Jo Ann (Kelley) Eichorn

Headquarters Battery, 56th Artillery Brigade was constituted during the Cold War as part of the United States Army’s efforts to bolster NATO’s defense posture in Europe. Activated in 1963, the brigade became notable for its role in the deployment and operational control of Pershing nuclear missiles in West Germany, serving as a critical component of America’s nuclear deterrence strategy. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, HQ Battery coordinated training, logistics, and command for subordinate units, maintaining a high state of readiness amid heightened superpower tensions. The unit was inactivated in 1991 following the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which led to the removal and destruction of Pershing missiles.