Monday, June 14, 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

Hanau - Pioneer Kaserne, Jun 2010

68 comments:

  1. How strange, not just the weedy buildings (they sort of looked like that before), but the empty streets! Do you know what the Germans plan on doing with all of these empty kasernes? I'm sure it'll take a while and a lot of money to refurbish!

    ps. Do you ever get to southern Germany? I used to live in Illesheim and I know it's still a functioning post, but I'd love to see photos anyway!

    ReplyDelete
  2. fabiuI enjoyed seeing the picture of Pioneer Kaserne. Have managed to collect some really old ones, but these are great. Are the streets really that deserted? The view from Google Earth does not show the detail. Pioneer was my home for three yrs. Last I heard it was to turned over to the Bundeswher (sp).
    Great picture.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Forgotten MemoriesJuly 28, 2010 at 1:12 AM

    Thank you for your comment. No, the streets around Pioneer Kaserne are not deserted. It took a while on a Sunday afternoon to have the chance for a photo without traffic interfering.
    As for the future of Pioneer Kaserne, it is up to BIMA. Old Argonner for example is converted to business park.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Keep up the good work... This sight is great... I found this by accident but now have it bookmarked for future reference...

    I was stationed in Germany from 1997-2000 with 1st AD... Started at Ayers Kaserne in Kirchgoens (Butzbach) and helped close that place down just before going to Ray Barracks in Friedberg to deploy to Bosnia... Came back from Bosnia and had two more moves ahead of me... Budegen and Hanau... 3 years in Germany with 2different units, 2 different housing areas and 4 different kasernes... Each unit I was in moved once...

    Now only if I could remember the name of that beer at the bowling alley on Ayers Kaserne that had the flip top bottles we enjoyed after work...

    I heard that some of the building were still up... Wish I could walk through them again...

    Guess I will be coming back to this site a couple of times a week now...

    Ahhh, the memories...

    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  5. WAS IN 699TH 76/79 LOOKING IAT THEY PICTURES REALLY BRING TEAR TO MY EYES WISH I COULD FIND SOME KEN TRINKLE (BANNANA MAN)PLEASE CONTACT FB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was in 699 maintenance company during the same time

      Delete
    2. I was there during the same time as well. I was a Spc in the maintance platoon. I was with 699 from 91/94.

      Delete
  6. I lived on Pioneer Kaserne from April 1991 to Sept 1992 with the 699th Maintenance Co when we redeployed to Ft Bliss in El Paso, TX.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi. I'm 3 years late on ur reply. We're u sergeant hunt's platoon?

      Delete
    2. My last name is Ciprian, I was in 699

      Delete
  7. I was just in Hanau this past October. After, fortyfive years the place did look very familiar. We left Pioneer Kaserne in May of 1966. My father worked in building 5 which is still seen from the outside. We lived in the housing area directly in from of the base. We were in bldg.340 appt 1. I was able to take some pictures but could not get close

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi I just saw this quite by accident. Feeling a bit nostalgic. I lived in hanau my dad is chemical warfare. 1965-66. Loved pioneer would love to find friends from there. Do you know any websites.

      Delete
  8. Was there 1957 to 1960 This site brought back many memories.Was with 814th Engr.(FB)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello, we were stationed at Fligerhorst near Hanau in 86-89 and Downs barracks in fulda91-93. Would love to see some pictures from there. Thank you for doing this site. Just by chance I came across this.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was stationed at the Hessen Homberg Kaserne 23rd Eng. HQ Company. I was glad to see that most of the building are still standing and are being used for civilian businesses. Sure all of the maintenance and parts buildings are gone but the Barracks and Headquarters building are all standing and in use. The same with Francois Kaserne Just across the strasse. Not as many building are up but it's still recognizable with it's brick buildings.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Haven't thought of Pioneer Kaserne in years. Was station there with the 26th S & S company
    there in 1974. Used to work at supply depot at Grossauhiem across the river from the Kahl nuclear reactor.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Man I was in Hanau from 99-00. Had some good times there. Man some very good times

    ReplyDelete
  13. I was stationed in Pioneer Kasern from 1966 to 1968 and what wonderful memories I have of Pioneer Kasern and Hanau also.

