Magazine content is available exclusively for TIME subscribers.West Germany: The Happier Warriors
New weapons, nicer digs and a bigger buck boost U.S. morale
For the 4,000 soldiers of the U.S. 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, stationed in the strategic Fulda Gap near the border between East and West Germany, life in uniform has never been easy. Most towns in the area are small, provincial and often dull. East German and Soviet border patrols are a constant presence. Above all, the American servicemen at Fulda are aware that the 30-mile gap is a likely invasion route in the event of a conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact....
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