Clausen, a sleepy little village in the rolling hills of
the Rhineland-Palatinate Forest in Germany. Population approximately 1,500.
Our home from 1996-2000.
We joined a choir when we moved to Clausen to help us with our German. It didn't matter that most of the people were 30 years older than us. They took us under their wings and loved us.
They introduced us to their children and grandchildren and we became friends with generations of these families in the village.
In this picture the men of the choir welcomed me back a few weeks ago with a song which, always makes me cry. They put me in a circle and sang it to me,
"Why have you come back when you will leave again? You have taken my heart and I will never be the same."
We would sit at these tables after choir practice and chat to learn German.
As we began to understand the language, there were recurring words in our conversations. Something of great importance to them that they were desperate to communicate to us.
Giftgas
Lager
Wald
American base im Clausen
Russians
I went home and pulled out my dictionary. "MAC," I yelled, "They were trying to tell us that there was an American base in Clausen that stored chemical weapons."
"Those bases are top secret, "he replied.
We went to choir practice the next week with tons of questions. One of the ladies said that she knew something was up when cars with Russian license plates used to cruise through the village. She knew it wasn't good if the Russians were looking around in Clausen.
We asked for them to show us what they were talking about.
They say it was the summer of 1961 when the base in Clausen was made for conventional ammunition stockpiles. Six years later, the Americans were storing deadly chemical weapons in this little village unbeknownst to them.
The entrance to this base was down a road in Clausen that I had never been on. I thought it was a dead-end road.
I was shocked when I saw a well -maintained road at the edge of the forest. Not the normal "wandering paths" I walked on. We followed our friends 2 miles up the road through a little valley to the remains of this base. We saw control towers, dog kennels, and enormous igloo style sod-covered bunkers with giant ventilation shafts that stored the chemical weapons.
Our German friends explained they all knew there was a secret base in Clausen. Afterall, there were no signposts for this base and that is unusual in itself. There was a secret going on, but they were unaware of what was it was.
The chemical weapons were transported out of Clausen as secretly as they had been brought into the village.
From what I can find out, they were supposedly taken to Johnston Atoll, 700 miles southwest of Hawaii in the Pacific, where toxins are burned.
I was even more devastated to learn that these weapons were so dangerous that had an accident occured, the entire village of Clausen and surrounding thousands of villages would have been wiped out. What if the situation were reversed and weapons that could have destroyed most of Maine were stored in Morrill where I grew up?
We used to be able to go right onto what was the base and look at the huge ventilation shafts, bunkers, etc. but, it is now owned by a private citizen and people are not permitted on what was the
Clausen Giftgas Lager anymore.
It says:
"In Rememberance
Up until 1990 chemical weapons were stored in this forest, for a long time they threatened a million people.
Thank God they never were used and in the summer of 1990 were transported to be destroyed.
God , friend of our life, we thank you. Protect us from destroying your creation."
We have to find a way to bring peace to the world for the sake of our children and our grandchildren.
Let's reach out to other cultures and people who are different.
Learn about their cultures and history.
It is the beginning of understanding and it can start one person at a time.
For Mac and me we say,
"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."
song by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson
I know I served at base. And yes, what is stated here is accurate. I worked in the bunkers every day for 2 1/5 years.
ReplyDeleteI also served there.but it wasn't aways contained. We have seen dead animals in the site. And asked the medics who monitored us if we were exposed and they never said anything. I now have health issues
DeleteI also worked there in the early 80s. What is stated here is accurate.
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I visited Clausen in April of 1990. We were not, at the time, aware of the storage of chemical weapons there.
ReplyDeleteMy Great Grandfather, and his wife from Leimen, was raised in Clausen. He served in the Army in 1866 and 1871 in Germany. He then went to America and settled in Pennsylvania.
My wife and I loved the people and were surprised that the terrain was just like Pennsylvania. Frank G. Ankner
Frank G.Ankner e-mail.......frankner01@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI also served there. There were two separate locations, identified as Sites 59 and 67. The chemical munitions were at 59, and consisted of GB and VX nerve agent. The author is correct that the muntions were removed and transported to Johnston Island for disposal. However, the operation was hardly a secret, as the convoy routes, times, etc., were all published in advance and known to the public.
