With his special train, an appreciative crowd of 432nd Engineer Construction Battalion soldiers and Maj. Gen. Miles Reber in the background, USAREUR Commander-in-Chief Gen. William M. Hoge takes aim at a spike marking the completion of the three-mile rail spur. (Neil Doherty/Stars and Stripes)
With his special train, an appreciative crowd of 432nd Engineer Construction Battalion soldiers and Maj. Gen. Miles Reber in the background, USAREUR Commander-in-Chief Gen. William M. Hoge takes aim at a spike marking the completion of the three-mile rail spur. (Neil Doherty/Stars and Stripes)
Maj. Gen. Miles Reber, commanding general of the Western Area Command, takes his swing at the spike. (Neil Doherty/Stars and Stripes)
Lt. Col. Earle C. Mellett, Gen. William M. Hoge, Brig. Gen. Frank M. Albrecht and Maj. Gen. Miles Reber at the ceremony. (Neil Doherty/Stars and Stripes)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Sept. 14 — Three Army generals — all veteran engineers — drove in "golden" spikes here today marking completion of a rail spur built by U.S. labor to further German-American friendship.
As the band played "I've Been Working on the Railroad," Gen William M. Hoge, USAREUR commander-in-chief; Maj Gen Miles Reber, Western Area Comd CG, and Brig Gen Frank M. Albrecht, USAREUR chief engineer, wielded sledge hammers dedicating the spur.
All three generals missed the spikes on their initial swipes and joined in the laughter which their actions set off among the men of the 432d Engr Const Bn who constructed the spur. Each then took aim again and drove the spikes home.
A fourth spike was driven by Lt Col Earle C. Mellett, CO of the 311th Engr Const Gp, parent organization of the 432d which completed the three-mile-long spur a month ahead of schedule.
Following the ceremony, the rail spur was turned over to Bundesbahn officials. The line extends from Kaiserslautern's main rail station to the Ordnance Service Center in Panzer Casern here and provides the German rail net with direct access to the installation.
In his speech dedicating the project, Mellett said construction of the spur by American troop labor represented a saving of almost $400,000 to the German government. He added the 432d put in more than 34,000 man-days on the job as part of its training program.
Following Mellett's address, Albrecht turned the spur over to Reber, who accepted on behalf of his command and added: "This is the first time in my life I ever received a railroad."
As the ceremony drew to a close, Hoge cut a ribbon spanning the tracks and his special train in which he traveled here from Heidelberg passed through.
Music for the ceremonies was provided by the 427th Army Band, directed by WOJG Carl H. Albert.
