Many of these memories could begin today with the words "Do you remember when..."? They can be positive or
negative, depending on which way you look at them.
Among other memories there's the daily, monotonous sound of firing on the Keerans Range by the Avus, the
noise of soldiers on exercise coming from the ghost town ("Doughboy City") of Parks Range, and the many
military convoys which brought the traffic to a standstill so many times. There was also the military
training in the forested areas of this walled-in city, which were the starting point for the stories I have
told.
Anyone who today might ask "why", need only look back almost fifty years for the answer.
Have they already forgotten the delight and jubilation of 1961 when the Americans sent extra troops as
reinforcement to support Berlin? The noise of the firing infantry troops and of tanks didn't bother anyone
then. On the contrary! For many people, this noise represented help, freedom, and the feeling of not
having been abandoned!
Christmas will be here again soon. Even at this time of celebration, many Berliners will be missing "their
Allied soldier". For many years, we too had a young U.S. soldier sitting with us around the Christmas tree.
Although none of them could understand a word of German, we still spent happy, unforgettable times together.
It was exactly the same in the opposite scenario, when American families invited us to their homes to show
us their friendly hospitality.
Every year you could immediately recognize the U.S. apartments because of their many bright and sparkling
lights. For many years, a huge Christmas tree with hundreds of colorful lights was set up on the central
reservation of the Clayallee opposite the U.S. headquarters (former OMGUS) main gate, and it brightened up
the bleak season with all its splendor.
Young people as well as old loved to hunt out the American clubs, bars, and danced with soldiers to the
rock and country and western rhythms. On the streets of Zehlendorf you could often spot the green U.S.
school buses which not only transported American children to school, but which also ran members of the army
along their various fixed routes.
The U.S. Air Force which conscientiously fulfilled its duty for decades in Berlin has not been forgotten
either. Its members monitored and safeguarded, among other things, the airspace over Berlin and they
ensured that the air traffic was able to fly trouble free through the air corridors which had been
established after the war. I'm sure that many people can still remember very well the Air France and BEA
airplanes, and above all the PAN AM airplanes with the blue circle on its tail. Many Berliners were
dependent on the free airspace which was under the protection of the Western Allies, for at the time of the
GDR regime, travelling out of or into Berlin by road was not an option for them. Liberty, free space, and
freedom of movement - all three terms are very closely linked to our allied friends.
In front of Tempelhof airport, the airlift monument, also known as the "Claw of Hunger", stands as a
reminder to the brave commitment of the Allies during the blockade. Their persistence, especially that of
the legendary U.S. General Lucius D. Clay, finally brought an end to the inhuman blockade of the city.
The Clayallee street is named in his memory. Here we should also remember Col. Gail Halvorsen, the legendary
"Candy Bomber" and hero of the Berliners!
One member of the U.S. Air Force who was particularly well known to the Berliners was the soldier Rick de
Lisle. Before the wall came down, his distinctive voice regularly livened up the entertainment program of
the AFN (American Forces Network). After the wall came down he caused a furor on a German radio station as
"Der alte Ami".
In summertime there were the big parades, at which the well-loved 298
th Army Band always played,
when the Drill Team demonstrated its considerable skill and the Berlin Brigade, either alone or together
with the British and the French, marched past thousands of Berliners amidst loud cheers. Among them, of
course, were my U.S. colleagues of many years from the 287
th MP Company. I'd worked with them
for 11 years at Andrews Barracks. The German spectators all came of their own accord, without having been
pressured or forced by a political party, as was generally the case on the other side of the infamous wall.
Equally unforgettable were the fantastic fireworks displays in the Dreipfuhlpark every 4
th of
July. It was tradition for German and American citizens to gather beforehand on the open fields. They all
sat squashed together on the blankets they had brought with them, and celebrated American Independence Day
with Michelob, Miller's beer, Hot Dogs, Onion Rings, delicious Donuts and tasty Hamburgers.
Just as popular were the Rodeo events, the picnics, and the "German-American Volksfest" fairs, as well as
the "Open House Days" and "Friendship District Days" that we experienced together with the Americans.
