Honor Pages Page 77

In executing my Christmas memories I opted to focus on Christmas holidays spent outside the United States. I have spent Christmas Holidays on four of the seven Continents. Two of these Christmases were in non-Christian countries. While in the U.S. Army I spent eight Christmas Holidays in Germany (two in Berlin) and one Christmas in Vietnam.
In my second career as a NASA Security Representative I spent the Christmas 1999 Holiday in Marrakech, Morocco, Africa in support of Space Shuttle Mission STS-103 at Base Ben Guerir 20 miles out in the desert. STS stands for Shuttle Transportation System. During this mission NASA had to get the Air Force to send a C141, Starlifter to bring us and our team in Banjul The Gambia home in time for Christmas Day. We arrived home at Patrick Air Force Base on Christmas Eve. Christmas in a foreign land far away from home was different from the Christmases I grew up with in Florida. Being separated from family seemed to draw family closer even though they were far away. To try and find fitting words to describe my feelings I thought of lugubriousness or restless solitude. While these words are somewhat apt they are not the clapper that rings the bell. I will just say that it was not conducive to cheer and good spirits. I worked pass these feelings when I remembered that a person can see further in the dark than they can in light. To prove this look up at the stars one night. The next day stand at the same spot and look up and you can't see the stars. The stars didn't move they are stationary.

There are two Christmases that really stand out in my mind. They are Christmas Day 1959 and Christmas Day 1969. The former I was a young single Military Policeman (MP) in Berlin and the latter I was a married MP with two small children and away from family in Vietnam. These Christmases are memorable over all others because of my separation from family.

My earliest recall of Christmas goes back to the early 1940's when I was a small child. At that particular time our national economy was geared to support our fighting forces in WWII. Commodities were scarce. At Christmas you were fortunate to get one major toy and some winter articles of clothing. Christmas Day was a solemn day of celebration and observance of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in our family. That is what I enjoyed about Christmas in Germany. The German celebration is a celebration of that bright star that shined on Bethlehem that first Christmas.

I arrived in Berlin on 28 January 1959, straight out of Military Police School with no leave in route. I was assigned to the 287^th MP Company (Andrews Barracks). I was an awe struck nineteen year old teenage Army Private taking up residence in a land far from home. It was a culture shock. I came from a small town that didn't have public transportation or a cab company and now I was living in a huge metropolitan area... I was living in the "Big City". I might add at this point there was no Berlin Wall at this time. There was an East Berlin and a West Berlin as well as an East Germany and West Germany, but no Berlin Wall. The Wall was started in the early morning hours of 13 August 1961. I left West-Berlin a month later.

This assignment was the Genesis of my 21 year Army career. The professional mindset I developed here would follow me thought-out my Army career. I was extremely fortunate to have great professionals to forester me in learning the tradecraft. I am speaking of the German Police (Golf Papa or GP) patrol partners who I worked with daily. They were not just patrol partners they were extraordinary teachers. I learned a lot from these men that you will not find in text books. When Christmas 1959 rolled around I had been in Berlin for eleven months and had become acclimated to my new home. I had developed a strong professional family-like bond with my GP patrol partners and other German National (GN) professionals at the Provost Marshals Office (PMO) and GN employees providing services in the 287^th Military Police Company. I really respected these folks and would occasionally give them gifts of appreciation. Christmas Day 1959 could have been a melancholic day, but instead it brought wonderful memories working with my GP partner. That Christmas Day in Berlin turned out to be really special working with my GP patrol partner enjoying the Christmas spirit with him singing Christmas Carols in German. I had volunteered to work a housing area patrol that Christmas Day. I did this to give a MP with family in command time off to be with his family. What a wonderful day that turned out to be. My patrol mileage that day had to be the lowest patrol mileage I turned in during my stay in Berlin. We stopped to enjoy Christmas Day being played out by the kids with their new winter Christmas toys. It was a hoot that day with my GP patrol partner. We parked and watched as the children came out with their new Christmas toys. We stopped and interacted with them. I even rode a sled. My GP partner was more mature than me, because he didn't do the foolish things I did. However, he was out of the patrol vehicle interacting with children surrounding him with their numerous questions and extending their greetings. I am sure those children have special Christmas memories of their time spent with a German Policeman that Christmas Day. I was so caught up in my surroundings that day that I didn't even return to the 287^th MP Company for the Christmas Day feast at the mess hall. Seeing the children's excitement that day and the enthusiasm of my GP patrol partner with the children was a blessing. I was not in Berlin for Christmas Day 1960. I returned home for a special family event that Christmas.

Being a country boy from Florida I was overwhelmed with the ambiance of a metropolitan area during the Christmas Holidays. Berlin was spectacular. There was snow for Christmas and it was down right cold. There was an unexplainable dimension to this experience. My Golf Papa patrol partners and other GN professionals I had befriended introduced me to the German Christmas customs and food that I have not forgotten. I was really fortunate to be surrounded daily by the Golf Papas and PMO GN professionals. This was an extra added luxury other soldiers did not have. This made my tour in Berlin super special. The Stephenson household still enjoys the German Christmas customs and most especially the holiday food goodies.

