BUTZBACH, GERMANY
The ‘Schloss’ itself was build in the mid 1600’s. Since the 1800’s it was used as a Kaserne. After WW2 the american forces took over the premisses. Many units were stationed here, including infantry, military police and the NCO academy of the 3rd arm. division. Because of its historic background, it was called ‘the oldest US installation in germany’. In 1991 the US army left Schloss Kaserne in Butzbach.
ARMY BARRACKS 
I was in the Giessen Field Office of US Army Counterintelligence offices in Schloss Kaserne, Butzbach. My Warrant Officer, CW2 Special Agent Thomas E. Greene and I, SFC Senior Special Agent Michael M. Wallace, were the last two Americans to leave Schloss Kaserne. We had already relocated to Giessen Depot and were turning our keys over to the Schlossmeister when we realized the US flag was still flying. We waited in the bowling alley until 5:00pm, lowered and folded the US Flag.
I, as a history buff, initially kept the flag. CW2 Greene met the Commander of largest Combat Unit at Nearby Ayers Kaserne who had officially been responsible for Schloss Kaserne and mentioned the flag. I surrendered the official flag to the Col and he gave me an older one he had been given.
We returned to Butzbach at 5:00 am the following day and flew “my” flag while we did clean up chores for the Schlossmeister. Other units had left discarded barracks and office furniture behind. So the “official” flag, at least in 1991, was where it belonged, and I still have mine today.
It was, in 1991, the oldest Castle in Germany still operating as a military “base”.
I was there from 1968 to 1970
I served in 2/3 FA Bn 3rd AD from ’74-’75 Commanding Apha Battery; I remember training in the rain, snow, ice & mud at Grafenwoehr, Hohenfels & Wildflecken; Battery adjust, Fire for effect!!
Fun times
Yo soy Carlos Huertas Calderon y serví desde el 1974 hasta Noviembre de 1975. Estuve en la compañia Bravo 2/3 3rd armor Divicion .Estoy tratando de encontrar miembros de esta compañia .Tuvimos un acidente en el que murió un compañero cuando nos fuimos por Barranco y éramos 10. Soy de Puerto Rico.
Yes 2/3 of 3rd herd , I remember your troop came in the fort 72
3rd artillery 3rd armored division Battery B 2nd Batalion, B26. Trac driver. My Sargents were Sam Pica and Averhart. 1956 thru 1959. Bill Hoover. Coffeefun38@gmail.com
hi bill hoover.
my name robert rohrbacher 3rd artillery 3rd armored division. 09-59 till 03-61
attached to service div. mos 631.10
i repaired the tracks u guys drove.
thankyou the M52 was great track. Enjoyed driving bravo 2.6 from 56 to 58.coffeefun38
Was stationed with Co C, 3/36th Infantry, at Ayers Kaserne, Kirch-Göns, (The Rock) with 3rd Armored Division. Was there from March of 1973 until June of 1976. Spent quite a bit of time in Butzbach, even rented a room in Butzbach for a year from the family of one of the German workers at the American military snack bar at Ayers Kaserne.
I turned 18, 19, and 20 while stationed there, my first tour, and have many memories of my time living and growing up there!
I served three tours of duty in Germany in the 1970’s and 1980’s, totaling close to nine years altogether. While seeing photos jogs many wonderful memories, it’s somewhat hard seeing the current photos of all the abandoned facilities of places that were instrumental and formative in my past!
Yup i couldnt recognize anything on recent pictures of the fort, its all gone
We found a tunnel in the castle , it went 15 klics to another, We also dug up barried german arsenal on the fort .
I was in Germany as a civilian lawyer in FFM from Jan. 1985 to October 1987, doing courts-martial and chapter actions.
I heard a story/rumor several times about a large unit of deadenders (Waffen SS) who were huddled up in a huge underground bunker or tunnel with tanks, artillery, etc., waiting to begin post-war Werwölfe operations.
The story goes that they refused to surrender so the Anerican called in the engineers who flooded the underground facility submerging the Nazis and their equipment. The bodies and booties supposedly remained there submerged.
The location I recall from the story was Fliegerhorst in Hanau. Oddly, everybody who told me the story heard it from somebody else. I never found anyone who found it in a unit history, or heard it from an eyewitness.
Considering how many times I made the journey to Fliegerhorst, I should have thought to bring a shovel!
Thanks for your account. It makes the Fliegerhorst story more believable.
Yes we dug up a few souvenirs , we had some lawyers representing us for GI rights , companies were doing things they couldn’t do in the states, they said our constitution was void overseas.
