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Elmer Shaner reported to the Group Commander at Karlsruhe Airfield on 2 April 1952 and assumed command of the Aviation Section and Commander of the airfield. They had one helicopter and one observation aircraft with crew chiefs and logistical personnel. The Engineer Combat Battalion assigned to the group also had a helicopter.
They had a perfect safety and accident record with exception of one helicopter crash. Elmer was piloting the Group Commander to the Seventh Headquarters in Stuttgart Germany when on the return flight he lost the tail rotor gear and lost torque control of the helicopter. Helicopter students learn a theory for survival, but they never practice them. During his training, Elmer was told that when something happened to keep everything in the green and follow the direction of the helicopter down. The helicopter gently turned to the left and he followed it to the ground and autorotated. After that accident the Group Commander got out of the helicopter and said that was a perfect autorotation. Elmer stayed with the helicopter while the Group Commander called Elmer's wife Odette and told her they crashed in a potato patch. The only damage was to one skid, which was replaced, and the helicopter was returned to the unit.
During the night of Saturday, 31 January to the morning of 1 February 1953 a heavy storm surge struck, causing major flooding in the Netherlands, north-west Belgium, England and Scotland. Most sea defenses facing the surge were overwhelmed, resulting in extensive flooding. The combination of wind, high tide, and low pressure caused the sea to flood land up to 18 ft 4 in above mean sea level. Only on Monday 2 February were fishermen the first to sail deep into the disaster area to save hundreds of people. Rescue operations from the air were hardly possible: the Netherlands had only 1 helicopter and had to wait until other countries offered help.
The Seventh US Army stationed in Stuttgart, Germany called the commander of the 555 Engineer Group and requested for helicopters to go to Holland and assist in the flood rescue mission. There were two H-13 helicopters in the Group. As Aviation Officer, Elmer volunteered to go, and the Battalion pilot volunteered to go. The weather was bad, but they decided they would depart immediately and fly as far as they could the first day. They departed Karlsruhe and flew to Wiesbaden where they refueled and checked the weather. Their next stop was Dusseldorf Germany. From Dusseldorf our destination was Bergen Op Zoom Holland, the area where the dikes were broken. They were tired when they landed but the situation was so bad, they started rescuing people.
They were each assigned a search area to relocate people. Elmer's area included Middleburg. He landed in Middleburg and talked to the mayor. The homes of some children had been devastated and he wanted to evacuate them to the mainland. Elmer could carry six children: two in front with him and two in each covered pod he had on the helicopter. He continued doing that for several days. His most exciting rescue happened by luck. He was searching in isolated areas and saw a man climbing onto the roof of his house. He balanced the helicopter on the top of the roof and took him back to the mainland. He kept talking to him, but Elmer did not understand him. Interpreters told him that his son was going to climb onto the roof and asked if Elmer could get him. He knew the direction back to the house and how long it took to bring his father to the mainland. He agreed to try to get his son. Another helicopter pilot and a Dutch Navy Officer followed him to see what would happen. He found the house and rescued the son. The Royal Family was present when this happened and made a big deal out of it.
During the floods, Elmer helped save 1,553 lives. In recognition of his meritorious rescue accomplishments, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands appointed him Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau with swords.
On 2 May 1955 Elmer was assigned to the Aviation Detachment, Davidson Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He was lucky to be assigned there, as it was the place where he started from as a student in the Officers Candidate School in 1943. He was advised that he was to attend the Engineer Officers Advance Course. He attended this class from 23 May 1955 to 2 September 1955, received his diploma, and returned to the Aviation Detachment as Air Operations Officer.
Elmer and Odette's son Jean-Pierre was born in the Fort Belvoir Army Hospital in August 1956.
The Chief of Engineers selected him to attend the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, graduating on 3 May 1957. He thought he would stay in the Washington DC area because they liked Fort Belvoir, VA. When he returned to Fort Belvoir, his wife handed him a letter from the Department of Army. The letter contained orders assigning him to the 13th Engineer Combat Battalion in South Korea for an 18 month tour of duty. Odette and the children stayed with his mother in St. Louis while he was in Korea.
In Korea, he was responsible for reorganizing the battalion. Regiments were changed to brigades and required retraining of the troops. The Battalion was short of troops as a result of the reorganization. The 28th Republic of Korea (ROC) Division was reorganizing at the same time and asked if the Battalion would train some non-commissioned officers to be cadre for their new Battalion. Elmer accepted and filled some of our vacancies. Just before he departed Korea, Brigadier General Jungchol Seu, the Commander of the 28th Infantry Division gave him a letter of appreciation.
During his tour, when he had a little slack time Elmer would watch the Korean farmers work their small rice paddies. He departed the 7th Infantry Division in October 1958 when he was assigned to the 5th US Army Advisor Group in Bismarck, North Dakota. There he had a concurrent assignment as the Army Aviation Advisor and the Engineer Advisor to the North Dakota National Guard. It was a prestigious assignment, and he was determined to succeed. His family was all together again. They enjoyed their stay in Bismarck and had many happy times there.
His extended two-year tour lasted from November 1958 to May 1962, after which he was promoted to Lt. Colonel on 4 December 1961. However, his most important reward was assignment to Europe. He was assigned to the US Army Communications Zone as Aviation Officer of France. The command was responsible for logistics for Europe. His office was in Orleans, France, only one hour from Paris and three hours from Odette's family in Dijon, France. The three years in Orleans were the most interesting of his service years. They visited Odette's family on weekends and all holidays. Odette and her lady friends would go to Paris to fashion shows.
Elmer decided to retire after this tour of duty. He requested it in January 1965 and retirement date was 30 June 1965. They returned to St. Louis, Missouri and remained there. Elmer died on 23 February 2012 at the age of 90.
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