Looking Back and Front

I wrote yesterday about an incident that happened early in my Army career that had a lot more impact than I realized at the time. People born after the fall of the Berlin Wall (and all too many who don’t have that excuse) don’t realize the day to day tensions of the cold war era. I kind of wandered into the Army after college, mainly because I wanted to see Europe and couldn’t afford it. It goes without saying that I found a real home there, spending more than a quarter century in the big green machine. One of the things the Army did back then for newly arrived soldiers in Europe was to send them to see the border with East Germany/Czechoslovakia (the legendary Iron Curtain) and some even to Berlin. This was used, I now realize, to educate young, naïve Soldiers (I certainly qualified in the naiveté department) on the seriousness of our chosen profession on that piece of dirt, then known as West Germany. I was lucky enough to make both trips and the message hit home.

The Iron Curtain

The first visit was to the Fulda Gap, the historic invasion route into Germany since time immemorial. The famous 11^th Armored Cavalry Regiment was responsible for the sector which had the massive Soviet army on the other side. We were given a tour of the border which had trenches, razor wire fences, and minefields cutting through the countryside. Some of the border passed directly through villages since the border and ensuing fortifications were the result of political versus military decisions.

The Border Looking Across a Minefield to an East German Guard Tower

Our guide brought us up the actual border and then became nervous when a truck full of East German border guards rushed to the scene. A couple dismounted and wound their way through the minefield until they were only a few yards away from us. The tension was palatable as our guide called back for a nearby quick reaction force to be ready. Evidently we were a tourist attraction for them because all they did was take pictures but the seriousness of the entire situation made a real impression on me. I returned fire with my own Kodak – hence the accompanying photos. I’ve often wondered what happened to the guy across the border when the Soviet Empire fell as hard as it did.

Trading Photos with the East Germans

The trip to Berlin was a dream come true. We were put on a train that came with sleeping berths which I thought was the coolest thing imaginable and as close as I ever got to an Orient Express experience. The trains were required to cross the stretch of East Germany needed to reach Berlin only at night so we wouldn’t gather any intel during daylight hours. We were stopped a couple times by Russian Army guards who boarded the train and repeatedly inspected us. This was my first face to face with the supposed Russian superman. I was left with an impression of an underfed, poorly clothed, bureaucrat with some historically bad teeth with the attendant bad breath.

Evidence of the Battle

Berlin was equally as fascinating as we were put up in an Army guest house that was established in the lakeside mansion of a former Nazi official. The following couple days were spent touring Berlin and it felt like I was in any large, bustling Western city. That all changed when they took us to the wall for our first glimpse into East Berlin. It was truly a tale of two cities as the Russians were still exacting their revenge on the people who did so much harm to them thirty years earlier. There were still whole blocks bombed out and there was a gray pallor on that far side of the wall that stood in stark contrast to the western side. On our final day we passed through Checkpoint Charlie and spent the afternoon wandering around East Berlin. We were required to wear our dress uniforms and not to photo anything even vaguely military. The initial impression of Russian revenge was further enhanced when I saw repeated evidence of the Battle of Berlin with many walls still bearing the bullet marks from that epic battle. Our guides said the Russians required that no repairs be made to remind Germans their penance had not ended.

The entire trip left me with a firm conviction in the superiority of what I had innocently donned the uniform to fight for. The disparity between the two halves of Berlin was compelling in pointing out the failure of communism on the most fundamental of levels. I realized, maybe for the first time in my life, just how blessed I had been to be born where I was. More importantly I realized at a bone deep level that true evil in very dangerous amounts still haunted the edges of our seemingly pristine world and would require sacrifice and vigilance to defend. It was also the first time I clearly remember feeling like I was engaged in something important. I liked the feeling and the course of my life was irrevocably changed.

On a decidedly more upbeat note my wife and I received notice that construction has finally started on our future winter home in Panama. It’s only two months later than promised which is not bad for that place. Yesterday we received an email with some pictures of the construction starting, which was even cooler. So a forward look into time is also warranted.

Site of our Future Condo (Where Crane is)

Overhead - Proximity to Beach if Fairly Cool

Piles Waiting to be Driven

And Let the Driving Commence