From Thomas Herwer in 2005:
3d Bn, 36th Infantry, 3AD
Marty Kungl and I (both of 3rd Bn, 36th Inf) were selected
for the advance party to prepare for President Kennedy's visit
to Hanau in June, 1963. We set up a full blown Davy Crockett
Weapon System display over by the missile launchers. The 1963
3rd Armored Division yearbook has a photo that shows us, although
real small. We were the only two guys from the Davy Crockett
section at the display. I had heard that Kennedy didn't want
a lot of LT's and SGT's around. He wanted to hear about the weapons
from the gunners of tanks, mortars, artillery, and so on.
It was a very impressive show for the President. I can't ever
remember seeing so many GI's in one place at one time.
When Kennedy was riding around in the limousine with Gen Pugh
(Division Commander) and viewing all the troops and weapons,
they stopped at the missile launcher displays and got out and
Kennedy talked to the guys for a few minutes. He was a big advocate
of missiles and rockets. On the way back to the limo, Gen Pugh
pointed out to Kennedy our Davy Crockett display. Boy, were we
startled when the President and the General walked over to Marty
and me. We must have been at ramrod attention at that point.
Kennedy ask me if I thought the Davy Crockett was accurate
weapon. I told him, if I can put this warhead within a 100 feet
of a target with a 20-foot air-burst, there won't be anything
around for a 1.7 miles radius.
Kennedy then asked Marty what was the yield of the warhead.
Marty said something like, "Sir, I can't tell you. That's
a classified secret." There was a moment of dead and uncomfortable
silence. Then Gen Pugh told Marty that it would be okay to tell
the Commander in Chief that information. So Marty divulged the
warhead yield, much to Pugh's relief, I'm sure.
I don't know if it had anything to do with what I said to
him, but in July, 1963, I later read, Pres. Kennedy ordered the
removal of all Davy Crockett's from Germany because "It
showed to be too inaccurate to deliver even low yield nuclear
fires". Nevertheless, it remained in service until 1971.
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