We Were Soldiers Too: Defending the Iron Curtain

by Bob Kern

“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.” Winston Churchill- March 5, 1946 The “Iron Curtain” he referenced shortly after World War II was the border in Europe that separated the west from the east. It separated freedom from communism and NATO from the Warsaw Pact. A border that quickly became fortified with a fence and a wall. The “Iron Curtain” would come to symbolize a divided world for the duration of the Cold War. West Germany would become the focal point where NATO would prepare for an invasion by the Soviet Union. The Fulda Gap became the likely route the communist horde would take to conquer Europe. This area was referred to as ground zero for World War III. The United States military was tasked with stopping the Soviet attack until reinforcements arrived. A mission with zero chance of survival. Yet, millions of young soldiers met this challenge over the decades of the Cold War. Vigilant and ready to give their lives when the call came. No mission was more important than that of the brave soldiers who served on the border. They were tasked with guarding the border and surveilling the communist activity around the clock. These valiant soldiers patrolled by foot and jeep a few feet from the Iron Curtain and in full view of their communist counterparts. They regarded themselves as the tripwire responsible for alerting the supporting forces of an invasion. A mere speed bump for any invasion. This book provides insight into the Cold War from the unique perspective of the veterans who served on this border.

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 24, 2017

About the author

Bob is an award winning author for his We Were Soldiers Too Series. Book 1 was a finalist for Nonfiction Autobiography Book of the Year in 2015 and has been nominated for Best First Published Book of the Year in 2016

Book Two was named a Finalist for Nonfiction eBook of the Year and Finalist for Nonfiction Military History Book of the Year in 2016.

Bob was in the US Army for almost 8 years in the 1980's and during those years he was quickly educated about the military life that civilians never see or hear about. He decided to write and publish the story of his military career so that others may have an inside view of what it was like to be in the military at that time.

Due to the overwhelming support and response from other Cold War Veterans, his first book has been turned into a Cold War documentary series telling the history of the Cold War from the perspective of the veterans who served during this critical time in history.

Bob is the father of five children - Natalie, Bambie, Amber, Bob, and Rob. He resides in Bedford, Indiana with his wife Marsha and his three granddaughters; Sage, Jade, and Harmonie.

Bob enjoys connecting with US veterans and sharing his stories with others.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book four of the five book series is another outstanding volume of personal stories by soldiers that fought during the cold war.

Bobs compilation in this book hits home for me as I myself served along this same Border between East and West Germany from 1987 thru 1991. I was there when "The Wall" came crumbling down with the 2nd Squadron 11th Armored Cavalry.

Any history buff will like this book and the rest in this series. I would highly recommend it for those in High School or college studying the cold war period.

[Fred Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very informative book with the history of the Cold War in Germany told by the soldiers that lived it. The stories tell of an individual soldier's experience. Together they tell the story of the US Army defense of Germany during the Cold War. The stress and fear felt by many at the border were real because no one knew if the Soviet Army would cross into West Germany. I recommend this book to anyone who served in the Army during the Cold War or want to know more about that period.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Especially if you were there. It could use a little editing for repeated phrases.