    I worked in the big consolidated Mess hall as a cook and befriended a young German guy at the time who worked in the Mess Hall as a civilian KP. He took me out all over the place and showed me around Hanau. We had some great times together at the Eden Bar and Jolly Bar in Hanau.

    He left his job there after a while and we lost touch whe I returned home but 40 years later back around 2006 he got in touch with me via the internet.

    We rekindled our friendship and I have been back there to visit him and his family 3 times since and most recently this past Sept.

    The first time I went back I got a chance to visit Pioneer Kasern with him which was still open at the time but man had it changed. We did get a chance to visit the old Mess Hall and was amazed how that changed. But now each time I go back I drive by and see Pioneer Kasern all deserted and it really makes me feel sad. I have so many fond memories of the time I was there and believe me they are not forgotten memories they are great memories that will always be with me.

    This last visit he and his wife brought me on a fabulous trip to Bavaria which I enjoyed very much.

    Im sure I will go back to visit Hanau again sometime in the future and look forward to it again.

    Until then I will treasure the memories I have of Pioneer Kasern from July 1966 to Jan 1968.

    David Arsenault

    ReplyDelete
  14. Was stationed with the 8th Maintenance Battalion from 1989-1991. Assigned to the 53rd HMSC, but attached to HHD 8th Maintenance. Worked in the Directorate of Installation Coordination office. If anyone out there was in the unit during that time my e-mail address is misenbart1@udayton.edu

    ReplyDelete
  15. Was a member of the 39th Finance Disbursing Section, from 1958 to 1960. Have many fond memories of my tour of duty. Great EM club and a short walk to downtown Hanau.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is what it looks like now:

    http://youtu.be/dkRnwEB0kO0

    A tour via Bus through what used to be home and work place to many....

    ReplyDelete
  17. I was stationed at pioneer with the 502nd Engineer co....i miss those days...

    ReplyDelete
  18. I lived on the top floor of building 6 and my rooms windows overlooked the flag field that was right behind the front gate! 516th engineer co. from 90-93! I wish I could go back in time and visit the place again! I miss partying at "The Boat" and "Bavaria" next to there! Good memories of great times with old friends!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I was there may 1973 to may 1974, 26th supply and service Co. I issued food out of the Grossauhiem kaserne. e-mail is koln2013@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I was there may 1973 to may 1974, 26th supply and service Co. I issued food out of the Grossauhiem kaserne. e-mail is koln2013@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Was at Pioneer Kaserne from April 1971 to Feb 1972 with the 574th PSC. Would love to hear from my old buddies Smokey, Jay, Harry, Biz, Pineapple, Steve and any others.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Sept. 1972 to Feb. 1974. What a great time and great memories! Thank you very much to the locals. 223rd Ord. Detach. and 71st Ord. Co. Very sad to see it overgrown and neglected. Duane Hanson mnharleytrike@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I was at Pioneer from Sept. 1972 to Feb. 1974 with the 223rd Ord. Det. which later grew to the 71st Ordinance Company. What a great time!

    Duane Hanson

    ReplyDelete
  24. 88th HEM 72-3also UP 599th police batt.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I was there 1980-82. great times there. 71st Ord Bldg.2 I remember getting a case of Beer with my friends and going to the river behind the base. The bomb craters were everywhere.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Marcus Boch
    These pictures bring back memoirs
    of when I was stationed in Hanau at Pioneer Kaserne 1968-1970. I was in the 568th Eng. Co. I drove convoys at first & then Dozer operator & 5Ton dump truck, 830M scraper & was Co. draftsman for our CO. Would like to here from anyone that was stationed there at that time. We were all just around 19 t0 21 years old then. I was Spec.E-5 when I left.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Was there from August 1969 to April 1972 26 supply and service co work in the motor pool email rsjohn51@gmail.com roy

    ReplyDelete
  28. I was worked for the Community Commander, Hanau Military Community 1977-1979. Would like to hear from old friends during that period. billyjdixon@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I spent 2 1/2 years at Pioneer Kaserne -- Jan. 1962 to July 1964 -- with the 516th Engineer Co. I didn't realize at the time how significant those years would become as a I grew older and looked back at them. The friendships formed, the travel opportunities and discovering time and again in those travels that the Nazi madness clearly had ben an aberration.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Cecilia McNelly...I was with the 26th Supply and Service Co. 1977 to 1980..I am in contact with Linda Klause and candress Giles..hoping to locate more..

