By Roy Ortega
At the end of World War II, the victorious Allied Forces in Europe found themselves faced with the daunting task of restoring the peace and tranquility to a German population left to deal with the destruction of their homeland.
The job of providing a post-war police and occupation force fell on a newly-assembled U.S. military unit that became known as the U.S. Army Constabulary under the command of Major General Ernest N. Harmon.
PFC Ortega Arrives in the War Zone
Private First Class Salvador V. Ortega, then only 17-years old, arrived in the European Theater of Operations in early 1945 fresh from his basic training at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. "The training was very strict. I was an expert rifleman with an M-1 rifle and was trained to shoot a heavy machine gun," wrote Salvador. "We also loaded ammo on tanks had to learn hand-to-hand combat."
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| PFC S.V. Ortega in front of the U.S. Army Constabulary Unit HQ in Passau, Germany. |
Upon his arrival at Le Havre Port in France, Salvador joined a unit of combat engineers helping front-line units navigate through physical obstacles on their way toward the German border.
By the end of April, 1945, German forces had been sufficiently pushed back and the war began to wind down. Within a few days, Adolf Hitler had taken his life and his military commanders had surrendered.
In the weeks following the surrender, PFC Ortega looked forward to returning home. But without the needed number of service points, Salvador could not hope to go home any time soon.
Constabulary Organized
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| Salvador, center, with two fellow Constabulary members. |
The war was won, but the peace was yet to be achieved. Germany was in complete ruin. With no organized government and no police force, the German population lived in chaos and fear.
General Harmon quickly went to work. "The Army started recruiting only the smartest and most physically fit soldiers from various units to join the Constabulary," said Salvador. Elite constabulary units, known as the "Circle 'C' Cowboys," were formed throughout the American Sector of Germany. By this time, Germany had been divided into several sectors controlled by the U.S., Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union. Before long, Salvador found himself assigned to Troop "A", 51st Constabulary Unit in Passau, Germany.
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| Salvador and some of the men who served with him. |
"In Germany, we were affiliated with the Counter Intelligence Corps, Criminal Intelligence Division," wrote Salvador. In a nutshell, the unit worked to find Nazi criminals who had managed to flee into the countryside to avoid justice. "We would pickup and deliver correspondence to secret agents in small towns and deliver messages to our Provost Marshal," wrote Salvador. "On patrol, we would travel in a jeep with a German police officer and an interpreter."
Civilians Provided Post-War Assistance
Under General Harmon, members of the Constabulary were also tasked with helping civilians find food
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| The back of this photo notes that one of these kids "looks a lot like Junior." |
and shelter. Thousands of homeless refugees, called DPs (displaced persons) were often gathered in huge lots where they were provided assistance. Salvador wrote "The people were hungry and always asked us for cigarettes and candy, but there were too many." In a photo he sent home, Salvador noted that one of the German kids he befriended looked a lot like one of his nephews back home.
For Salvador, the work was adventuresome and rewarding. "We got seven days of rest every few months. Sometimes, we would travel to the ski
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| Salvador taking time off in the Swiss Alps |
resorts in Switzerland," he said.
PFC Salvador's duty as a Circle "C" Cowboy finally came to an end on July 15, 1947. But his military experience do not end at this time. He later enlisted in the newly-formed United States Air Force and served in both active and reserve duty until 1963.
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Author's note: Much of this narrative was based on handwritten notes from my Dad Salvador V. Ortega. Following his death, I pledged I
would honor his service to our country by ensuring his story was told and made available to his children, grandchildren and future generations of our family.
Your comments and questions are welcome. Roy Ortega may be reached at rortega54@elp.rr.com.
