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Daily News-Miner. Fairbanks. Alaska. Monday, Nownhf M. «»75-3Carolina GIs invade Interior hillsByCRAIGMJTHSUfi WriterThe F-4 Pbanlora let dove aharpfy and beaded for the hilltop about 15 oaik* north of EtelsonAFB. The plane opened fire and (rthe bursts from Its cannons sent now spraying into the air in theUrge: area.D~, said an Army sergeant* major in a wishful tone. There ought to be a thousand Communists up on that hUl.1’There was no one up on the hilt »or on two other target hUls Saturday as the Air Force Jets and about 200 Army troops from the 82nd Airborne Division from FI. Bragg participated in a live-fire training m Islon.The llve-fire maneuver was the highlight of six weeks of arclic training the North Carolina troops have received since their spectacular parachute arrival at Ft. Walnwrlght Oct. I. The mire than 900 soldiers from the 82nd Division (not alt participated in Saturday's exercise) will relurn to Ft. Bragg Friday.Saturday's exercise amounted to a variety show of Army weaponry and combat latent.The scenario was that the troops were to attack a suspected enemy lacfic.il nuclear weapon site. It was an exercise that had been weeks in planning for safety’s sake although a similar mission could be organized within minutes In a war.The tactical weapon site actually amounted le a few old car bodies, bunkers and cardboard human-lorm targets. But il Ihe targets were makeshift, there was nothing “pretend*1 about the weapons.The artillery opened up from about five miles away with M102, 105 ram howlttzers. Then the Air Force jets strafed the targets. An Army Cobra helicopter was the next act and It blasted away.Then up the hill flying low to the ground came four Army Huey helicopters with troops.“Good, they are slaying low and out of sight like they should, said Lt. Col. • E L. Stevens, commander of Ihe Ft. BraggOne captain dropped two at FI. Walnwrighlreporters off after the exercise and said with a grta, I’m sure glad you guy* likeit up hereWASHINGTON. D.C. (Special! - series of rare coincidences has led to the bislorte discovery of several thousand sets of fullcolor antique art prints that were •’lost since 1937. They arc row being offered lo the American public.y fLUNO* ROOSEVELTBack in 1937. immediatelyfollowing the depression years. Mrs.- Eleanor Roosevelt and aselect group of a dozen nationallynmminnnl hooivln 3forces. The helicopters depositedtheir soldiers on the ground near the target area and (he soldiers opened fire with rifles, mortars and machine guns. A larger Chinook helicopter brought more troops to the combat a rea.The troops ‘‘fought” their way closer to the objective. H was now lime for a show-stopper, a ground-I o-ground TWO Missile. The weapon, operated by three soldiers and about six feel long, was aimed with precision. With an enormous bang'' it was fired at an old automobile on a hill about a mile away. II took the top off the car. The TWO Missile is one of the Army’s newest weapons and It’s range and penetration powr are classified. The B2nd Infantry has had the weapon fur about two months, according to a captain. The weapon discharges n thin wire as it travels to the target.The artillery now resumed fire, hut on another hill, one' not occupied by troops. The artillery shells whistled over the heads of Ihc troops The soldiers, meanwhile , began a final firepower assault on the same bill the TWOMissile fired at a second lime. In an actual battle, this barrage of fire would be the final step before moving In on the enemy.Lt. Col. Stevens, who watched the exercise with FI. Walnwrighl commander Cot. William Lee Martin, said he fell his troopsperformed well.The 82nd Airborne Dlv. Is called America's Ready Division because, as Lt. Col.Stevens explained, “We re ready to go anywhere In the world oc a minute's notice and be ready tofight.Referring to the Alaskan training, Lt. Col. Stevens said, “We've teamed a great deaJ up here. . . U's something we’d never experienced before. Many of the soldiers in the 82nd are southerners to whom sub-freezing temperatures are aADVERTISEMENTDEPttSSfiN Ml TPublic Offered 1937 U.S. Gov’t Art Printsnovelty, lei aJeoe teb uro weather. •The temperature was a balmy (for Fairbanks) Moo Oct 1 vfeeethe 82nd parachuted into Ft. Walnwrlght. , The mercury plunged to mlane 38 ctartaf Kbeir sUy. TT»e soldier* learned co operate and survive In the extreme cold, but many of them didn't seem enthralled by it and are anxious to return to their wives and the green hills of North Carolina.
Newspaper Details
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Fairbanks, Alaska, US
Mon, Nov 10, 1975
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Fairbanks S.
USA 13 Nov 2018
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