________________________________________________________________________Richard S. Kem
A:
So, that was the end of that visit.
Q:
You said it was sort of stiff that morning. Did things loosen up as the day went on?
A:
It loosened up a bit. General Snetkov was a very gregarious, outgoing person. I mean, he
dominated the conversation. None of his people really said much except off to the side.
Q:
Yes.
A:
General Snetkov almost had a dialogue with General Saint while the rest of us sat there at the
table because he was so dominant and the others yielded to him so much. Although General
Saint would yield to us, he hardly had a chance to because he was sitting directly opposite
General Snetkov and it was all directed over towards him.
There was one other interesting statement while we were standing around talking to one of
their commanders who commanded a division that was being demobilized and sent back to
the Soviet Union. One of our division commanders, I think maybe Cal Waller, said, "What's
your biggest problem?"
The Russian said, "Well, my biggest problem is how to take care of my people and find them
housing back in the Soviet Union. You see, they have been in the military all their lives, and
they don't have houses. They're not from a city, and they don't want to go back to the farm."
Q:
Right.
A:
"There's no housing in the places they would like to go, Moscow or Leningrad and so forth.
So, my problem is how to take care of the people and find them housing, those that are being
mustered out."
Of course, we saw later on that this was a very big problem and continues now as they're
trying to get out of the Baltic states.
Q:
Yes.
A:
Germany actually has negotiated with them for the extrication of the Group of Soviet Forces
in Germany, and ended up paying for houses to be built in the Soviet Union to facilitate the
process to get them back.
Q:
Yes. Your description of the installation of the Soviet bases helps explain why Soviet troops
could stay so long, and I guess some are still there in eastern Germany, that they are insulated
from the rest of the society.
A:
Very insulated. That's right.
Q:
So, that is their home until they can get some place back in Russia.
A:
Well, it could be, but, you see, their short period of service for the inductees means that they
have a swap out annually.
425
Previous Page
