Grenada: M1 and PASGT in battle together

Hail, and farewell

M1 on the left, PASGT a.k.a. "fritz" a.k.a. "kevlar",on the right.

 Here's a photograph I searched for for a very long time; it depicts a group of American soldiers during the combat action on Grenada in 1983  What is noteworthy is that the soldiers on the left are wearing the venerable M1 helmet, and the soldiers on the right are wearing the new PASGT kevlar helmet. This photo records the moment in time when one helmet was leaving service and the other was entering.  This was in interesting time of transition away from the memory of Vietnam...new helmet, new war, new army.

[US Marines in Grenada wearing the M1 with the Vietnam-era Mitchell camouflage cover.]

[Soldiers on Grenada wearing Vietnam-era jungle boots.  I find something compelling and somewhat poignant about seeing these vestages of Vietnam in evidence.  Unlike the men and women who served in Vietnam, the Grenada veterans were warmly welcomed home.]

[GIs sporting M1s with the Woodland (or perhaps ERDL) cover, I can't keep them straight.]

[The combat swan-song of the venerable M1...what a fitting exit.]

Enter the PASGT ("pas-get") which stands for "personal armor system, ground troops."  The introduction of this new helmet was literally a "baptism of fire" as Grenada was its debut

The nickname, "fritz" helmet, came from the shape of it - similar to the German helmets of the World Wars.

And now, a first-hand account:

Part of the liberating force, was my friend Jim Rosebrock, who experienced combat on the island of Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury way back in 1983.

Here is an interview that I did with Colonel Rosebrock, wherein he talks about his experiences with both helmets; the M1 and the "fritz":

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Jim, tell me a little bit about your career.

I was appointed  a second lieutenant in 1976 from the ROTC program at Niagara University.  I was a quartermaster officer.  My first tour of duty was at Ft Lewis Washington from 1976 to 1979.  A three-year tour in West Germanyn followed.  After returning to the States in 1982 for more training, I was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg from 1982 until 1985 when I left active duty as a captain.  I entered the Army Reserves for the next 19 years and retired as a lieutenant colonel.

In what capacity did you serve during Operation Urgent Fury? Did you Jump?

I was on the division headquarters staff as the G4 logistics officer.  I went to Grenada with the Division HQ assault command post.  I was a captain at the time.  We departed Fort Bragg with our parachutes strapped on.

In the air, we were told we could take the 'chutes off because the airfield was secured.  After we had done so, they told us to put them back on. It was tough putting them back on in an aircraft that was bumping around on the thermals.  After we got them back on, we were told that the rangers had secured the airfield and we could take them back off.  We looked at each other and decided to leave them on.  When we landed, everyone dumped their 'chutes on the side of the runway.  We landed at 3:30 p.m. on October 25, 1983 (my 29th birthday).

You wore both the M1 as well as the new PASGT helmets during your career; how do you compare one to the other in comfort, versatility, practicality, and protection?  Which helmet did your prefer?

Yes, I wore both.  I much preferred the PASGT (kevlar).  It was much more comfortable and though I never had to test it, I felt it provided much more protection...it looked cooler too.  There was some negative press at the time comparing its look to WWII German helmets.

On Grenada, generally speaking, which types of units were still wearing the M1 and which were wearing the new PASGT?

The 82nd Airborne had the PASGT.  I believe that everyone else that I saw outside the division still had the old M1. 

What was your experience with surrendering Cuban soldiers?  Did you see any of them wearing the East German-style helmet?

There were two types of "enemy" troops.  Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) were native Grenada troops, and Cuban troops.

[PLA prisioners]

I saw the East German-style helmets at a supply dump that we captured at Frequentes.

[Cuban POWs wearing East German helmets]

By the time I saw Cubans and PLA troops, they were already POWs.  Some were still wearing that helmet.  

What was the response of the troops to the new helmet?  Was there any skepticism?

The guys in the 82nd liked the new helmets.  Unlike the M1 where you could take the helmet liner out and use the steel pot for washing or carrying water, you couldn't do that with the Kevlar.  The Kevlar was still pretty novel and so it was popular; it felt more "solid" to me.

What was your total period of deployment on Grenada?

The U.S. was at Grenada for quite a while, but the 82nd was there for about two weeks.  We pulled out by the middle of November 1983.  Unlike Vietnam veterans, we were warmly welcomed when we arrived back at Fort Bragg.  It was pretty touching.

Were you able to bring your helmet home?

I turned in my helmet when I left the Army.  I later bought one at an army surplus store.

Do you have any final thoughts on the helmets or on your experience that you'd like to share?

I really felt that the Kevlar was a good helmet.  I was glad when I arrived at Fort Bragg from my previous assignment in Germany and got the Kevlar.  The chinstrap was better designed and the helmet stayed on your head.  The M1 had a tendency to come loose and fall off.

With regard to my experience, at Grenada, when Americans who were killed were being evacuated back to the States, the Army did not have the right kind of specialists along to properly care for them.  My colonel gave me that sad job and I took care of these men and sent them on their final journey home.  That was the one thing that I really felt proud to be able to do for these forgotten men of Operation Urgent Fury.

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The helmet that Colonel Rosebrock wore was the airborne version of the PASGT (below), with the chinstrap retention straps and the rubber cushion at the nape.  I'll profile this cool helmet at a later date.

All these years later, Jim is still in uniform, as part of the all-volunteer artillery detachment at Antietam National Battlefield.

See you next time with another cool helmet from the collection.

Mannie