Jim Barrett

The 360th Transportation Company was activated during World War II to support the growing logistical demands of the U.S. Army. The unit provided critical truck and convoy operations, transporting ammunition, supplies, and troops across European and later Asian theaters. During the Vietnam War, the 360th became well-known for its hazardous convoy missions along dangerous supply routes, often facing ambushes and enemy fire. In subsequent decades, the company continued to serve in various operations, adapting to new technologies and maintaining its reputation for reliability and resilience in support of U.S. military objectives worldwide.

The 97th Signal Battalion was first constituted on 3 February 1941 in the Regular Army and activated at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. During World War II, the battalion provided critical communications support across the European Theater, notably participating in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns. After the war, the 97th Signal Battalion was stationed in Germany, serving during the Cold War as a vital link in U.S. Army Europe’s communications network. The unit was inactivated on 31 May 1993, having distinguished itself through decades of dedicated service in both war and peace.

The 19th United States Army Field Artillery Detachment (19th USAFAD) was a unit of the U.S. Army assigned to NATO during the Cold War. Stationed in Werl, West Germany, the 19th USAFAD was responsible for the custody, maintenance, and security of nuclear warheads assigned to Belgian Army artillery units under the NATO nuclear sharing arrangement. The detachment worked closely with Belgian forces equipped with Honest John and later MGM-52 Lance missiles. The 19th USAFAD was inactivated in the early 1990s following the end of the Cold War and the withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons from Western Europe.