I served at 1/1 ADA (Butzbach) DSP for 3 HAWK sites 6/71 – 9/73. Your name seems familiar, somehow. I repaired a/c units at the site where techs repaired the hawk guidance and radar equipment. We used to play foosball on the 3rd floor quite a bit. I remember a few other name: Steve Sands, Pete Hyducovich, Dave Brickey, Ted Strickland. Anyway, it’d be nice to hear from ya if recognize or remember me.
Ken, I was stationed at Schloss Kaserne 1972 to 1974. Looks like we were there at the same time. Looking for old pals. any help from you? A name or ?
Jim Wright
Ken i think we hike up in the hills with some others by the glider paths with posi ?
Ted Strickland,pete,Tom bubelnick, maynoard,palski,,Randy Barnes, he came out to cal to see me when he got out ,
You have any pics
You have any pics back then , my got ruined, I had a apartment by the fountain in butzbach, moody was always shaking her finger at me lol
I was station in Butzbach from 1/77 until 5/79 A Btry 2nd 3rd Field Artillary loved Germany always wanted to go back.
2nd of the 3rd herd ,i was 1st 1st , 72-73 , love the town ,i had an apt by the town circle fountain, i have pics if i can find them , there is no pics of the old fort ,barracks posted , i need to find them , they painted the town up ,it use to be brown trim ,
I served with 3rd Fld Arty Battery C from Feb 60 to Aug 62. Lived off base in Butzbach for last 15 months of my tour! I was assigned to FDC as driver for our Battery’s Executive Officer Lt Stephens! Great memories indeed!
Hi Jerry, did you know my dad Robert Pecher as he served there at the same time? Unfortunately my dad passed away two weeks ago.
Best,
Marianne
You have any old pics
I was there 72-73 do you have any old pics of the fort Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device
berberick57, I was stationed there 72 to 74. Good times, any pic’s would be nice. Friends Mike McGinnis, Jeff Hazelrigg so many others. I was 05E20 but turned out driving for Lt Colonel Mason and Sargent Major Wills. Does anyone remember those times?
I was there 72-73 Ets in June, After I got out I was training NG’s and special ops in Self Defense , I’m Now Rank Honored Hansei 10 Dan in Kiru-Do and Molum Cobat Arts . Was in H B 1ST 1StT , I had good times and bad times lol ,still like to see pics of the old fort , hard to recognize anymore.
I was stationed at Schloss Kaserne
I was in the same btry from Nov 79 to Feb 82
Which tanks were you in ? What size
HELLO, DID YOU HAPPEN TO SERVE WITH A JERRY DEAN KEKIC?
I was TDY as cadre at the NCO Academy in 1987.
What is TDY and where was the academy , was it in 1st 1st HHB FOURTH FLOOR ?
TDY….temporary duty
The military loves its acronyms, especially when you make a word out of it (DEROS), but I’ve never understood what the Y stands for in TDY, or if it stands for anything.
Do you have any pictures
I understand that TDY is an acronym to mean “temporary duty”, but why the hell is there a Y? What does it stand for?
DEROS and ETS make sense because all the letters mean something but the Y in TDY drives me nuts.
Anybody?
Looking for Willie Maurice Morris ,army 1962 discharged from chigaco, Ill. My sweetheart.
My Father was CSM Harry J Swain (dec.) 1972 …loved living there
I was there 72 , they use to call me The Berb
I was the Chief Nurse of the 31st Combat Support Hospital at Schloss-Kaserne from
1974 until they closed our unit in 1975. Butzbach was a wonderful town with quaint shops and wonderful restaurants like Verbs.
Did you know First sergeant Robert C. Buckley…?
I got there in November 1972 when it was still 31st Surgical Hospital (MASH), went through the conversion to 31st CSH and left in June 1975. Do you happen to remember the name of our CO in May of 75? I think his first name was David.
I was station Butzbach for 8 months prior to leaving for Vietnam in 67-68 with the 69 Sig Batt was S-4 driver for 3 months until I made E-5
My dad Jerold Pittard was the mess sergeant in 1969-1971.
My dad was a mess Sergeant from 1970-1973.
I was a dependent In Butzback in 1984-86 we where lived in the ameeican housing there. My dad though worked out at Giessen up autobahn. I also went to new built DOD high school, Giessen Griffins in 86.
Yup
Yup ,food was good only when high brass came
Im sure if the money wasnt stolen from the higher brass we would have ate better food.
When my family lived in housing for American dependents up the hill I went to the movie theater for the Saturday afternoon matinees at Schloss Kaserne. My Dad was assigned to 3/33 Armor Bn. at Ayers Kasrrne, 1969 a 1972.
I was stationed at WARNER KASERNE
in Munich 1960-62
A Co. 21st Inf.
I would like to see more pictures of
it from those days