I arrived in Berlin on 28 January 1959. In later years the 28^th of January would surround me with other memories. My Dad died on 28 January 1963, our second son was born 28 January 1972 and on 28 January 1986. I was in Dakar Senegal on the West Coast of Africa at a NASA Space Shuttle TransAtlantic Abort Landing Site in support of STS 51L. This was the fatal mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger. I had the command of a National Senegalese Gendarmerie security force supporting STS 51L. I often had to speak to a Senegalese Lieutenant on the force in German and have him pass my words to the troops. I did not speak French or the native tribal language.

My recall of the first Christmas Hymn I learned as a child was 'Silent Night'. I would bellow the words out with no sense of carrying the correct tune. I guess you can say it was jailhouse singing (behind bars and no keys). Nevertheless, it was a joyful noise to me. I still sing 'Silent Night' with great gusto, but using the words from Joseph Mohr set to music by Franz Gruber in 'Stille Nacht, Heilige Nach't. Words taught me by my Berlin GP patrol partners. I still sing off key, but who cares. While living in Germany we visited the church where Gruber was choirmaster. Just standing in the choir loft I could vision -Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht-. I have been an adult Boy Scout leader since 1973. Each year I work with the scouts to teach them the words to Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht. This always brings back German Christmas memories.

In 2009, six family members went to the Nuremburg Christkindlesmarkt. We were there on opening day to see the arrival of the Christmas Angel. It was a quick three day dash for our family group to go to the Nuremberg and Rotenberg am Tauber Christmas Markets. We stayed at a historic old Inn in the old city two blocks from the town square church. We came home with a new assortment of handcrafted Christmas ornaments especially Kathie Wohlfahrt hand painted Christmas balls. I still give Donna a traditional German Christmas gift each year of either a Kathie Wohlfahrt or Hummel gift. Chief among our Hummel collection is the Berlin Air Lift three piece Memorial and Check Point Charlie Memorial I have now been around for 72 Christmases and 70 of them surrounded by family. I spent eight Christmases in Germany and without hesitation can say that Christmas in Germany is like an illuminaria it lights up Christmas and brings out the true light of Christmas. German Christmas customs and foods are still a huge part of Family Stephenson Christmas Celebrations.

In December 2011, six members of Family Stephenson went to the Berlin Christmas Markets. With us was our teenage granddaughter who had never traveled outside the United States. What an experience to have Berlin as the first place to visit in Europe. It was the coldest weather I had ever experienced in Berlin. The grandest memory of that trip was attending a Christmas program at the Dom Cathedral. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Berlin Boys Choir performed a single night performance. Our daughter was able to get third row orchestra seats for us.

CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY IS GREAT!

Regards !
George

Admin:
Many THANKS, dear George! -Reinhard-

related photos

Christmas songs

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
nur das traute heilige Paar.
Holder Knab im lockigten Haar,
schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
lieb´ aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
da schlägt uns die rettende Stund.
Jesus in deiner Geburt!
Jesus in deiner Geburt!

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Die der Welt Heil gebracht,
aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn
uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt sehn:
Jesum in Menschengestalt,
Jesum in Menschengestalt

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Wo sich heut alle Macht
väterlicher Liebe ergoß
und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß
Jesus die Völker der Welt,
Jesus die Völker der Welt.

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Lange schon uns bedacht,
als der Herr vom Grimme befreit
in der Väter urgrauer Zeit
aller Welt Schonung verhieß,
Aller Welt Schonung verhieß.

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!
Hirten erst kundgemacht
durch der Engel Halleluja,
tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah:
Jesus der Retter ist da!
Jesus der Retter ist da!

Silent night! Holy night!
All's asleep, one sole light,
Just the faithful and holy pair,
Lovely boy-child with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!

Silent night! Holy night!
God's Son laughs, o how bright.
Love from your holy lips shines clear,
As the dawn of salvation draws near,
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!

Silent night! Holy night!
Brought the world peace tonight,
From the heavens' golden height
Shows the grace of His holy might
Jesus, as man on this earth!
Jesus, as man on this earth!

Silent night! holy night!
Where today all the might
Of His fatherly love us graced
And then Jesus, as brother embraced.
All the peoples on earth!
All the peoples on earth!

Silent night! Holy night!
Long we hoped that He might,
As our Lord, free us of wrath,
Since times of our fathers He hath
Promised to spare all mankind!
Promised to spare all mankind!

Silent night! Holy night!
Sheperds first see the sight.
Told by angelic Alleluja,
Sounding everywhere, both near and far:
Christ the Savior is here!
Christ the Savior is here!