Galerie de la Begemot - 2nd Edition

[chrisswim]

Excellent MERDC painting.
The M113 look awesome!

[panzergator]

Well, my platoon of M60A2s could look into, and shoot into East Germany from my initial battle position, and it was right on the nose, the part of the border farthest into West Germany in the area. 13 missiles not good under 1000 meters, 43 gun rounds not good BEYOND 1500 meters, intervisibility 1500 meters, tanks and BMPs closing at 20-30 kms an hour, best rate of fire about 3-4 per minute, saggers in overwatch, artillery falling on my position. At least two echelons out there, decisively engaged from the very start. My platoon, and my battalion, reinforced the covering force battle - 11ACR. We knew how that was gonna go... Hence my expectations.

EXCELLENT MERDC! I no longer expect to be able reproduce that.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

We cannot thank those of you who protected us all enough for your service.

God bless and keep every one of you that you were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.

[panzergator]

Vergeltungswaffe,

I appreciate that, but thanks are not necessary. I was doing what I regarded was my duty, I was grateful to be a US Army officer, and it was my privilege to be a guest in Germany. I tried to be a good one by learning the language as I could, respecting the local customs, getting to know the people, and supporting the economy by drinking as much bier and eating as much of the food as I could! Both were EXCELLENT! And the whole place is a beautiful historic park...

[Vergeltungswaffe]

I'm glad it turned out to be a good experience for you and that the balloon never went up.

I've spent time in Germany and it's a beautiful place, though they've been making some bad decisions in recent years.

Thanks are absolutely necessary though.

Just hearing you say you regarded it as your duty makes it all the more humble and inspiring.

Today, you'd have a hard time finding too many that think that way.