By Todd DePastino
Did you serve in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored Division? A Cold War veteran, author, and member of the division’s veterans association is looking to reconnect with former Spearheaders from World War II through Desert Storm.
From 1968 to 1970, Bill Fortin served in the U.S. Army’s 3rd Armored Division in West Germany, where American soldiers stood ready for a possible Soviet invasion through the Fulda Gap.
Decades later, Fortin drew on those experiences to write a historical novel set in 1969 that follows a young American soldier trained on the Army’s Redeye antiaircraft missile system. The book combines Cold War tensions with the story of a young American’s Army life in Germany.
Today, Fortin serves on the board of the Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans, helping to preserve the division’s history and reconnect the men and women who served in its ranks.
The 3rd Armored Division, nicknamed “Spearhead,” was activated in 1941 and fought its way across Western Europe during World War II. After the war, it became a mainstay of NATO’s defenses in West Germany, where generations of American soldiers prepared for a war with the Soviet Union that never came. The division returned to combat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 before being inactivated in 1992.
One of its most famous soldiers was Elvis Presley, who served with the division in Germany from 1958 to 1960.
“We’re always looking for former SPEARHEADERS,” Fortin told the Veterans Breakfast Club. He explained that the association holds an annual reunion in a different city each year and welcomes veterans from all eras of the division’s history, as well as other veterans.
“The camaraderie at these gatherings is something special,” he said.
At the Veterans Breakfast Club, one of our goals is to help veterans find one another and stay connected. That’s why we’re happy to help Bill spread the word.
If you served with the 3rd Armored Division between 1941 and 1992—or know someone who did—the association would love to hear from you.
Contact Bill Fortin, Board Member, Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans:
Email: bill@billfortin.com
Phone: 410-218-8816
Association: https://www.3ad.org/
Bill’s website: https://billfortin.com/
Whether you served in World War II, spent the Cold War in Germany, or fought in Desert Storm, there’s a community of former Spearheaders waiting to reconnect.
And if you know a veteran who wore the distinctive Spearhead patch, please share this article.
The division lowered its colors more than three decades ago. But the stories and friendships of those who served are still very much alive.
