Berlin – Every Berliner knows him. And millions of tourists have taken photos with a picture of him. His faded, larger-than-life-sized portrait has loomed for 25 years over Checkpoint Charlie, the historic U.S.-controlled border crossing that stood for three decades between West Berlin and the communist East.
The U.S. soldier has become a symbol of one of the most important moments in modern history: the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago Saturday.
The soldier, former U.S. Sergeant Jeff Harper, came to the German capital when he was 22 to play the tuba for departing troops. While here, he was photographed by Frank Thiel, who took photos of the last Allied soldiers in Berlin in 1994. His portrait and an image of a Soviet soldier were later chosen to hang at Checkpoint Charlie to commemorate the border between the East and West.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/berlin-wall-meet-the-american-soldier-whose-portrait-hangs-over-historic-crossing-checkpoint-charlie/
