Night, what was the reaction from your German neighbors when the hostages were released?
I understand completely what you mean about large families and their drama. I'm an only child, but I married a man with a large family. I love my in-laws, but they've turned into Trumpbots who can't have a conversation without turning the topic to him. And they are smart, successful people who should know better. My brother-in-law has developed the habit of injecting random shouts of "Go, Trump!" into totally unrelated discussions. My husband has wondered out loud, more than once, what the hell has happened to his family. It's like they fell asleep and the pods took over.
Family get-togethers are now centered on trying to convince us to vote for Trump. Both of us refuse to back down and we give more than we get, because our arguments are based on fact, while theirs are based on pure emotion. When we mention any one of the ugly truths about Trump, my in-laws, these Christian people, turn their eyes away and mutter, "No one's perfect."
I'll add that they're getting all of their information from Fox News.
Tell your wife to stand strong and to welcome the opportunity to speak the truth.
On my next trip to the neighborhood restaurant (gasthaus), I was invited to sit at the
stammtische, a table reserved for family and close friends of the family.
It's an honor I cherish to this day. Talk to anyone who's lived in Germany, and they'll tell you it's unheard of for an American GI to occupy a place at that table.
O/T, the special feeling I have for Germany, specifically Traben-Trarbach (Mosel River) and Lutjenburg (northern Germany) remains to this day. Though I don't dwell on the past, the memories of those years are filled with joy, and have helped me weather the storms in my life.
Serving in 6th Battalion, 56th ADA (
) was a truly unique experience. My first battery at Hahn AB, was over 40 miles from Battalion HQ. To say we were on our own was an understatement. Fast forward a few years, and my last assignment was as the Battalion Supply Officer (S-4), with an area of operations that was roughly 1200 square miles, as we were tasked with the airbase defense of Hahn, Spangdahlem, and Bitburg air bases. I knew the area like the back of my hand, as I spent a good portion of my tour on the road. I averaged 36K miles per year. During my 2+ years at Spangdahlem at Bn HQ, my daily commute was 30 miles each way. It was so worth it, as my drive home took me through Urzig, a glorious sight on a clear day:
I was uniquely qualified for that role, if you combine my experiences as a Platoon Leader, Maintenance Officer, XO, and Property Book Officer, with my degree in Public Accounting.
Regarding Lutjenburg, a small town about an hour east of Kiel, I spent a summer as the XO for a support detachment at a German anti-aircraft range. I made so many friends during that summer, that I'd spend an occasional long weekend there, when the opportunity arose. Although it was 400 miles from my apartment, most of the drive was autobahn, and it took 5 hours.
