (P) right off an A-Team - had nver been in any commo unit in my life.

In order to do the work we needed to do – we need to have room to layout our maps, make lots of phone calls, and have someone standing close behind us to give us what ever we asked for or to at least be able to persuade someone else to give it to us. Example; Since I didn’t know beans about RTT – and we were supposed to maintain four RTT nets to communicate with Schulthorpe and a few other places – I decided I needed a complete RTT Platoon – with a snap of the fingers, I had one, it was just that easy. By the way, that man was Col Tyler. But the person we worked with, primarily, was MAJ Kellogg during those days there – what Kellogg couldn’t get for us – Col Tyler could – and if Tyler couldn’t get it there was an Admiral there too who definitely could.
By the way – walking around inside the SOTFE HQ was weird. All I can say about that particular place was that we were in the holiest of holies – Once inside all the security – it was amazing how little security there was.

One more thing, we didn’t have a car then, (there was only 5 of us). So we asked for one, not really expecting to get one. Kellogg said if we could get someone to pass the German Drivers Test – he could get us a car. I was nominated to take the test – I had had one before and more recently than anyone else – I was also the lowest ranking person there. So, I got a guide book –read it –walked on down to the place to take the test – and took it. I passed. Kellogg was shocked – he really didn’t think anyone could pass it. So – he gave us a Black Ford Galaxy 500 – with a big V8 engine. We also got all the free gas we wanted. From that moment on – we were never around there anymore after retreat. We nicknamed the car the Black Mariah – no one messed with the Black Mariah.