History of the 15th Medical Detachment

[Barry Calhoun]

Here's a brief, unofficial history of the 15th that I found on the web. If anyone has any other information and could post it, that would be great!

Barry

href="http://www.usarmygermany.com/Units/Medical/USAREUR_421stMedCo.htm#15th">

[David L Terry]

Hi Mr. Calhoun, I have read the article and it sounds like the history that I remember reading while at the 15th Med. Just reading it reminded me of all the great personnel that was stationed there from June 1983 until I left in April 1987. It was a great 4 years for me and I enjoyed the friendship of all. Even though we had rank to deal with we had some of the best officers that I could have served with. My hat goes out to all Medevac crews that have ever had the opportunity to fill these slots. It takes very special people to do the job that we did every day and see the things that we saw daily. Somewhere at the house I believe I still have my log book in which I tried to write down a short note about each mission. Weather I could remember them all is very doubtful. I think I even have a briefing book from the unit that we used to brief the passengers. Thank you for taking the time and research to put this site together so hopefully some day we can all get together and remember old times. Best wishes to all in 2009, hope to hear from you all.

[David L Terry]

15th Medical Detachment (HA)

(Sources: Email from Alfons Kraus)
Constituted as the 15th Malaria Control Unit on 1 January 1943, the unit was activated at the Service of Supply Unit Training Center in New Orleans on 25 January 1943. It staged at Camp Stoneman, California between 29 March 1943 and 22 April 1943, and sailed for Australia on 18 May 1943 on the USS Cape Flattery. It was reorganized and redesignated the 15th Medical Composite Unit on 13 July 1944 and reorganized and redesignated again on 25 April 1945 as the 15th Malaria Control Detachment. The unit served in Australia until 7 July 1943, then in New Guinea until 30 April 1945, and in the Philippine Islands from 3 May 1945 to 2 November 1945 when it was inactivated.

It was redesignated the 15th Medical Detachment on 27 March 1951, and activated at Karlsruhe, Germany on 3 May 1951 where it served until 28 October 1954. It was transferred to St. Nazaire, France where it was inactivated on 5 February 1955.

The unit was activated again at Fort Ord, California on 25 March 1961 as the 15th Medical Detachment (HA). The 15th was organized from the assets of the 47th Medical Platoon (formerly the 37th Medical Detachment), which had been inactivated on 25 March 1961. The unit sailed on 9 October 1961 from Hampton Roads, Virginia on the USNS Gordon for Bremerhaven, Germany, where it arrived on 21 October 1961 as part of the support for the Berlin Crisis buildup.

Upon arrival in Germany, the 15th traveled by train to Bad Kreuznach where it opened for business with four H-19D helicopters. In late 1963 or early 1964, the H-19s were replaced with five H-13G helicopters. In May 1966, the unit received three H-34C helicopters that allowed it to provide on board, in transit medical care. Another H-34C was added in 1966, but the unit had only four to five pilots at any given time, and maintenance was a common problem, with usually only two of the four aircraft flying. In December 1966, the unit relocated to Schleissheim Army Airfield at Oberschleissheim, Germany. The 15th provided coverage for the 24th Infantry Division and the Army Recreation Areas at Garmisch, Chiemsee and Berchtesgaden. It also did mountain rescue work with the German police.

In March 1967 one of the lesser-known incidents of the Cold War ended peacefully at Schleissheim Airfield. The Great Dumpling War ended when the Commander of the 15th and Airfield Commander, then-MAJ Donald G. Murphy, agreed to keep his aircraft above 1500 feet when flying over the Munich suburb of Pasing. One of Pasing's residents, Helmut Winter, had been so annoyed by low flying aircraft that he constructed a crossbow and fired over 120 potato dumplings at the helicopters before the peace accord was reached.

In July 1968, the unit relocated again, this time to Gablingen Army Airfield, about ten miles from Augsburg, Germany, where in December, it received three UH-1D helicopters.

In December 1970, the 15th relocated again to the Seventh Army Training Center at Grafenwoehr and received a fourth UH-1D aircraft. Two UH-1H aircraft were added in April 1971, and between June and November the other four aircraft were exchanged for UH-1H Hueys. The unit was redesignated as the 15th Medical Detachment (RA).

When the 15th relocated to Grafenwoehr, there were no facilities available and the unit set up in an old motor pool on the South side of the main post. A landing pad was established in a 1.5-acre parking area and the motor maintenance barn was used as an aircraft hanger. There was room only for one aircraft at a time and the clearance was so tight that the air pressure in the ground handling wheels had to be reduced to the point that the aircraft would barely roll to get the helicopters in and out of the maintenance barn. There was no protection from the winter environment for the other aircraft.

In fall 1971, there was a fatal accident that killed a medic on takeoff at night in poor weather. The unit was directed to move all operations to the Grafenwoehr Army Airfield. But there was no hanger and no funds to build one for two years. So unit maintenance continued in the motor pool barn.

In July 1972, the high profile, international Joint Operation Mystic Mission concluded at Hohenfels. There was a very large base camp built using German "Fest" tents, tough translucent fabric stretched over arched laminated wood beams. The 15th had provided standby support for the Operation, and the suggestion was made to COL Tibbets, the Seventh Army Training Center Commander, that the largest of the tents would make a suitable hanger for the 15th when it was no longer needed for the Operation. COL Tibbets agreed and with the help of LTC Raymond Salmon, 421st Medical Company Commander, additional funds were provided from the 7th Medical Brigade to move and reassemble the large tent. It was disassembled and moved by Skycrane to Grafenwoehr, where engineers modified the door to accommodate the UH-1Hs.

The tent was provided with additional lights and running water and could accommodate three Hueys, four in a pinch. Maintenance offices and parts storage were also stored inside. The units 64-foot canvas field storage tent was erected to house the fifth aircraft, leaving only one to be subjected to the elements. A large spaceheater provided heat. In bad weather the standby aircraft was situated just inside the door with ground handling wheels on and the tug attached. Response time was dramatically improved in winter with no snow or ice to remove and warm fluids and batteries in the aircraft. The motor maintenance barn was used only for vehicle maintenance.

The result was the only "Glow in the Dark, Bier Fest Tent" hanger in the Army inventory. For years it served as a conversation piece. One can only imagine what the Warsaw Pact troops in Czechoslovakia thought. Grafenwoehr was so close to the Czech border that troops there could not help but notice it if they were at any altitude.

In January 1987, the Hueys were exchanged for UH-60A Black Hawks, and the unit was redesignated as the 15th Medical Detachment (RG). The 15th was inactivated at Grafenwoehr on 15 October 1989. Its aircraft and personnel were transferred to the 159th and 236th Medical Detachments as they reorganized into 15 aircraft Companies. While it was active, the 15th provided medevac support to the North Bavaria area of Seventh Army through the 7th Medical Command. By the mid-1980s, it was subordinate to the 421st Medical Company (AA), and later to the 421st Medical Battalion (Evacuation).

The 15th was awarded WW II campaign credit for New Guinea and Southern Philippines.