Grenadier Kaserne security?

   Until they started building the wall in August 1961 no one seemed too concerned about security at Grenadier.  Before I had a car and when I wanted to go to Robinson Barracks I either hitched a ride or went through the hole in the fence between building 5 and 6. It would save me about a 1/2 mile on the walk to Stuttgart Post.

   You could walk on to the Kaserne through the main gate during the day and no one would stop you.  We had so many civilians working there that security was a farce.  On the floor above us was the civilian hiring department for the US Army. Most of the people there were German. Once the wall was being built we had guards at night.  The front gate is shown below.  This is a picture that was taken after Grenadier Kaserne was closed.  You will notice a cyclone type gate. This gate was added after the Kaserne was closed for demolition.

   We had a PFC who was a Native American and couldn’t hold his booze.  I’m not sure what his job was and he wasn’t with us more than a month or so so I guess it doesn’t make any difference what his job was.  EVERY Saturday night he would get drunk and try to get through the main gate.  The guards would stop him and call our CQ to come get him. We explained numerous time that all he had to do was walk around the Kaserne to the left and walk through the hole in the fence.

   He never remembered and they never repaired the fence!

   Have a Happy New Year and a great 2013. Leave a comment if you like.