European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 10, 1959, Darmstadt, Hesse A i radio operator keeps platoons in con tact As preparations Are made to at tack town on military reservation. 16th a anniversary 7th army airborne troopers repack gear on Stopover of Adano Turkey while in route to american land forces operation in be Barnal the summer of 1958. By Henry b. Kraft staff writer the 7th army shield of seventh army the billion Dollar a year Force which a former commanding general once described As the free worlds protective shield against aggression Cele Brates its 16th anniversary today stronger and More Alert than Ever before. Here and there Over a wide area of Germany from the austrian Border to Fulda in the North outposts of the 7tharmy Are kept in a state of preparedness. Training and More training with its line soldiers spending months at training areas or participating in numerous pos exercises is what keep this powerful Force in shape. The 7th army has been Given several slogans by some of its commanders each of which is an expression of its Force and vitality. Gen George s. Patton jr., who started the 7th army on its Way to history with its formation july 10, 1943, when it was activated off the sicilian coast said it was born at sea baptized in blood and crowned in As its first commander Patton led it in the invasion of the enemy Bruce c. Clarke during his tenure As commanding general said "7th army is a professional it was Clarke who called it the protective five divisions and three armoured cavalry regiments form the very heart of the command. Other combat support and serv ice units round out the Force of 150,000 men which comprises the nation s firstie atomic army. It Gen Francis w. Farrell once a Westpoint instructor of English and a master parachutist is the Man who now command the 7th army which is american s chief contribution i to nato land forces. About 60 per cent of the enlisted Menand 40 per cent of the officers Are regular army. It is the major troop element Inu Sarteur and so far As its function with nato 5s concerned it is a part of the British French americ Aji c o n t r o 1 army group under. Allied land forces Central europe.--. ,.,\. ,. ,.,. When the sicilian Campaign ended in the summer of 1943, the 7th army swept into Southern France led by Gen Alexander Patch. The Story of that historic March reads almost like that of Hannibal Cross ing the Alps. The 7th army pushed itself across the Rhine through Germany and into Austria. About the time the War ended it had captured the Brenner pass and had advanced into Italy where i linked up with the 5th . Army. The 7th army saw just a Brief period of occupation duty before it was deactivated. But it was in 1950 when it was reborn 114 Europe that the 7th began to develop into the powerful peacetime Force which it is today. At first there was t much to it for i started with a Small number of men from the 1st inf div and constabulary troops. During the years of the korean conflict i began to assume stature. With the years it grew in size increasing its efficiency an shedding some of its surplus fat in the trimming operation which led to Itsue atomic Structure. As a pen Tomic army and to fulfil its roles a peacetime Force it has every Type of vehicle a modern army needs helicopters and planes and the latest in weapons. But training is the heart and soul of the army Garrison training Field Maneu vers Dayan night training and f o r m a 1 school training. During Maneu vers or for other major training exercises its units use three big military reservations these Are at Grafen Woehr Vilseck Hohenfels and Sabre Hawk in 1957, 125,000 men of the 7th army participated in the Gigan tic Maneu vers at one time. And last year when Vii corps conducted its maneuvers50,000 men participated. The service unit Soldier gets his training through the support of the mane vering infantryman Tanker and Artill Erist. Men in the signal pm and ordnance sections Are quitter used to working in the Field. They function out of improvised shelter Sand achieve their purposes in operating under near combat conditions. The stars and stripes but it takes plenty to support that army particularly food. The coi face the Mon con sume in a month would fill 80 tank cars of 10,000 gallon capacity each. The amount of food consumed at thanksgiving dinners last year is computed not by pounds but by tons. Candy was measured in tons and so were shrimp and oranges. To give the 7th army Soldier a Chanceton Advance himself it has a so fool program which challenges the Best and which keeps both officer and enlisted Man capable an informed. About 5,000 men were graduated by the 7th army no Academy when the fiscal year ended this year. Army tank training Center graduated 1,350 during the year aviation training Center 450 and the air ground school a joint service venture with the Ramstein air Force base about 300 7th army men. Besides there Are a number of usar eur schools military , ordnance signal and quartermaster which hundreds of 7th army soldiers attend. Eyes of nato observers Are constantly upon 7th army training for each is inter ested in its techniques and operations. Las Winter during exercise free play observers of 19 nations were there to see How it was done. A French observer said we consider it a necessity to watch,7th army the Maneu vers were conducted by Vii corps eyes of the 7th Are the three armoured cavalry regiments. It is their Job to watch the Borders and Alert the com Mand if an attack comes. In addition to its peacetime function of guarding the peace it is an important function of the army to see that its sol Diers and German neighbors Are friends. It is a task in which the me from private to general participate wholeheartedly. The Impact of the 7th army upon the German Economy is enormous. Each month the soldiers convert $13 million of their earnings into Marks. Helping. German towns or institutions Isth Way of the 7th army to be not Only a protective shield but a Friend to those among whom its soldiers live. Two m in cover for a buddy stringing communications on Grafe Woehr exercise. Below infantrymen unload Rorri truck to storm their above howitzer Crew gets ready to fire during Winter exercise. Friday july wrecker lifts Power pack from 155-mm self propelled howitzer As maintenance Crew of 534th armoured Field artillery in stand by to begin repairs. Right engineers lower boat into River on army s Winter Maneu vers. The stars and stripes Page
