Frank Lee, U.S. Army, 1972-74

Summary: 
Frank Lee’s, 3rd Armored Division, M Company, 32nd Armor Regiment, was stationed in West Germany and was tasked with deterring any Soviet advance through the Fulda Gap.
Description: 

Frank Lee was drafted into the US Army in 1972 and did his basic training in Fort Ord, California.  After basic he was placed on the mechanic “track” and took three months of classes in Fort Sill, Oklahoma: “They give you a test, they found out I knew what a carburetor was, so they figured out I’d be a good mechanic.  There was nothing scientific about the little test they gave you.”

He worked on everything from a ¼ ton to a 5 ton trucks, M60 tanks and “Pretty much anything that moved.”

Mr. Lee was deployed to Hamburg, Germany to protect the Czechoslovakia border.  “I enjoyed my 18 months over there… Those tanks were pretty awesome.  They got power.   You get 63 tons moving 60 mph, you know… you’d best get out of the way.   I got no regrets, you know.  Like I said, I was drafted.  I was just doing my time, waiting to go home and call it good.”

People: 
Frank Lee
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