HistoryFull.pub - United States Transportation Command

This publication is likely the first attempt to capture, in one document, significant portions of thestory of the Nation’s Couriers - the men, women, and accomplishments of the Defense CourierService.Unfortunately, during the fifty years of our existence, we have not done a commendable job ofdocumenting, filing away, photographing, or otherwise saving the story which I, as editor, will attemptto tell. That is not an adverse reflection on those who have been assigned to these ranks;rather, it is a sign of the times – reluctance to take the time and effort to capture actions and occasionworthy of retention for future readers.In this work, I can merely attempt to begin this saga of the Nation’s Couriers for I can never findthe sources and time necessary to tell the complete story. I hope to make this a living history, onewhich will periodically be updated with both current actions and future projections and furtherfleshed out as additional stories, pictures, and documents of the past are provided or unearthed.For this reason, I choose not to relate this story in the fashion of a normal history, that is, fromDay 1 to the present in a blow-by-blow narrative. Instead, this mini-history will consist of chapterswhich describe and combine separate events, occasions, and actions which, when taken together,will tell the story of this organization and the accomplishments for which it is renowned.I hope the reader will, upon completing these pages, agree that I have met my goal.Dieter Ralston, EditorPAGE ~ 3