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Large file sizes were used so that detail in the pictures would be easily seen.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience and I hope you understand.

Thanks, Dave

UPDATES

Thanks for being patient. I will be adding more photos and other items soon. As you know, Mr. Gore is rolling around the countryside whining about global warming. Well here in Alabama we are taking advantage of the global warming and spending time outside in the nice fresh air and thanks to congress we can do it a lot early and a lot later now that Day Light Savings starts in March.

I have unlocked the Guest Book

I will be adding a visitors photo page soon

Will be adding photos of Paris

On November 4th 1982 I arrived Rhein-Main Air Base and was taken to the US Army replacement center for my inbriefing and medical check. I was 19 years old, had never been out of the US, and frankly, was quite scared. I was taken to Schweinfurt on the 6th and after I said something silly, was on my way to the unit I would spend my entire tour with.

C Co. 1st BN 15th Inf Regt. 3rd ID.

The Title and how I got it.

3 weeks after arriving in Germany and being assigned to my unit I got a nasty suprise at 3am one morning. A Russian fighter, not an East German fighter, flew over the border, did a U-turn and flew back. By 3:30am we were sitting in Klosterforest waiting for our orders. By 0700hrs we were sent back to the track park to await the final all is clear. By 9am all was clear and my adrenaline was finally subsiding.

I was in an M113 with a bunch of guys I had only known for a few days. My squad leader, SSG David Rand, had told the guys in my squad to treat me right and help me be part of the team. So with 8 of us sitting cramped in a 7x10 box with everything we owned I started to learn about being brothers with men I did not know.

During the mount up phase of getting ready to leave the track park one of the NCOs looked at me and told me this was normal around the holidays as the commies didn't want us to sleep or have a good holiday season. As he told me this SFC Nelson Beard walked by and said "lets go...oh your the new guy...Matt!....Lets go Matt, into the fire. The Ruskies don't wait"

During our wait in the forest I asked what SFC Beard meant by into the fire and I was told that our mission was to hold off the advancing of a Russian Armored Division. I looked back to my gaming days of Cold War and Squadleader and said, "with a company?" SSG Rand looked at me and responded, "The Russians don't use frying pans."

It was at this very moment when I realized that at 19 I had just entered the real world and that everything I did would have a positive or a negative reaction.

This lovely piece of killing machine is a Showerhead Mine. It is part of a simple but effective system designed to PREVENT escape. Notice the bird and trip wires? They run the fence. Touch them and the head pivots to you and POOF. You are either left maimed, or dead. The other part of the system is the fence itself. It is a simple mesh that cannot be climbed. The openings are small and will slice or cut fingers. It is rigid and thin.

A Blast From The East

Mister, I'm not giving my name you but it should be clear that Russians were not in the border as you say to insist. Germans of the east were on this border while Russian military was just oberservant. They never there. You Amercans think your know everything but case is that yuo dont. Eastern Germans could come free and go and Amercans could come free and goo to.

Russian miltary left years go. They leave behind knowldge on what to do and how to keep NATO out. The mine yous claim is shower mine is not what said you it is. Design to keep NATO out of our lands. Your webpages are nice but you informasion is incorect. You should read book of russia and learn about us.

Rebuttal

Dear Sir or Ma'am,

As a retired soldier of the United States Army and a man who served not far from the border from 1982-1984 I can tell you that reading any book about the Soviet Union now will NOT answer any of my questions about the border then without lying. I have talked to and viewed pictures of Russian officers and enlisted soldiers on the border. I know what was there on both sides good and bad. If you have proof that proves me wrong please by all means send me pictures and I will post them. Until then please understand that the history lesson I am teaching here is so that our future leaders, my children and yours, do not repeat this tragic, misguided building of walls to keep people IN!

BTW, my name is Dave Matteson...why are you afraid to use your name?

M2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (From my perspective)

Maximum Speed about 45mph.

While on a mission during a mini Reforger we did get C-24 up to 53mph on the autobahn. At that speed she throws track pads left and right.

Has a crew of 3.

From the time we went to transition at Vilseck to the time I left the unit for Fort Hood it was SSG Fowler the TC, Sgt Jones dismount team leader, Me gunner, and Downes our driver. We were awarded the best transition crew and during one gunnery exercise we received an "atta-boy" for the best team work.

M242 Chain Gun.

This magnificent piece of machinery is probably the simplest gun in our arsenal. It has 4 pieces. The lower receiver, the feeder, the barrel, and the bolt and carrier groups. I got to the point where I could manipulate it during firing. I maintained company Top Gun till I left and was the battalion top gun for over 6 months.

M240C Coaxial Machine Gun.

Probably the best use for a 7.62mm machine gun I have ever seen. Capt. Alvarado used to have Gunner competitions or "Ramp Challenges". One was the removal, disassembly, reassembly, and installation of the M240C CMG. I won many but definitely no all.

TOW Launcher.

During our transition and final release from tactical training our M2s were upgraded to fire the I-TOW. Our company, I think it was the COs track, got to fire the only live TOW missiles. Though I did get to fire a live Dragon.

The Bradley Floats!

I sailed 2 rivers and one lake in M2 Bradleys for 5 floats. It was fun!! The original M2 had a swim barrier that was erected to spread out the surface tension of the water. Then slowly you worked your way into the water and swam. I floated the Main (2) and Donau (2) and Belton Lake (1). Fort Hood was funny. They attached these giant cables to the Bradley to keep them close to the beach. The cables ended up weighing the Bradley's down in the nose almost sinking one.

Its Armor.

There has been a lot of criticism of the Bradley's armor and its ability to handle and protect its troops. I am here to say without a doubt that this machine could have survived. During a live fire exercise one Bradley was manuevering down range when a Bradley sitting on the ready line at a range on Wildflecken opened fire accidently. At least 10 rounds of AP-TPT slammed into the ramp and turret of the Bradley down range. Not one hole. AP-TPT has the same characteristics as the real AP round. Also the sand skirts and bussel rack are designed to detonate incoming RPG rounds at penetration.