This special day I will keep in my memory forever. This particular event has nothing to do with practicing
U.S. soldiers, or their firing of "blanks" - non-lethal ammo. The day had started like all others. After
school I had gone into the Grunewald to search for American troops, but without success that day. What a
boring day! It must have been around 1957, when I was about 9 years old. It was already autumn, the nice
warm summer weather was gone since a long time.
On the way home that afternoon, I'd met my older playmate, Michael. He told me to follow him to the U.S.
housing area, because we could get all kinds of sweets there. Michael gave me no details, but he was a
good friend of mine and I trusted his words because he had never pulled my leg before.
"Sweets" was like a special code word for me, because during those years sweets for us German kids was
like a Christmas gift. The U.S. housing area began about 500 yards away from our home. My friend and I
met around 6 PM and hurried to that area. I had not told this to my family, because I was very sure that
they would have never given me their permission. If I had told them the truth, I doubt that I would have
gotten any free candy that day. After a 10-minute run we arrived at the street "Am Hegewinkel", the
beginning of the Berlin Brigade housing area, later known as "BB". My older friend pointed to a group of
American kids, who were all wearing funny clothes. I had no idea why they were dressed so. We followed the
American kids into the U.S. apartment buildings, going up and down the floors. They knocked on every door
and shouted something which sounded for me like "tree tree" (trick or treat!), after which the adults gave
us all kind of candies. Better than that, some candies came like a rain or hail shower down on us. Oh my
God, what was going on here? What for a funny game!
Unbelievably, I had "hamstered" so many sweets that my small pants pockets were already totally filled
after the second building. Nobody cared that we both were Germans. The American kids took us into their
midst. I could not speak to any of them or understand what they said to us, but it must have been something
very kind. One American adult gave me a small empty carton. Finally, now I had enough space for more
American sweets. After an hour, that box was filled to the brim and I ran happily back home. My family
members' eyes popped out when they saw all the candies that I had; I never had that many before. Opa asked
me with a smile if I had broken into our grocery shop nearby. I shared it with them and felt very proud,
lucky and happy. I kept all the empty U.S. candy wrappers for a long time, like a treasure. The next day,
at the same time, I hurried to the same places again but nobody was there. Then I tried it again a week
later, but also negative. I was so disappointed because I didn't know anything about "Halloween" at that
time, and I never experienced it again, because nobody in Germany ever celebrated this event during those
years.
Coughs and tears free of charge