The Military Railway Situation Twenty-five Years Later

The Military Railway Situation Twenty-five Years Later It is perhaps understandable that a government which has allowed the civilian railways-lifeblood of its commerce and vehicle of its own defense-to deteriorate to the extent of the American railway system would allow the bitterly learned lessons of military history to be forgotten as well. By the peak of another conflict-the Vietnam, or Indochina, war-nearly a quarter-century after World War II, the U.S. Army carried out its Railway Battalion as a role. Indeed, that unit, the 714th, stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia, had been allowed to fall way under strength and was referred to as a Transportation Battalion. 

There was talk of deactivation of the 714th, even as the last four of its steam locomotives were phased out of service. Although there are a few railway units in inactive reserve status and although there are veterans of the World War II Military Railway Service available to form a cadre should the need for a new MRS arise, the railway defenses of the United States have been reduced to a dangerous extent. This is due in part to the tactics of Vietnam-a minor campaign by World War II standards-which is essentially a guerilla-war situation where the few rail lines were made inoperative early in the conflict and where, because of the minor distances involved, supply of troops in the field can be handled by other means of transport. Should a major war break out, the Vietnam logistics would not be adequate for one week. Better lessons in railway movements remain unlearned if overall strategic planning has allowed the importance of railways in.