Page 84 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine

Asa C. Oliver From Family Farm to
Asa C. Oliver graduated from
Brownfield High School in
1946 and began work as a
full-time farmer. WWII had
recently ended, so there was
not much chance of being
drafted (or so he thought).
Four years later, the Korean
War broke out, and he was
drafted into the Army on
December 15, 1950. He
was sent to Ft. Hood for
six weeks of basic training,
and after a ten-day leave,
he began advanced training
with the same unit to which
he had been assigned in the
beginning.
Earlier in 1950, the 1st
Armored Division was
shipped out from Ft. Hood to
Korea. Asa noted that “some
84 Lubbock Senior Link
Foreign Field to Faithful
Follower
by Larry A. Williams
of the officers and Asa and his battalion were
non-coms were left not sent to Korea. The
as a cadre which U.S. had recently signed
became the nucleus the North Atlantic Treaty
of the 2nd Armored Organization (NATO) in
(Hell on Wheels) 1949 with several European
Division which was countries to provide
being re-activated. collective security against
The 2nd Armored the Soviet Union, effectively
Division was beginning what was called
roughly 16,000 men, the “Cold War”. The term
consisting of three had been coined in 1947
Armored, three by Bernard Baruch, Senior
Infantry and three Advisor to President Harry
Artillery battalions, S. Truman. Asa recalled that
along with other “by signing the NATO treaty,
support units.” Asa the U.S. had obligated itself
was assigned to to immediately send two
“B” Battery of the combat ready divisions to
14th Armored Field Germany,” one of which was
Artillery Battalion. his 2nd Armored Division.
During his advanced They were “the only combat-
training, Asa was part of ready divisions the U.S. had.
an “eight-man gun section And so we went.”
which consisted of four
cannoneers, driver, assistant The 2nd Armored Division’s
gunner, gunner and section Combat Command B set up
chief.” Asa noted that he at a former German Army
“had the honor of filling post called Mangin Kaserne
all eight near Mainz, Germany. While
positions the facilities
of the gun were “better
section, than anything
from a #4 we had in Ft.
Cannoneer Hood,” Asa
to Chief of said they were
Section” seldom there.
during his The reason
two years in they were
the Battery. in Germany
And he was because
America “had
added that intelligence
he “was that the U.S.S.R. kept over
quite proud of that.” thirty divisions of the Red