Sat Sept 29, 1984
We are air born. As typical things got all screwed up before we got on the airplane. I will not try to account for a day by day dissertation. I will just write down those things that seem to be of some interest.
One thing I forgot to mention is that while in Rothenburg a bunch of Germans were singing in this bar we were in. Towards the end of the song one of the men drank beer out of his shoe. I wasn't there when he did it but when I heard about it later that evening I did not think the US should be out done. So when they started the song again I went up to the guy , took off my shoe, poured beer into it and drank away. He did not want to be out done so he took off his shoe and took my shoe and placed it on the table in front of us. He poured beer into both shoes then took my shoe, gave me his shoe and started drinking out of mine, so to be polite I drank out of his shoe.
The last bivouac area we had was in a town cal Feldheim. We were going to leave at 3:00 so about 11 a bunch of us decided to walk around town. We were looking for something to eat. We asked directions from a guy who spoke about as much English as we did German. We all ended up in his house and was served food by his wife.
She brought out all sorts of meats, cheeses, roles, drinks. We thought they were poor and just wanted to be hospitable. I told everyone to put some money under the table cloth when they were not looking. Soon afterwords through broken English and a lot of signing we discovered that the guy owned a plumbing company, was the mayor, had four children. One was a doctor in Canada, one taught English in England, another was and Engineer, and the other a soldier, and he and his wife had just gotten back from a trip to Russia. We decided that the money we had stashed under the table cloth really didn't need to be there but really had no way to retrieve it. We did want to show some personal thanks for hospitality so Dutch gave him a flash light, I gave him a knife with U.S. stamped on it, another guy gave him our unit patch. We took their address and will send a Christmas card. It was a very pleasant experience. But we did wonder why he took to us so quickly and so nicely. Come to find out he had been a prisoner of war during WWII in France and his guards were Americans. They had treated him well. We were the first American soldiers he had come across since his release. He just wanted to repay the kindness shown to him. I think he felt a little melancholy because once we were enemies and now we sat together in friendship. He seemed touched when I gave him my knife. It was his wife's birthday so we all sang her Happy Birthday.
The next day we went to Tent City. It was the Rear Assembly Area. However like always we got lost. We were supposed to go to a place called Heidershime, but wouldn't you know it there were two. We went to the wrong one. It was OK by us however. We got to see a lot of Germany and got to eat at a regular German restaurant.
You may possibly have seen old newsreels of American GI's going through German towns standing up in the back of trucks. Now I know why. It was to see the towns they were passing through and the people who waved at you as you passed. We would toss the kids candy. One girl blew us a kiss. I yelled out at her that I was Michael Jackson.
We finally found the right Heidershime and got settled in but of course into the wrong tent and had to move. They had a big beer tent. The town was off limits so naturally we went. We visited a church, a cafe where we ate. At the cafe over coffee we met 3 Lutheran sisters and a Lutheran minister. He came from Nurnburg. He said he would call Jerry's relatives. One of the sisters was a Berliner who saw JFK when he gave his famous speech in Berlin.
Like I said earlier we are flying home. First to Bangor, Main then to South Carolina, then to KCI. I'll try to call from SC unless they let me off the plane in Bangor.
REFORGER is the over all name for the yearly exercise that is supposed to show the resolve of the NATO allies to defend western Europe. Each country names it own maneuvers, the English call it Lion Heart, ours was Certain Fury. They take war very seriously and over all I am proud to be a part. I have found that I am just as skill full in the art of artillery as some of the regulars and most of my guard counterparts are more skillful than I. If I and my guard buddies were doing this full time we would be better than most of the regular army guys I came sccross. I don't think that will happen, I enjoy civilian life.
Regardless we are ready. Certain Fury means just that. We have the knowledge, ability, and determination to the fight the Russians and if we do we will kick their ass.
Snapper/Dad - Some where over the Atlantic, heading west.
Post Script: I wonder if the first McAnally going west could have envisioned the mode of transportation I am using now. I doubt it.
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