Another time, another border, same principles

Sixty-one years ago, this past winter and spring, I was in Germany with the U.S. Army.

The Army was preparing the newly established “Constabulary” to control the U.S. Occupation Zone of Germany.

By July 1 of 1946, we were to be ready for our portion, while Great Britain and Russia were to control their assigned zones also.

During the spring, my commander had assigned me the job of planning to border blockades that were to close the border except for the legal crossing points.

On the north and east of the border, 90 kilometers was our part of the zone.

That was the northeast corner of Bavaria.

The First Infantry Division of Fort Riley, Kan., were there. We were to replace them on July 1, 1946.

Our plan was to establish control of official crossing points and other crossing points were to be closed.

We were to do that by patrols that covered the countryside, many miles back from the border.

The Russian plan was to put units of their army next to the north and east side of the border and have units or individuals within sight of each other.

It soon became apparent that we were able to stop those who avoided the official crossing checkpoint without proper papers.

However, the Russians were not able to stop those, while we picked them up on the south side after they crossed. In-depth patrols did the job.

After some time, the Russian army took counteraction by closing all “official” road crossings.

The result was that we could not supply our units in our Berlin Sector, and also could not supply food an necessities to the German population of our sector of Berlin.

Our reaction then was to start “The Berlin Airlift.”

The Russians dared not shoot down our planes. The result: our patrols in-depth controlled the border and the airlift was successful.

The first battle of the Cold War was ours.

One gentleman on July 15 stated in the GV News stated: “Permanent checkpoint is not the answer.”

We agree that “one action alone” will not control the border. It takes a large group of actions to control the border.

The Border Patrol does have nearly a century of experience in the field of combinations of actions which will work.

In 1946, our Corps headquarters in Bamburg, Bavaria, Germany, had a Border Patrol man to advise them on how to set up our plan.

Probably “Ike” had initiated the plan before he left Germany.

It is well-established that Congressman Kolbe for years had prevented a permanent checkpoint on I-19.

The result is that there are a few people between Nogales and Tucson who cannot see beyond a 75-mile-per-hour trip to Tucson.

They feel a 10-minute stop at a checkpoint is wasted time.

So, what is the difference?

The people of Bavaria were happy that the U.S. Army was in control rather than the army to the north.

Today, 61 years later: People found that they were able to con a congressman.

Now, they are so spoiled that they are trying to buffalo our new congresswoman.

We the people along I-19 must wake up to the fact that “America” as a whole is much more important than a few small towns along our highway or the possibility that a few illegal crossers may be in our backyard.

The Border Patrol is now answering to Homeland Security.

We are AMERICANS.

We are not just a few “small town people.”

Let us back off.

The Border Patrol can do the job if—if we the people let them do it.

Green Valley resident Francis Willmeth, 87, grew up in Jewell County, Kan., served in the Army from 1943 to 1946, graduated from Kansas State University in 1949, with a degree in agriculture, worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in soil conservation for 34 years. The views expressed are the writer's own and those of this newspaper.