In the fall of 1957 I boarded the USS Upshur (technically the USNS Upshur) bound for Bremerhaven, West Germany. The ship had 1,500 military personnel and almost 400 dependants onboard. At the time my father was a Major in the 4th Armored Division and we were all enroute to Cooke Barracks as part of Operation Gyrascope. That operation reassigning the entire 4th Armord Division from the States to duty in Southern Germany. My mother was sick much of the trip, and that left my sisters and I freedom to rome the ship. The opening scene of my book Brat: Kids of Warriors has the McMasters children on the USS Upshur. There story is fictional, but one or two things they do may have some small resemblance to what my sisters and I got up to while abord ship.
USS Upshur runs into cold rough waters
This 4th Armored troop may not have a coat on, but it was definitely...
Troops disembarking from the USS Upshur
These troops and all their gear were headed to the train that would take them from...
I am a military brat—and I say that with great pride.
