Richard Spatta, Johnson Barracks, Furth, Germany, US Army, Cold War

Biography of Richard Spatta

Johnson Barracks, Furth, Germany, US Army, Cold War

I sailed from New York for Germany on the Transport ship General Maurice Rose on May 5, 1961. The first several hours I remember sitting at the rear of the ship with a few other guys watching the NY skyline disappear. The water was calm and I thought to my self this isn't going to be too bad. That changed during the night when I woke because of the ship rolling from side to side and the front of the ship crashing back into the water after being lifted by a wave. I learned quickly that the North Atlantic was not going to be a fun trip. I remember for several days we were not allowed on deck. There was a large space on the deck level where we all hung out during day. It was pretty scary actually looking up at the water. Finally after about 10 days the water started to calm, and we caught our first sight of England. We went thru the English Channel to Bremerhaven Germany where trains were waiting to take us to our final destination. Mine was Johnson Barracks in Furth. After 35 months I came home on the Upshaw, stopping at South Hampton England to pick up more people. As bad as it was I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

----- Richard Spatta rrs974va AT aol DOT com

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