    ReplyDelete
  31. Was stationed in the 699th from 71--74. Great memories of unit and it's soldiers. Remember 1SG Story RIP my friend. Along with several others. Remember the Snake Pit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was there in 699th from June '71 to Sept '73. Remember R. Tony's, the pizza place? Good times. Miss the beir! And recall Bill Story!

      Delete
    2. I was station there may 72- April 74 699th do you remember an eagle Gearlds or Richard coe

      Delete
  32. i was there 1988-1991 i love my memories aand i wish i could of kept in contact with more people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was there too. I was just telling my daughter what a happy time that was....

      Delete
  33. I was in Building #1, 127th MP Co. from 81-83.

    Tony used to deliver pizza to us through a hole in the fence near the side gate we were next to. He would not make those deliveries for anyone else on the post. The engineers barracks next to us were real sh*tholes, as I recall.

    It was a beautiful little kaserne, well-kept with a coal fired plant to keep us warm. But in winter, those cobblestone streets were horrendous to deal with. Banged up a fender or two on the black ice.

    Markobel Castle is within driving distance, and worth the trip if you're into the history.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I was there at the 516th Engineer Co '75-'78. Lots of great memories.
    Bill Litsheim

    ReplyDelete
  35. I am looking for gordan j. Breeding of the 61st and127th m.p. companies both at pioneer and fliegerhorst kaserne. Have him call me at 606-423-5111/606-416-3997 please.I don't know how to Facebook or e- mail yet so any help would really help. Jay breeding was looking for me on ,topix,and on a site called ,61st m.p. company fliegerhorst, I found by mistake.today is 9/19/15. We served from 1978-1981 in the Hanau area.A reunion would be great with Jay and any others that served with us.Thanks again for any help.my name is Greg Hurley.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  36. Jack Skelly
    Pioneer Kaserne 699th maint. Co. Inspection section, are shop was down the road from pioneer , can't remember the name. 79 to 83. Contact. jack@jeskelly.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. FYI. There are Facebook pages for your units and search pages also.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hello sir. My uncle served in Hanau in the 205th transportation battalion but I dont know how to find out where that was. On March 28, 1978 my aunt, 2 cousins, her best friend and her children were killed in a car accident right as they were leaving the base. I am telling you this only because I am trying to find out where that would have been and if you know how I could go about seeing any information that would have been in the news over there. I just would love to see where she would have been and what it looked like but I have no idea how to find out which base. I think someone said Fliegerhorst Ksn, Hanau. Do you have any pictures of that area?

    ReplyDelete
  39. According to usarmygermany.com website, 205th Transportation Batallion was based at Fliegerhost Kaserne in Erlensee/Hanau.

    I will publish some archive photos I took in 2014.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Thank you so much. Would I find those pics under the list of locations by name?

    ReplyDelete
  41. Also, how close is this Pionier one to the Fliegerhorst one? I found this map of Hanau online, do you see the Fliegerhorst one or where it was back then on here? http://www.mappery.com/maps/Hanau-Map.jpg Hanau looks like such a beautiful area. :) I LOVE the beautiful buildings, and even the ... what do you call them, where the military live on base? They are actually beautiful too. Would families have houses on the base or off?

    ReplyDelete
  42. Wow I had to list previous addresses for a clearance that I was applying for back through 1975. I was apart of the 71st ORD on Pioneer Kaserne for three years. I have some great memories from this place. I didn't know that it was vacant. I guess I need to pay more attention to current events. I remember the cotton wood trees making it seem like it was summer snow. I also remember the softball and flag football games that we had. Great time while I was there tried to stay longer but they said it was time for me to go.

    ReplyDelete
  43. I was station with the 574th Personnel Service Center, Pioneer Kaserne, from 1978-1980. I have fond memories of Hanau and plan to make a trip back to Germany in 2016.

