Tompkins Barracks, Schwetzingen

  106 Responses to “Tompkins Barracks, Schwetzingen”

1. 

   tom mueller says:

   April 24, 2012 at 6:23 pm

   i was in the 524 from 66 to 68 in zuffenhausen,at grenadier kassern am an old man now with great memories,If anyone reads this,and is still breathing,write would love to hear from anyone

   Reply
2. 

   Don Rothstein says:

   April 22, 2012 at 10:45 am

   I was in the 22nd Eng. platoon from Nov.’ 61 until June of ‘ 64. We were attached to B co. 656 Eng. battalion. I would like to find some of the guys that served in that time frame. I did attend a reunion for B co. and 22nd a couple of years ago and did meet some nice people but most of them served and left before I got there . I am now living in Lansdale Pa. originally from Phila.

   Reply
   • 

     Tom Hayman says:

     April 28, 2012 at 10:10 am

     Hi, I was stationed with 656th, Co B from May 62 – Dec 64.. I was the Company Clerk,,, 1st Sgt was John Harper, then 1st Sgt David Lynch, CO was Capt Leake, and the Capt Taylor…..
3. 

   Petra says:

   April 21, 2012 at 3:52 pm

   Hay Mike Staggs…do you remember Stephen Kaminsky, Monty Montgommery???DO

   Reply
4. 

   Tom Herrick says:

   March 18, 2012 at 9:22 pm

   I was at Tompkins from July ’4 to June ’75. It wasn’t bad duty then, given about 37 years to forget the details. Schwetzingen was a nice town. One of the highest honors I’ve ever received was one night at Albert’s Schlossgarten Restaurant with five or six of my Tompkins compatriots. We’d walked the RR tracks to town in a near-blizzard and got to Albert’s and it was packed to the gills. We were standing inside the door talking about alternatives when Albert’s wife, who spoke beautiful Chicago English with a German accent, asked us to wait a minute. She went over to the stammtisch and talked to the locals, they all looked up at us and nodded their heads in agreement, then dispersed to other tables. We were seated at the stammtisch. That doesn’t happen. It’s a high honor for the locals to vacate that table for anyone. It was a time that GIs had a very poor reputation in Germany for their rudeness. That my friends and I were able to connect and be accepted, given the previous 50 years of history, spoke lots to me. It was a moment that I’ll never forget and that I hope will continue to shape my dealings with folks from other cultures.

   Reply
   • 

     russ martin says:

     May 9, 2012 at 9:19 pm

     Just found this website. My dad was CSM William H Martin,Jr with the 549th during the time you noted. He was a big fan of hanging with the Labor Service troops to say the least. I miss those days.
5. 

   Jim Gibson says:

   February 27, 2012 at 10:24 am

   I was on Tompkins last week, it is in the process of closing. Some of the buildings are being renovated to make some kind of office space. Only 2 of the buildings on the courtyard are occupied & they are packing up to move. The girl in the PX said that by September the entire kaserne would be closed. There were maybe 60 POvs on the entire place. The old bridge park was empty as were all the motorpool parks. The bowling alley was still open but the chapel was closed. I did drink one last toast ( Welde Brau) to the old “home”. Jim Gibson

   Reply
   • 

     Stephen Joyner says:

     February 28, 2012 at 3:23 am

     Wow, I can’t believe how fast the Army is downsizing. I was stationed there from 94-96. There’s a lot of good and bad times there in those barracks. As a matter of fact, I am always thinking back on the times stationed in Heidelberg. We used to also party in Mannheim. One of my fellow co-workers told me that Germany was totally different from back in the days. I still miss it though. I don’t see Heidelberg closing down because of Usareur HQ and the hospital. They also built a new commissary on PHV about 10 years ago. I’d love to go back over there to see how things changed.
   • 

     Mike Heins says:

     March 18, 2012 at 8:43 pm

     Darn, Jim, That makes me a little sad, but I’m glad to hear a guy can still get a Welde Brau
   • 

     Dieter Schneider says:

     May 10, 2012 at 12:15 pm

     I was stationed there from late 57 to 60 in Company A. My wife and I took a vacation last year and we stopped there. I was surprised at the road and railroad change, the front gate was closed and the EM club was gone, huge changes since I was there sometime in the early 2000. I know we, the US, is attempting to get out Germany, so I guess Tompkins will go away to. We used to drink Schwannengold, Welde was used with food. Thanks for the info!
6. 

   John I Nelson says:

   January 21, 2012 at 1:04 am

   I was stationed at Tomkins from March of 1961 until June of 1963. I was assigned to 524th Engineering Co TOPO. I returned this spring after 50 years. Pretty much the same but with a minor face lift to the barracks. Anybody else over there during that time ?? Sgt John I Nelson

   Reply
   • 

     Bob Brown says:

     February 8, 2012 at 12:38 am

     I was in the 85th Ord. in 62-63 that’s next to the bowling alley. Memories are fading fast but wish I could see it once again. Didn’t you have a fire about that
     time ?
     Bob Brown spc 5
7. 

   jimmy williams says:

   December 29, 2011 at 12:30 pm

   if u all rember me the boxer on tompkins call or email 912-980-7925 killer will…

   Reply
   • 

     William Turbeville says:

     December 30, 2011 at 9:00 pm

     Killer,

     This is william Turbeville, I was there with you in the 70s I believe thats when you won the heavy weight title. I was there with my then wife Linda, and I worked in the S4 section with Glenn Chasteen, (deceased), Garrett, Duck, SSG Larry Hughes, Cpt Killam. Linda and I use to go to the little chapel there on base. I believe there was a “Willie Day” that boxed there also. So many questions. I will call you.
   • 

     Mike Staggs says:

     January 6, 2012 at 9:02 pm

     I remember you well, Jimmy Williams, I ran into that big busted blonde (I think you married her) who worked at the club in 1985? She was tending a bar in the SF part of Ft. Bragg, I didn’t remember her at first but she remembered me.
   • 

     Marshall Watkins says:

     May 7, 2012 at 4:48 pm

     Killer Will, I remember you well. I remember us talking about that 6 inch right you knocked that guy out with. I was in HHC accross the way. My buddies were John Murpy, Rick Palmer, Curt Hester, Rick Fannin, SGT George, and the list goes on.
     I remember that smoking lady you were with during that time, maybe you even married her. I only knew one thing, when I got there, I was told, “That’s killer Will’s woman, don’t even look at her.” I dated her co worker at the club, Giesela.
8. 

   jana says:

   December 22, 2011 at 9:17 am

   who can help me.????…….i seek a pasquale ambrosio. he taught the american armee in germany on right and law. he is about 1.80m tall, short black hair and he works as a
   teacher in the tompkins barracks in schwetzingen.
   i pray for quick response.

   thanks

   Reply
   • 

     joril panares( HO CHI) says:

     February 5, 2012 at 1:10 am

     What’s Brother is my Ho Chi remember our hand shake used to Hang out w/ Richard Allen ,Mike,Holmes,Rabu miss you men Killer Will Ho Chi the filipino guy