The Cowboys of the American Occupation of Germany

When Germany was defeated by Allied forces in 1945, the nation was in chaos. Hitler was dead, his generals either fled or were arrested, and most government agencies were barely functioning. The nation was partitioned into zones, with the American zone comprising 40,000 square miles containing 16 million Germans. What was left of the German police force was diminished by the war and distrusted by the citizens, while corruption, black market trade, and banditry ran rampant. Meanwhile, almost all US soldiers were heading home.

To deal with the situation, the US launched the US Constabulary. It was an elite service meant to cover a large area with as few law enforcement officers as possible. Soldiers were trained at an American police academy in Germany, and then given quite a bit of leeway in enforcing the law. But because of that, each member of the Constabulary was held to the highest ethical standrads. They were trained in the delicate art of winning the German people's trust while resisting the temptation to enrich themselves in the postwar chaos. The members of the US Constabulary were called "Circle C Cowboys" because of the insignia they wore, a yellow circle with a "C" and a lightning bolt. They also wore distinctive yellow scarves that made them instantly recognizable by the Germans. The Circle C Cowboys served as law enforcement in postwar Germany for years, but began drawing back their numbers in 1948. By 1952, the program ended as Germany began to stand on its own feet. Read about the Circle C Cowboys at Military History Now. -via Strange Company

(Image credit: US-Army and Deutsches Historisches Museum)