United States Constabulary
Army of Occupation
Germany and Austria
1946
Berlin Memories
by
Manfred Goldstein
     My name is Manfred Goldstein. My Army nickname was Doc because I was always fixing things. My civilian nickname is Manny.
     I was born in 1927 in Vienna Austria, came to the USA in 1939 after a terrible year with Hitler. Then lived in Brooklyn, NY until I was drafted in 1945. After basic training at Ft. McClellan Alabama I was shipped overseas.
     I arrived in Berlin via LeHavre France in on February 10, 1946. Stationed at a replacement depot at Oberst Drausnik (Kasserne Erlangen till March 8 1946. Sent to Berlin via Nuremberg. I was stationed in the Office of Military Government as an interpreter until late March 1946, or early April 1946 when I was transferred to the newly formed 16th Constabulary Squadron in the Headquarters Battalion at the Patton Barracks in Berlin Germany. It is now a Police Barracks at:Polizei Direktion 4, Eiswaldstrasse 18 12249 Berlin. The troopers moved to the McNair Barracks somewhere around 1948. This was a great disappointment to me at first.  At the OMG we were housed in a modern apartment building with two people per apartment. Our work was performed in a large private professional home.  We dined in restaurant and were driven around by chauffeur. The Constabulary Barracks were no more than bombed and shelled out hulls of buildings that were barely livable, the chow was terrible and there were 40 Troopers per room. However after a while the challenge and comradery made it all worth while.  Looking back OMG was a bore.  I was a low speed Radio Operator. Due to the shortage of Radio Operators in Berlin at the time, I was sent to the Constabulary School in Sonthofen Germany on May 6, 1946 to become a High Speed Radio Operator and Instructor, as well as assistant Communications Chief. When I returned, I trained personnel in Radio Communications, both voice and Morse Code. I also was assigned to repair AM and FM radios.  Although I knew little about electronics and radio repair, I learned quickly.
     Learning to drive was my next challenge. In its ultimate wisdom the Army decided to teach me to drive an M8 Armored vehicle first.  When I promptly destroyed some real estate (namely a garage) they moved me to a 1 1/2 ton truck. That did not work either.  Double Clutching was not my best talent.  Finally I learned to drive a Jeep, then the 1 1/2 ton truck, then the M8, then the Tank. Then the fun began in a 1 1/2 ton Communications Truck with a Generator Trailer.
Wow I think it would have been cheaper for the Army to discharge me right then and there.
     We had a Recon. Major that used to fly into our compound with his Piper Cub. He took a liking to me after Ifixed his radios.  He took me flying a few times. I enjoyed this a lot.  (Later in life in 1971 I became a pilot and bought 1 Cessna 172.  Had a lot of fun with it.)
     All in all, Berlin was great duty.  We had some problems with die hard Nazis and the Soviets.  The Soviets wanted to control all of Berlin. I recall one time we had an alert to evacuate via Templehof, and blow up the compound behind us. Good thing that did not come off.
     I recall attending the European Allied Forces Track and Field Championships September 7, 8 1946 at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, the very stadium where Jessie Owens embarrassed Hitler by winning track and field medals.
     I also spent a lot of my weekends on the infamous Wansee boating.  Infamous because of the “Wansee Protocol” or better known as “The Final Solution”.  It is hard to imagine that the Nazis chose such a serene area for drafting this unspeakable act.
     After my discharge in October 1946 I enlisted with the Armored Cavalry Reserves in Queens New York for three years.  I wanted to re-up but my fiancée, Shirley, talked me out of it.  Good thing, the unit was called up to serve in Korea.
     Shirley and I were married August 27, 1950, we had two daughters, Cindy and Lynn, and now three grandchildren.  Our daughter, Cindy and her family went to Berlin January 2000, and will stay until August 2001.  Her husband has an assignment there with the pharmaceutical company that he works for.
     My wife, Shirley died after 50 years of marriage in February 2001.  I re-married in 2005 to my neighbor Rhonda, who is 25 years younger then I. How lucky can one get.
     I am also busy trying to contact some old buddies before all time runs out.
Doc
E-mail:
mannyg2255@hotmail.com
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