ReplyDeleteAs of 2009 when I went back to visit the area, the storage bunkers were being used as a commercial mushroom growing operations.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI still have my night time photo the gave us. We should start a facebook page. Or is there one?
ReplyDelete1982 to 1984 served there guarding the stuff. Place still gives me nightmares.
ReplyDeleteI served there from 80 till 82. I was a security escort team member. We guarded civilian eod guys right next to the test chambers. Shortly after discharge I began to feel sick like the flu. Lots of test s and trace amounts of nerve toxins were found in my blood.I just learned to live with it. Like to hear from others who might have or are experiencing any health problems possibly related to Site 59 carletonchristopher@yahoo.com
DeleteI served in a conventional ammunition unit close to Clausenin 1988-1990 but we knew what was going on Clausen. That area of Germany was chock full of ammunition depots, mostly due to its location far to the rear of the East/West border.I remember the removal operation and it was hardly a secret. The immense logistics of it made it impossible. I remember how the local population felt betrayed when the truth came out.
ReplyDeleteI was stationed there 87-89 before requesting transfer to Johnston Island. I helped to maintain those munitions and to ensure that an accident didn't happen. The bunker at the far end of the site ( "Oscar" ) held the containers where leaking munitions and dead animals were stored. I'll never forget that place & the strong friendships forged with those to whom I trusted my life.
ReplyDeleteI served at site 59 from 1981 to 1982. I was a Military Policeman assigned to guard the stuff. Women were given the option as to wether they wanted to serve at the site. They say it was because if they were exposed to the nerve agent it could cause birth defects if they became pregnant. I always found this funny. I guess us men would just brush it off like nothing happened if we were exposed. Ha! Ha!
ReplyDeleteI served there from Sept 89 all the way through the retrograde operation as an MP guarding the stuff. I was also the Sergeant of the Guard for the guard force tasked to handle security at the port in Nordenham during the operation that loaded the munitions on ships bound for Johnston Island. Interesting times.
ReplyDelete110th MP Co...
DeleteGreat times, Great friends!
I rode the trains, I was in 3rd platoon
DeleteI enjoyed The time I spent during My tour of duty 1980 _ 1981. Safety was a top priority at site 59. Thank God it is a mission safely accomplished By all who served and I have many great memories. I lived in Clausen for a few months during this time and loved The german people in that community
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed The time I spent during My tour of duty 1980 _ 1981. Safety was a top priority at site 59. Thank God it is a mission safely accomplished By all who served and I have many great memories. I lived in Clausen for a few months during this time and loved The german people in that community
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed The time I spent during My tour of duty 1980 _ 1981. Safety was a top priority at site 59. Thank God it is a mission safely accomplished By all who served and I have many great memories. I lived in Clausen for a few months during this time and loved The german people in that community
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed The time I spent during My tour of duty 1980 _ 1981. Safety was a top priority at site 59. Thank God it is a mission safely accomplished By all who served and I have many great memories. I lived in Clausen for a few months during this time and loved The german people in that community
ReplyDeleteHi, my mother will be going to Germany in June and will be in the Clausen area around the 23rd, as her grandfather is listed on a NYC census as having been born there. Any help as to what to see & if there is a parish church or Town Hall nearby which would have records? She'll be staying in Saarbrucken but will get transport. Pirmasens seems to be a slightly bigger place than Clausen so maybe there is a place for info there? Many thanks and quick reply appreciated as she leaves June 13th!!
ReplyDeletePrimasens would have a hotel to stay in. I recommend Hotel Pfalzer Hof. One of the waitresses is Ruth Hauser my old next door neighbor. Clausen is a small village of only about 1200 people. Many generations of families lived there and there is a Parish Church. Does your mother speak German? If you speak to Ruth she may be able to tell you who to talk to in the village and she may know the surname of your grandfather and point you to some distant relatives who remain in Clausen. Good Luck!! It's a very special village!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI was there in 1970 71 humped the hill at night with my dog Karo spent many night at Demataio's guest house great memories
ReplyDeleteMy dog Aris
DeleteHumped the hill from 75-76 lots of miles lots of good people
ReplyDeleteWow I and my wife serve at Site 59 from 1982 to 1984.I was an K9 Mp 110 mp company she was in the Signal unit I was so afraid when my daughter was born there ..I have always wonder what happened to all of our blood samples they we donated (lol) man that place was creepy.The chemical personnel didn't want to the bunker check so they made the K9er do it. Reason being we where already in the area, fell sorry for the K9 s they could not return to the states because of contamination issues, what about us....
