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INTRODUCING THE ASA ALPINERS

Since 1982 veterans of the Army Security Agency forces serving in Germany and/or Austria have been holding reunions under the auspices of the 116/8608 Reunion Group. The WW2 tactical 116th Signal Radio Intelligence Company, later re-designated as the 116th Signal Service Company, and a fixed station operation, Field Station 8608 Administrative Area Unit (FS 8608 AAU) were stationed in Scheyern, Germany. Scheyern is approximately 35 miles (50km) north of Munich, on a line between Munich and Nürnberg, with the closest town of significance being Pfaffenhofen a. d. Ilm. The tactical 116th departed Scheyern for Herzo Base on 10 March 1951 while, concurrently, the fixed station operation (FS 8608) was organized. FS 8608 was to remained as a fixed station operation at Scheyern until 1957, when it was discontinued, thus ending twelve years of SIS/ASA presence in Scheyern.

As time has passed these reunions have attracted more and more attendees from German or Austrian ASA bases other than Scheyern. Recognizing this fact the ASA sponsors attending the 1997 reunion in St. Louis, voted to open membership in this reunion group to all ASAers who served in Germany or Austria and to re-designate ourselves under the name of the "ASA Alpiners". To this end we now have sponsors representing most, if not all, of the ASA tactical and fixed station operations that were station in Germany and/or Austria (Our newsletter masthead details the ASA locations where our sponsors were stationed) Sponsors within the group also represent some of the WW2 Signal Radio Intelligence Companies that served in the European Theater. Current members or veterans of INSCOM or the NSA, who served in Germany or Austria, are also welcome.

In 2000 the 114/8606 Reunion Group (Herzo Base) and the 331st Communications Reconnaissance Co. voted at their Las Vegas Reunion to join forces with us and become part of the ASA Alpiners. Thus bringing about the union of the two tactical "occupation" units remaining in Germany after WW2: The 114th and 116th Signal Radio Intelligence Companies.

The philosophy of the ASA Alpiners is that we all have common ground as the basis for our comradeship - we were all ASA (or SIS) and we were all in ASA units stationed in Germany or Austria.

Therefore, this is an open invitation to all potential ASA Alpiners to join us by sending your name, mailing address, German/Austrian ASA location and dates (e.g. Memmingen 48-52), and unit designation (e.g. 332nd Comm. Recon. Co.) To Ralph R. Thadeus, 107 West Pine Place, St. Louis, MO 63108-2111. This will get you on the mailing list for our newsletter, The ASA Interceptor.

Continue to watch this web page for the electronic version of our newsletter and continually updated information on our next reunion.

This site is dedicated to William (Bill) Case (Scheyern 53-54) the founder of the 116/8608 Reunion Group. Bill passed away on April 2, 2000. He is missed but not forgotten.

You may also contact the group at: