"This Top Secret Green Beret Unit Quietly Won The Cold War" Topic

"Berlin was a dangerous place during the Cold War. A preserved piece of the Wall containing a mural memorializing 146 Germans killed trying to escape communism stands in stark testament.

As the grand central station of East-West espionage, the city was a playground for all sorts of secret agents. And its place in the history of the 20th century far outweighs its size. Indeed, 37 percent of Americans viewed the fall of the Berlin Wall as the single most important event of the 1980s.

That Wall came down after 28 years because Americans in uniform stood as a barrier to Soviet aggression. The vast majority of those GIs were clearly visible. But a small contingent operated behind the scenes, not even acknowledged until long after the Cold War ended. Only this year were they fully and publicly recognized…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Hmmm ? The ways things are going with the Russkies today … We should have not said anything… But like I say all the time SF, CIA, Spec Ops, etc. are doing stuff all over the world that we may never know about. It's the nature of those type ops …

"because Americans in uniform stood as a barrier to Soviet aggression. "

Riiight… And this is scotch mist. All part of a Goddamn pinko Commie plot to convince the world that non-Americans were also involved:

The Army Security Agency did a lot in the '60's/'70's there.

Notice they weren't allowed military haircuts.

That Wall came down after 28 years because Americans in uniform stood as a barrier to Soviet aggression.

On their own? With nobody else??

Oh well…

John T

EDIT: Jemima beat me to it…

'On their own? With nobody else??'

A point I find myself making on a regular basis. Try saying there were no Americans on D Day – yet that would be more accurate than saying it was only Americans. After all, they were a minority force on that day.

GM … your anti-Yank is showning … again … still … always … The article was about a US unit, and the title poorly written. Does everyone who talks about WWI, WWII, the Cold War, etc. have to mention everybody involved along with the UK ? … Those may be some long titles >

This Top Secret Green Beret Unit along with all the other NATO units from France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., Quietly Won The Cold War"

Grow up for heavens sake! Not every article about a war the UK was involved in has to mention them and everybody else. This Article is about this US SF unit … NOT a UK, France, Germany, etc., etc., etc. unit. … Try decaf ! Or …

In an effort to get my extension built quickly, I would like to add Polish Trade Unionists to the list.

Legion,

No it doesn't have to mention them.

Equally it doesn't have to arrogantly state that only Americans were involved. It works both ways.

Anyway, who mentioned the UK? NATO comprised more than just two nations.

'and the title poorly written' – exactly. Which is why it needs pointing out. 'Quietly Won The Cold War'. Not ' your anti-Yank is showning', but definitely 'Equally it doesn't have to arrogantly state that only Americans were involved. It works both ways.'

The article and a lot of TMP comments over a lot of boards show a total lack of regard for other nations and their efforts. That's not a good way to make friends. And I would point out that I'm hardly the only one to comment on it here… see Jemima and John T for instance…

Fine … Fine … let's use our indoor voices and Sunday manners, please, gentlemen … I didn't write the article, it may not have been the best written piece. As I said, and yes, it may have been "arrogantly" stated. But I don't think that was the author's intent. We should be used to poor reporting by so many by now. Just seemed a bit surprising to me that a poorly written article, got you Limeys so upset ? You guys saw it as not giving the UK it's due … and hence I may be wrong, but you all may have over reacted a bit, in my mind ? But I do notice sometimes, there is a little anti-Yankee sentiment from some on more than one occasion. Which is fine, everybody is entitled to an opinion. And yes, NATO is about 28 nations now, IIRC. Some of which were on the other side during the Cold War. Regardless, I think again, this is a poorly written article, and the author did not intend to upset or insult the rest of the forces of the West involved in the Cold War … HEY !! I was involved in the Cold War and I was not mentioned either !?!??! John T and I are pretty good e-pals, So I don't think he will be upset with what I said …

Actually, I'll put it another way.

If I do something,or play a major part in something, and someone then tries to take all the credit – I object. If America or Americans try to take all the credit for something MY country took part in, I'll object. Every time. That's not being anti American – that's being pro British. If Americans or America doesn't like that – well, I don't like the action that caused that response.

But it sums up the reason WHY I sometimes may come across as anti American – it ain't so, just anti some of te things America and/or Americans do. Whether badly written or not – there are too many of them!

I'm sure if I was looking for any number of articles written that left out the US but is more pro-Brit I could find them … I don't have axe to grind against my UK bros … And if you want to be indignate about the way the article was written … then I guess you will. And if so, then so should all the other countries involved in the Cold War … Enjoy your rant …

If it was a rant it would have been along the lines 'Here we go again, another antiBritish How America Won The War piece…and most of those countries probably are…

I see … I see … carry on …

Oh, I intend to. But it will never be anti American – it will always be anti the specific thing the American or America has (or perhaps has not) done…and if you do ever look for those articles you mention, just compare how many of them there are in comparison with the ones that go the other way :)

Indeed … you still ain't upset about those colonial rustics throwing you Red Coats and your Hessian pals out of the colonies of the New World during the AWI, are ya ? Plus … Most in the US don't even remember ya burning down the WH in 1812, ya know ? Just say'n …

"Det A" achieved practically legendary ghost status amongst US Military Intelligence resources and many other US troops stationed in West Berlin. Here is additional information about one of the coolest SF units ever, finally shared with the public after 30 years of silence as is the way of "the quiet professionals".

detachment-a.org

LOL…….

I may have been misunderstood. I was merely attempting to return the thread to its original tracks and commemorate a badass USSF unit which few knew existed prior to about a year ago, unlike some US "clandestine" formations that have recently been embarrassed by former members going public with classified info a month after the action instead of 25 or 30 years.

You're going to see some flamboyant verbiage on a pro/ex US military web site. I believe the author was a senior member of the unit and contributes to the site. Any Americans at all familiar with the history of modern US special warfare have a huge amount of gratitude for the UK's assistance with creating and training special warfare & espionage units going back as far as the beginning of WWII when the US realized it needed such forces and had none.