Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans

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Ken Morgenthaler

Operation Desert Storm | 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division

While driving the tank in country, Ken Morgenthaler had to face some difficult terrain that led to some complications. Though they took some mortar fire, the United States Air Force was extremely effective in taking out enemy combatants. (11:36)
While driving the tank, Ken Morgenthaler faced more difficulties moving across Iraq. Once the war had been declared as won, Morgenthaler and some of his unit felt like they could have done more to insure no more future regional conflicts. (8:43)
Ken Morgenthaler feels that Desert Storm vets are often misunderstood by civilians. It was a difficult time for many of them and living with the PTSD from wartime can be a constant struggle. (6:40)
Ken Preston

Cold War | Multiple Units

Ken Preston was from the mountains of western Maryland, where the old family farm was a great place to grow up. Without the grades for a scholarship, and not wanting to saddle his parents with the cost of a college education, he decided to join the Army for just long enough to get the GI Bill. (6:49)
His dream was to be an architect, but now he was in the Army for a few years. The recruiter tried to help Ken Preston by putting him on an engineering and surveying path, but he found out about a $2500 bonus for committing to an armored unit. That was a lot of money in 1975. (5:49)
Ken Preston's first duty was at Fort Hood, where he got a plum assignment in the headquarters company as a tank crewman. There were only three tanks in the section, including the battalion commander's tank. The unit spent a lot of time testing and evaluating new tanks to determine which technology the Army should adopt. (10:01)
It was still his plan to get out, take the GI Bill and go to college, but his unit was moving to Germany so he had to make a decision. Should I reenlist and take the family to see the sights of Europe? Affirmative. He reported there and found lodging and a car and the family followed. Right away, his wife was on her own while he went to the basic noncom course. (7:29)
It turned out that he had a knack for gunnery, so Ken Preston became a tank master gunner and was promoted to staff sergeant. That was while he was in Cold War Germany. His next stop was the armor school at Fort Knox, instructing in weapons systems. He was doing very well there and that got him a VIP assignment as an exchange instructor in England, where his family could enjoy another scenic location. (11:20)
Ken Preston was on his second German tour when the Iron Curtain fell in 1989. It was a special time for him and his family. As soon as it was allowed, they drove into East Germany and sat in a beer garden opposite Russian soldiers. (5:16)
The Iron Curtain had fallen, but US units were still positioned on the German border. Tank commander Ken Preston served in the command group in a mobile Tactical Command Post, or TAC. He loved that job and made 1st Sgt while he was there. It was at this time that Saddam Hussein began to become a problem and troops began deploying from Germany. (8:08)