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Geoff,

You guys didn't have the "Mug Man" come by once a year?

I got mine packed away somewhere. Good old Licher, Last time I had one was 1986. I gotta order some.

About having those Data Plates changed,

Army was rebuilding and upgrading so many M60's they started confusing folks. Didn't help when many were done at local Depots (Mainz) that didn't update the plates. Was even more confusing if you were in a Battalion with more than one model. In my Platoon in Riley we had RISE/Passive, RISE, and AOS. Also had both types of searchlights. Very confusing. Got so bad PS Magazine put out a guide.

PS Magazine a

PS Magazine b

This is one of the upgrade plates, notice it doesn't have the Government Acceptance Stamp

RISE/Passive Data Plate

Joe D

Joe,

Thanks - I was thinking that's what was wrong with our old data plates - they didn't say "Passive."

In my company ... I think in the whole battalion ... we all had RISE (Passives) that were less than three years old. EXCEPT one ancient M60A1 AOS that was about 10 years old, as I recall. I know it was the oldest tank in the battalion. It was a blade tank and it hadn't run in anyone's memory. We fixed it up and took it to Graf one year but it broke down at Hohenfels and never worked again. A couple guys from MZAD came and coded it out, and we were still waiting to turn it in when I left.

No, we didn't have the "Mug Man" ... we did still have the special Tiger Bn. unit insignia and crossed sabers branch insignia for 2-33 then. The "thing" to get when I was there was a fancy wooden desk name plate with all this sort of stuff on it. They came from somewhere around Hunsfeld, so we could only get them when we went on GDP recons.

Did your all's mugs have a "special" scene built into the bottom, so when you emptied it and held it up to the light you got a "surprise?" This 1961 mug has that.

BREAK ...

Don, the "Rock" that used to set out on the road from the main gate to Niederkleen was gone when I was last there about 4 years ago. No-one around there seemed to know where it went.


Geoff

Geoff said,

Did your all's mugs have a "special" scene built into the bottom, so when you emptied it and held it up to the light you got a "surprise?" This 1961 mug has that.

Yep, I'm pretty sure it's the same "Frauline" too. Don't see why they would change them. Although the top on mine is different, No Tank . They also made the notorious "Dribble Mug" for those unsuspecting freeloaders. I wish I had got one.

Joe D

- Geoff_walden

BREAK ...

Don, the "Rock" that used to set out on the road from the main gate to Niederkleen was gone when I was last there about 4 years ago. No-one around there seemed to know where it went.


Geoff

I painted That Rock (at intersection, outside post) The morning I flew (PCS'd). Left it with CAT 89 logo, but was careful as I dumped the cans at the airport, prior to check in.

2/33 had a LT get busted in 86, when paint cans were found and fingerprints were found, at least that was the 'rumor'. Noone touched it for the 3 years I was there, till I 'tagged' it.

No clue what happened to it or the other,.....

Don

Don,

Seems like everyone leaving their unit had to do something different so they would be remembered. Seen everything from boots hanging on power lines to spontaneous paint jobs on certain tanks. Chapter cases were the most notorious. Heard of one character who crapped on a Commanders desk and then placed the glass over it to spread it real good. I imagine the CQ runner or Extra duty troop really enjoyed cleaning up that mess.

Joe D