Last American Tanks Leave Germany

As a child of the Cold War the face off between NATO and the Warsaw Pact across a divided German Fulda Gap etched itself into my memories. The entire world sat poised on the edge of nuclear annihilation  the estimated 17,000 Main Battle Tanks sitting on the borders drew the line between life and holocaust. While I am glad to see fewer US troops in Europe the sacrifices of the WW2 generation will never be forgotten.  Three generations of American soldiers stood watch, maintained and trained to protect democracy on one of our final symbols of the Cold War era. As a veteran of war I pray that these last M1s someday serve as museum pieces, war monuments or better yet coral reef reinforcements. However, as a pragmatist I know in my hear they will someday be sent to another part of the world to stand guard over freedom.
http://www.stripes.com/us-army-s-last-tanks-depart-from-germany-1.214977