The Trust Trooper

There was once an Army Command called TRUST.
5000 U.S. Soldiers were stationed there.
Their mission: To support the AMG,
And with the British, this task, they did gladly share.

The Allied Military Government, by U.N. decree,
Would bring peace and order and tranquility,
To the Free Territory of Trieste,
In Northern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea.

Were the troops hand-picked? We reckoned so!
For special, in many ways, were we.
We were "Ambassadors" in a foreign land;
Our conduct: Above reproach, it must always be.

We were required to memorize a thousand things.
The insignia of all the services, their colors too.
General orders, Chain of Command, and so much more,
And if you didn't learn, there would be no pass for you.

Our field gear would not be just plain OD;
All items were dyed to a jet black hue,
Our shirts were pleated and were highly starched,
We wore shiny brass and silken scarves of blue.

Our bayonets glistened, our boots were dazzling bright,
And our clothing was tailored to fit just right.
Our trousers were bloused with elastic bands,
With chains inside to hold the creases tight.

Every bit of metal we wore was buffed or chromed.
Every buckle and eyelet had a sparkling gleam.
Our helmet liners were painted a glossy black,
We looked sharp, stood tall; We were the Colonel's dream.

I loved Trieste then, and I still do.
It was called The Pearl of the Adriatic Sea.
It had pretty girls, friendly people, fantastic food,
And the best tasting beer. It was Heaven to me.

And though we received no ribbon, no award, no badge,
We considered ourselves among the best;
And we're still proud to bear the title of....
The Chrome Plated Troopers of Trieste.

Tens of thousands of American Soldiers served in TRUST but not one ever received any form of recgnition for service in that area. During the nine years of AMG Control, a number of Americans were killed and many were wounded in skirmishes with Yugoslav Border Patrols. However, no Purple Hearts were ever awarded,and no Occupation or Theater of Service Ribbons were ever authorized.

TRUST seemed to be a forgotten command. There were no news stories, no headlines. Few people ever knew we were there. Even the Army Historical Foundation in its voluminous and comprehensive publication "THE ARMY", makes no mention of TRUST or Trieste.

This was my first Army assignment and I enjoyed the company of many dedicated American Soldiers. We took great pride in serving as "Ambassadors in Uniform" to a place and people we will never forget.

Frank J. Montoya
23rd Quartermaster Company, TRUST, 1949-1952

 

Web Author: Frank J. Montoya
Copyright ©2004 by Frank J 2000 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED