German volunteers in US military after WW II

[Mannet]

Hi, I read article about Dieter Dengler and I'm wondering, how many Germans served in US military after WW II ?

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Anybody knows?

Edward L. Hsiao

[VanillaNuns]

Hans Welzel is an unusual one. He was a US citizen whose family moved to Germany when he was a child.

He joined the Hitler Youth and fought with the Wehrmacht in Italy until being captured in 1943.

He then fought in the Korean War as a US serviceman.

https://www.npr.org/2010/11/09/13118677 ... d-u-s-army

[Ken S.]

Werner Trei

Werner Trei, 71, was born in Germany but moved with his family to Lincoln, Nebraska, when he was 2, KDVR reported.

Even though he was a German citizen, Trei was drafted in 1968 and served for the U.S. military in Vietnam, serving as an Army Ranger with the airborne 75th Ranger Infantry Regiment, the Times-Call reported,

Trei served until 1970 and was awarded three Bronze Stars and a Vietnamese Gallantry Cross for helping to save 100 stranded Vietnamese civilians deep inside enemy-held territory, the newspaper reported.

He did not however, earn U.S. citizenship and said it took nearly a year to get a green card after the war, the Times-Call reported.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dy ... jxVOo0aCP/

Werner Trei becomes an American citizen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BL5XRWwP8Q

Died April 21, 2020: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/o ... ei-9146306

[Ken S.]

Not sure if this counts, but here is an article about former Luftwaffe ace Franz Goetz:

Screenshot 2023-03-10 17.45.02.png

[henryk]

Not sure if this counts, but here is an article about former Luftwaffe ace Franz Goetz:

Screenshot 2023-03-10 17.45.02.png

What does reorganized "Polish Unit" mean?

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlmen,

I wonder if Franz Goetz was decorated by the US government for service with the US Labor Corps?

Edward L. Hsiao

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

Does the US Labor Service have their own decorations standards awarded to the Germans who were in the job?

Edward L. Hsiao

[reedwh52]

What does reorganized "Polish Unit" mean?

A labor unit based on displaced Polish individuals transitioned from Polish employees to German employees.

The US Labor Service was NOT a U\S military service and it's members were not members of the US Armed Services.. It was comprised of civilian employees of the US Army in Europe.

Since it was not a military service, it's members would not be eligible for US military awards & decorations.

The internet archive has the history of the initial years at http://home.arcor.de/civilian.support/history.htm.

[Ken S.]

Here's another link: https://www.amerika-in-augsburg.de/index.php?id=1474

[henryk]

Thank you, reedwh52 and Ken S.