ReplyDeleteAs a female that was there from 1982 thru 1984. They are currect in saying we did not go on the site. We were told that we would have to sign a waiver first.
ReplyDeleteHi all! I'm a student at Eastern Oregon University and am looking for guys and gals who spent time at Site 59 as part of their mission. I am married to such a soldier just so you are aware. I am in the midst of an oral history project. I would love to interview (mostly via zoom) anyone interested in helping me out. I also have a survey form just asking four questions for any soldier willing to go there and do that. Everything I do will be for a grade in class, and also will be handled under official ethics and rules of the Oral History Association, and ultimate the project will be donated to the Library of Congress Vertrans Project. Thanks for reading and I hope I hear from you, Peg (prowe1@eou.edu) Survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScobCQ6baaLlRUcKx5kXlM57ZmuLgG-wW-eJHczIRvGG1ombQ/viewform?usp=pp_url&entry.1564837611=YES&entry.2075654462=yes&entry.1279951174=YES&entry.810276656=never+had+kids&entry.1982740939=YES
ReplyDeleteHI . I was there 85/86 . Was a 55B20. Ammo Humper/ BB Stacker. Was a Sergeant E-5 my last three months or so. Have been searching around for years for stuff about this. Hard to find . This is very unknown. I live in Grand Junction Colorado , not too far from Moab Utah. Site 59 used to freak me out . Still does . One day i was up there all by myself ,cant remember why. Chief Medina came in to our building which was also the tool room. He asked what i was up to. I said pretty much nothing sir. He was a cool guy. I was a Spec-4 at the time. I said none of the chemical guys are here to clear the igloo. He said we will just wear our gas masks . I was like........uh ok sir. We got to the SSCC and they are like that has not been cleared yet . He is like we will just wear our gas masks. They are like ...uh....ok . We go down range and the MPs are like you know nobody has checked this. He is like no problem we will wear our masks . They are like uh...ok. We go in for like ten minutes and leave. I told my buddies about it, they are like no shit ? When i was a Sergeant i had to take a team sort of I think it was two nights, might have been one to 67 to reinforce the two MPs that guarded that site. It had the prop charges . There was some terrorist threats. We had our M16A1s and live ammo. I drove our CUCV Blazer over to 59 to get some pops for my guys. It was night. Fukin very freaky . Guards did not want to let me in the SSCC because i did not have my mask. But they were cool and said hurry up. Still cant believe i got promoted to Sergeant. My CO was a Major because we were a special weapons unit and that helped. They waved my time in service and grade as all my scores and qualifications were so high. I was actually cleared to go to EOD school and get a higher clearance, but i was pissed off about some stuff and i had to stay there awhile or go back to Fort Lewis of which i did not want to do either . About two months after i was at Fort Lewis i got called in to the First Sergeants office. They wanted to send me to a prep school for a year then West Point, which I turned down . I was on a RSE team at Fort Lewis. We had two Air Force pallets in their own storage igloo loaded with everything. We flew to Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield for a few days and took care of their ammo. We did not go over because it was over quick. That also got me promoted. Good day. Oh, I do not ever remember seeing the proximity fuses. Think I might have been in Oscar igloo but can not remember. : )
DeleteAs a 9yr. old, my father who was stationed at Site 59, being a ranking NCO signed me into the site through front two gates. We went to his office, he did some paperwork, then he took me to the "Day Room" and we shot a couple of games of pool. I always felt that this was an act of making me a witness to what he believed was a wrong. I am 65 yrs. old now,and still remember all of our neighbors, the Vogt families (owner's of the shoe factory) that were our neighbors.
ReplyDelete