MEMORIES OF JERRY JENSEN
I don't know how interesting my memories of Camp King
will be for your memories section. I was only there for a couple of years and as an
MP, I was not directly involved in the intelligence operations. During my time on
the post, I was a Staff Sergeant E-6, filling a Captain's slot. As the Acting
Provost Marshal, Physical Security Officer and MP Detachment Commander, I reported
directly to the Commanding Officer of the 513th INTC Group, Colonel Paul R. Lutjens, AIS.
I remember that Colonel Lutjens as an extremely competent CO. He was well liked by
his staff and went about his duties in an extraordinary manner. I hope he made
General. He would have been a good one. I never heard of him after I left the
513th.
In the May 1965 edition of the Military Police Journal, there was a small article covering
the activities of the MP Detachment. I will quote a bit from the article - "Staff
Sergeant Jensen is Acting Provost Marshal, Detachment Commander of a small MP Detachment
and Post Physical Security Officer of Camp King. Sergeant Jensen is probably the
only enlisted PM in the Army today. The MP Det performs physical security duties,
post patrol and covers off-post incidents in three cities in the vicinity of Camp King.
Sergeant Jensen was recently awarded an Honor Certificate Award by the Freedom's
Foundation of Valley Forge, Pa."
At the time I lived with my wife in Building 1047. I could observe the MP gate shack
from my balcony. My wife worked in the Post Library. We really enjoyed Camp
King, it was a nice location in the mid-sixties with nice housing and good facilities.
Soldiers assigned to Intelligence Corps units were seldom involved in incidents
involving MP's, unlike many of my other assignments. Our 21 man MP detachment could
easily handle any calls we received without having to call upon other units for
assistance.
Our primary duty was to provide security for the Camp and to the individuals being
de-briefed, many of whom were defectors from behind the Iron Curtain. At times we
had individuals staying at the Camp who were under serious death threats from eastern bloc
security agencies. At times we provided armed escort for these individuals to Rhein
Main as they were transported to the United States for further de-briefing.
I don't know if any of this will be helpful or interesting to you, but feel free to use
any or all. I volunteered for assignment to Vietnam in mid-1965 and went directly
from Oberursel to Danang. My duty with the 513th was not the most exciting
assignment I had in 12 years of active duty but it was certainly one of the most peaceful.
I met many very interesting intelligence officers during that tour. Upon my
departure, Colonel Lutjens awarded both me and my wife, USAREUR Certificates of
Achievement. It was quite unusual for a member of the MP Corps to be honored by an
Intelligence Corps officer.
Jerry E. Jensen