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SMLMs
95bravo
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Posted: Friday, April 08, 2005 - 06:03 PM UTC
Here's a blast from the past, anyone have an encounter with a SMLM? The entire time I was in Germany, I'd seen two and both times we were in no position to chase them down. (in a jeep) Best we could do was radio the nearest PMO and have them send a unit after them.
thathaway3
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Posted: Monday, April 11, 2005 - 02:48 AM UTC
I know they were real, but I always figured they were like "snipes". I lived in Germany 4 years as a dependent (62-65) and 5 years as an officer (72-77) and NEVER saw one.

Tom
peacekeeper
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Posted: Monday, April 11, 2005 - 03:08 AM UTC
They were always rolling past the camps in 4CMBG (Soest,Werl. Hemer, Iserlohn) and being "escorted" by the meatheads. They even came through the PMQ area a couple of times.
jRatz
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Posted: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 01:46 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I know they were real, but I always figured they were like "snipes". I lived in Germany 4 years as a dependent (62-65) and 5 years as an officer (72-77) and NEVER saw one.

Tom


Not even the Ruskies wanted to go to Baumholder !!! :-)

John (who saw 2 maybe 3 in his four years & 3 REFORGERS).
95bravo
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Posted: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - 12:40 PM UTC
In the 80s there were a couple of areas that seemed to be SMLM hot spots, though at the moment I can't recall where other than up north (by that I mean north of Nurnberg) I'll see if I can ask one the MPs I know who had a couple of encounters where it was at. I almost want to say Fulda but I don't think that's right.
TankCarl
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Posted: Saturday, May 28, 2005 - 05:24 PM UTC
Yeah SMLMs tried jigging in and out of a convoy of our tanks when we would roadmarch from Katterbach to Graf or Hohenfels.No comment on what may have happened...
rbeebe99
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Posted: Saturday, May 28, 2005 - 05:56 PM UTC

Quoted Text


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I


Not even the Ruskies wanted to go to Baumholder !!! :-)

John (who saw 2 maybe 3 in his four years & 3 REFORGERS).


I was stationed at Baumholder 89-91 wasn't that bad
Actually better than some of the assignments I had in the states, although I was single a the time and spent most of my off time traveling.
Regards,
Robert
jRatz
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Posted: Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 02:06 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


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I


Not even the Ruskies wanted to go to Baumholder !!! :-)

John (who saw 2 maybe 3 in his four years & 3 REFORGERS).


I was stationed at Baumholder 89-91 wasn't that bad
Actually better than some of the assignments I had in the states, although I was single a the time and spent most of my off time traveling.
Regards,
Robert


Robert:
Just some early 70's trash talkin' between a 3AD guy (me) & an 8ID guy (Tom) ....

John
Henk
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Posted: Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 02:20 PM UTC

Quoted Text

SMLM


ignorance may be bliss, but I would like to know what SMLM stands for..

Cheers
Henk
rbeebe99
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Posted: Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 04:25 PM UTC


John no offense taken whatsoever.
Regards,
Robert
TankCarl
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Posted: Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 05:03 PM UTC
Henk,
SMLM stands for Soviet Military Liason Mission.
After the war,we had the "right " to travel in the Soviet zone of occupation and vice versa.The Soviet cars had a distinctive license plate.We called them "smell-ems" (++) (++)
Henk
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Posted: Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 05:42 PM UTC
Thanks Carl, the tread makes more sense now..

Cheers
Henk
thathaway3
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Posted: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 09:31 AM UTC
Every building in the US Army Europe had a poster and every one of us had a wallet size card which had a drawing of what the license plate looked like and specific instructions on who to call if you saw one.

Since I believe they had a specific building in which the mission was housed, I can't believe that they had an easy time leaving without someone right on their tail.

Tom
95bravo
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Posted: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 11:20 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Since I believe they had a specific building in which the mission was housed, I can't believe that they had an easy time leaving without someone right on their tail.Tom


I think they just lost them in all the detours around Munich and Augsburg.....

Like driving through Kansas in the summer...sheesh
Hollowpoint
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Posted: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 12:04 PM UTC
When I was in Darmstadt in 78, we had SMLM cards. Then, when I transferred up north to Clay Kaserne and the 2nd Armored Division (Forward), I believe we had SOXMIS cards -- basically the same thing, but produced by the British (we were in the British zone and attached to Northern Army Group).

I saw a few up north -- usually when we were on maneuvers and always at a distance.

I did have a few close encounters with East Germans when I was touring the border on orders. A picture I took of an East German taking a picture of me ended up in EurArmy magazine. I guess you coulod say I "exchanged shots" with the East Germans during those Cold War years. I wonder what ever happened to the pics he took of me??
95bravo
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Posted: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 12:39 PM UTC
Page 2 of Isvestia under the heading of " Capitalist Horde Repelled" :-) :-)

I wonder what happened to the guy who took your photo.

I met a Soviet counterpart a few years ago. We had a interesting conversation regarding the what ifs....

jRatz
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Posted: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 02:37 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Like driving through Kansas in the summer...sheesh


For the longest time, I thought there was a world-wide shortage of storage space for orange barrels & cones & so they had been sent to Kansas City ....

Then I got out east here & what I found in Norfolk/Va.Beach & realized that Kansas City was only overflow storage from here ...

John
95bravo
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Posted: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 - 03:40 PM UTC
Ah yes...the annual road barrier migration has began yet again.

All cones lead to Topeka......Yellow Brick Road indeed.
thathaway3
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Posted: Thursday, June 02, 2005 - 08:29 AM UTC
John, you're not talking about the Construction on I-64 in Hampton/Newport News, are you??? I'm from that area originally (Portsmouth/Chesapeake actually) and have returned at least once a year since 1977. That stretch has been a work in "progress??" for that entire time. I believe it's referred to as the V-DOT perpetual full employment program. :-) :-)

And I thought things here in Michigan were bad! At least the "state flower" (barrelus orangeus") dies off in the winter around here.

Tom
thathaway3
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Posted: Thursday, June 02, 2005 - 08:36 AM UTC

Quoted Text


I did have a few close encounters with East Germans when I was touring the border on orders. A picture I took of an East German taking a picture of me ended up in EurArmy magazine.


I took the Duty Train from Frankfurt to Berlin in 1977. We were very emphatically warned that while on the train under NO circumstances were we allowed to take picture in the Eastern Sector. Not that there was much to see. The train specifically made the journey at night and at best you could tell that things were shabby, apparently left over from WW II, almost no lights anywhere in total contrast to the West. Guess that was the point, to prevent putting the lie to the "worker's paradise".

It sure was quite an eerie feeling pulling into the holding area outside the US Zone in the early morning, seeing the fences and watching the guards walk up and down along the side of the train with their automatic weapons out and German Shepards on a leash. With the fog and the steam coming off the train, it seemed like a scary scene from a mystery thriller.

Tom
TacFireGuru
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Posted: Friday, November 18, 2005 - 12:03 PM UTC
Smell 'ems? Let me dig out the pics from Germany. Got a few really nice pics of 'em driving in a REALLY nice beamer passing our convoy while enroute to Graf.

It was like "Sheee it!! A Smell 'em!!!!!" "Call the commander!!!" For what I don't know, but call him!

Mike
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Posted: Friday, November 18, 2005 - 01:24 PM UTC
I've been lookin' out for 'em since Oct 1973...

Being assigned to the 56th FA Bde (Pershing), the SMLM's 'buzzed' us all the time.



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