If world war 2 was over in 1945. Why was my Dad over in Germany ?

Question

My Dad was in the USA army. In Germany 1954-56

Answer 1

because he wanted to?

But if he was in the armed forces, then even today there's army type folks stationed in Germany. Why would it have been any different 50 years ago??

Answer 2

The United States established bases in Germany partly to govern Germany but also to keep an eye on the Soviets.

Answer 3

Overseas deployment of military forces is common, and Germany has been the home of many military servicemen and women far beyond the years that your father was deployed there. West Germany progressed from being an occupied country to becoming a valuable U.S. ally mostly due to our continued presence there, and our support of the rebuilding efforts of that country throughout the post-WWII era. It is true that tensions with the Soviets (who maintained presence in the Eastern division of Germany) certainly motivated the U.S. to remain fortified across the Berlin Wall. Throughout the years of the "Cold War", a strong military presence in that region endeavored to hold the Soviets in check, preventing them from forming territorial "ambitions" into Western Europe.

Answer 4

After WWII, the cold war ensued between the Soviet Union and the United States. In fact, the tension between the 2 nations already began during the world as U.S. began to sense the Russians' ambition to spread their communism around the world and hence U.S. has adopted policies in view of the "domino theories" since, i.e. if one country falls into communism, the neighboring country will likely fall too.

After WWII, U.S. has to keep its presence in every region of the world to counter communism threat, not only from the Soviet Union but from China and later the Korean war that divided the country into 2 which made the U.S. determine to keep its forces around the world.

In addition, don't forget that Germany was divided into the West and the East after WWII. East Germany was a communist state and Berlin which used to be the capital of Germany before the war is located in East Germany and has to be divided into 2 sections as well -- West Berlin and East Berlin. If one were to travel from West Germany to Berlin for e.g. one would have to go through East Germany before reaching West Berlin. As you can see, Germany is at the front of communism advance and hence the U.S. presence in Germany during that time and since.

Answer 5

The same reason I was in Germany from 2001-2004 because we keep troops stationed in Germany as part of a force in Europe. If anything ever goes down in Europe we have troops readily available to handle the situation instead of sending them all the way from the US.

Answer 6

Germany has been occupied by the United States since the end of the war. thats why he was there. He was sent there for 3 or 4 yrs.

Answer 7

The war may have been over but, we are still going to stay to make sure it doesn't happen again. I'm in Germany now. I was in Korea and Japan before. The wars are over there too. We occupy these territories to make sure nothing else happens. Just like the war in Iraq we are not going to just leave and have someone else step up and take Saddam's place.

Answer 8

When the Allies divided Germany after WWII, Soviet Union stationed their troops in East Germany, and the US in Western Germany. To keep an eye on them, so to speak.

Answer 9

He probably liked the German beer!!
Have you tasted it?

No seriously, he was still part of the Allies who made sure Germany was no longer a threat after the war had ended.

Answer 10

Ask your father! The Army deployed him there while he was on active duty. I lived in Germany from 1955 to 1959 because my father was in the Air Force. It was one of many overseas deployments for me while growing up...