    ReplyDelete
  44. I have the best memories, best friends and the best conditioning from the 699th maintenance company, 85th maintenance battalion- V Corps...(1984-1989) We had beer vending machines in the barracks. E Tony's at the back gate where you didn't have to stumble far to the barracks. Frankfort 10 minutes away where prostitution was abundant and legal, drug dealers (African or Turkish) on every corner and of course "THE BEER HAUS" the Autobahn had NO speed limit. Our base back yard had 40 year old bomb craters where we missed our targets in WWII bombing missions. Travel from country to country on a weekend. Monsters of Rock Concerts annually as well as the infamous "Oktoberfest". German woman were very friendly to us. The nude lake parties were awesome. We trained hard and partied harder!!! Miss those days.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was in the 699th from 1971-1973. Drank many a beer at E. Tony's

      Delete
  45. I was stationed from December 1967 until September 1968 with the 568th Engineer Company on Pioneer Kaserne. I was sent their after I completed AIT at Fort Jackson in MOS as 05B20 Radio Operator....I was a Pvt E2 when I got to my unit with the 568th and made PFC 4 months later (sewed my own stripes on crooked lol)...Anyone remember Campo Pond where we did our training at there?...our unit trained at Wildflecken and Freidburg....really liked Hanau....In September 1968, 9 months after I got there, I got my orders for Vietnam. Was with the 196th Light Inf in Nam as a radio operator for a year where I made SP4 then buck Sgt...But my best assignment was when I was with the 568th on Pioneer Kaserne��

    ReplyDelete
  46. My father was stationed there 1987-1989. I lived in Hanau. I remember all the castles. I remember monkey hill. lol. I would love to reconnect with people I hung out with at school...

    ReplyDelete
  47. JodyM: If you see this comment, I can provide more information about the March 1978 accident. I was a member of the Military Police unit that investigated the accident and I have a copy of the newspaper account. I can also put you in touch with the Military Policeman who conducted the accident investigation. Let me know if there's a way to make contact with you.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Moderator: is there a way you can give my email address to that poster, without me having to post it here??

    ReplyDelete
  49. @JodyM: I'm afraid I do not have any contact information of the anonymous user that posted the comment above.

    In case I get any, I will post a note.

    ReplyDelete
  50. That sounds good. I would rather not post my private email on here but if ANONYMOUS sees this and replies, can you see my email to give it to him in a private message? Or since he is choosing to be anonymous, if he gives you his pr iate email and is willing for you to share it with me, off of here, are you able to do that without posting it?

    ReplyDelete
  51. YES ANONYMOUS THERE IS FOR SURE!!!!! Thank you so much!!!! I would greatly like to here from you. I am trying to think of a way for you to get my email address without posting it here, just to you directly. Since comments have to be moderatoed, would you feel safe(if this is possible) to give the moderator your email and he can pass it to me?

    ReplyDelete
  52. I was stationed at Hanau in 1958-59 and was housed in the units above the mess hall and canteen. We were a small quartermaster company did direct exchange and supplied everything from brooms to embalming fluid and did textile repair.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Forgotten FrankfurtMarch 26, 2017 at 1:24 AM

    Ref. March 1978 incident, attn. to Anonymous: Would you be willing to contact JodyM, you can leave a message with the e-mail address (this will not be published). I can forward JodyM's e-mail.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Was the CO of the 568th Engr Co (LE) in 1969 stationed at Pioneer Kaserne in Hanau before deploying to Vietnam. During the summer we did construction support up at Wildflicken for the 54th Engr Bn. I had previously been stationed at Flicken in the 54th before being transferred to the 568th to take command. My first born came in August 3rd at the 97th Army General Hospital. Good memories of going to the farmer market in Hanau eating wursts and pomp-frees while the Mrs did the shopping. We built a fire plaza for a local town near Hanau and was given 2500 beer tickets when they had an October Fest to celebrate the new facilities. We ran shuttles from the party to the company barracks. Good times.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Was there 814th 85 and 86. Loved being there.

    ReplyDelete
  56. was there with the 516th 1974-1977, remember the "snack pit" where all the rednecks drank and fought, oh those Saturday nights, dancing over here fighting over there! Great times and great people. What a great time in my early life, would do it again with the same people. 516th bailey bridge- 814 float bridge-568 construction co. What a group! Thanks for the memories! Dan Guess

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hello All 😊 Was there 1991-93. My now deceased Husband served in Desert Storm before that 2nd A.D and 1st Calvery at Fort Hood.I worked as a civilian in the pioneer messhall as well as Fort Hood, also Entertained the Soldiers singing jazz and R&b at the NCO club. I totally miss the life.
    Everyone Stay safe.

    ReplyDelete