American-style picnics on the grounds of the Rose Range in Wannsee, and on the Tempelhof airport grounds,
regularly proved to be real crowd drawers. On the District Days, the American battalions invited Berliners
from their partner Districts to an exciting day of events. The district administration offices gave out
free tickets for these events. Anyone who was interested would be picked up in the morning by U.S. buses
and taken to the McNair Barracks. From there you could move on to various army installations where you
could try out different things as the mood took you. These included not only having a go at driving wheeled
and tracked vehicles, but also firing with various infantry weapons, and there was even the choice between
live or blank ammunition! After a demonstration of "combat in-city fights" between the buildings of
Doughboy City, the soldiers served a picnic lunch to the participants, who were by now all covered in dust.
Right into the afternoon, all of the visitors had the opportunity to take a good look behind the scenes of
life as a soldier. Amidst the sound of the military marching music of the 298
th Army band, the
participants sat and talked to their American hosts, who at the end of the day took their guests back to
where they had started out from.
Has it all been forgotten already? Now it's all over for good!
The legendary U.S. Army barracks - "McNair", "Andrews", "Roosevelt" and "Turner" - are deserted, as are
the American residential areas, which were called "Family Housing Areas". The main shopping center "Truman
Plaza" is abandoned, as are all the other allied buildings.
The wall has come down, the allied presence is no longer needed. Checkpoint Charlie literally flew away.
On the 22
nd June 1990, a huge crane lifted the allied control house from its well-known spot.
The checkpoint had been established on the 23
rd of August 1961. It can now rests outside of the
Allied Museum in the Clayallee (the former "Outpost Theater"), which was laboriously established by the
historian Mr. Dr. Helmut Trotnow, and where many other exhibits and reminders of the past can be seen.
On the 7
th of September 1994, in the presence of U.S. General Yates, the "Stars and Stripes" came
down from the U.S. headquarters forever, and a long chapter of history was brought to a close.
For 47 years I lived with and alongside a nation, a nation to which countless experiences have tied me, as
though they were a central thread.
What happens now?
We live in an environment which has become noticeably more hostile. Our fellow citizens are dissatisfied
and belligerent. Inconsiderateness and selfishness are becoming widespread. The many "red and brown doves
of peace" have "sharp teeth and claws", they're spreading fear! The Grunewald, into which I fondly
retreated as a child, a juvenile and as an adult, and where I went to talk to the GIs that I had came to
know so well, is now empty.
I grew up with U.S. soldiers. I lived and worked with them. It was an unforgettable time and I'm happy to
have experienced it! And now, normality as you might call it, has returned. It remains to be seen if we
can live just as safely with normality as we did with the Americans. With great melancholy I followed all
of the Americans' farewell events, such as the dissolution of the Berlin Brigade on the 12
th of
June 1994, and the U.S. flag being brought down from the U.S. headquarters for the final time. In the end,
it was the U.S. President Bill Clinton who finally wound up the Berlin Brigade before the eyes of many
spectators on the legendary "Platz des 4. Juli" next to McNair Barracks. With the epigraph "mission over,
job completed, Berlin is free and re-united", an impressive celebration began
Then our American friends went back home. "THEY ARE LEAVING THE AMERICAN SECTOR". This time - forever.
On the occasion of the big Military Tattoo, the highest military honor in the Federal Republic, many of the visitors in front of the Brandenburg
Gate couldn't hold back the tears. And why should they, when good friends were leaving for good? It would be nice if all the nations of the
world were to take more notice of the prayer "I pray to the power of love", not just during times of celebration, but also in their everyday lives.
Bye-bye Americans, farewell!
Your "Fan"
Remark:
I hope you have enjoyed reading it. These were some selected stories of my first book. By this way I wanted
give you the opportunity for 'a walk on memory lane'. Maybe you have been one of the soldiers I once have
met here & there in the Grunewald. In each of my books were added about 100 related photos, many of them
you can find on my website now. All these stories are copyright protected by law. Also the use on other
websites or other purposes is strictly prohibited.
Reinhard
