Page 35 - A Soldiers Exposition
P. 35
Suddenly, the entire unit; all twenty-six of us was shipped to Mannheim, Germany. We were assigned to
nd
th
the 14 General Supply Company, 56 Quartermaster Battalion, 2 Quartermaster Group, of the U.S.
th
Seventh Army, United States Army Europe (USAEUR). We became stevedores: Fancy name for box
handlers.
I met a Staff Sergeant named C.B. He was married to a German gal (Rosie) from Berlin. They invited me
to spend Christmas 1968 with them at her father’s house in West Berlin. I did, and the events of that
Christmas day became a turning point in my life and my Army career.
I believe our soul is at the epicenter of our awareness.
Although we cannot physically touch our soul, it is real, and it is the foundation for all emotions.
Without my soul, I do not exist.
Officially, as of December 17, 1963: West Berlin citizens could visit East Berlin. But there were strings
attached and a deep-seated fear that if you went over you might not be allowed to return.
Most West Berliners did NOT take the chance.
The family’s story touched me deeply. Here is a brief timeline:
November 14, 1953: The Western Powers waive the Inter-Zone Pass; East German citizens must have
approval to travel to the West. Approval is difficult if not impossible to obtain.
December 10, 1957: A family from East Berlin became separated when the mother, a son, and daughter
visited Rosie’s ill and dying grandmother in an East Berlin hospital. It was a late night. At the instigation
of the Soviet Military administration, the demarcation line between East and West Berlin is safeguarded
(closed). The family was unable to escape. Rosie and her father had been warned with only minutes to
spare. They escaped to West Berlin.
December 11, 1957: Leaving East Germany without permission is forbidden and violations are
prosecuted with prison for up to three years.
August 13, 1961: The Berlin sectorial border between East and West Berlin is closed, barriers are built.
The barriers become the Berlin Wall.
August 26, 1961: All crossing points are closed for West Berlin citizens.
December 17, 1963: West Berliner citizens may visit East Berlin without passes. Most West Berliners do
not take the chance of not being allowed to return to the West.
December 25, 1968: I joined C.B., Rosie and her father at the Berlin Wall. Rosie’s father was gravely ill
but insisted we climb the stairs to “see” over. This was a journey he had made every day since being
separated from his family. There on the other side, we could see his wife and son waving and crying. His
youngest daughter had died the previous year. I am unashamed to admit that I cried. I cry to this very
day when I reflect and as I am telling you this story.
