PAUL REVERE VILLAGE AND MILITARY BASE IN KARLSRUHE, GERMANY
87
OUR DAYS ON BASE
I loved Karlsruhe lived there when I was a teen. Very pretty city. Many castles. The military had a base there at that time. We were sent there to be with my Dad who was in the Army. We lived on Paul Revere Village on the military base. We were on the third floor of our building. I could look out my bedroom window and see the baseball field and the school. My Mom never knew we often took the screen off and hung out the window yelling to kids we knew walking by on the side walk below.
We were there when the Berlin Wall went up in August 1961. It was scary, family back in the states wanted us to return to the states. There was talk of war at that time. We stayed and things calmed down.
The military base had a bowling alley, snack bar, PX, and movie theater. We were kids we ran all over the base and went just about anywhere we could go. We went off base to get our hair done and to buy bird food for our parakeet and often took a taxi downtown to shop. Taxi was cheap. The Carnival came every year and there was a big beer tent at the carnival. Of course, I was to young for that.
The military base is now closed.
FASCHING
November 11 was the start of Faching and goes on for three months. What a party that was.
Black Forest
Germany is beautiful and worth visiting. I have not been back but would someday love to return.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria
Military Wife Poem
Each one may look different and each is wonderfully unique, But this they have in common:
Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit; Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.
Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!
They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.
She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...
She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.
She welcomes neighbours that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS; Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.
Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.
Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...
Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.
A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.
Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart .
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.
--Author Unknown
Chimney Sweeps
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Comments
Thanks for signing my hub.
I love the photos of Germany...What Beauty. Your hubs I find of interest.I would love having black bears at arms reach.I am an animal lover.I even wonder will there ever come a day we literally get to commune with the wildest of the wild.I will be reading your work often.Continue by all means to enjoy the life as and where you live it.
Thanks so much annaw and for posting a message.
My dad was stationed in Karlsruhe in the early 60's. What a great time it was. I cannot believe how we used to go off base at such a young age. I like the old picture. What year was that? We lived on 31 Tennessee Strasse.
thanks for signing my hub. We lived on Tennessee Strasse also. The pictures are from 1961.
Moonlake:
My Dad was stationed in Karlsruhe from '59 to '62...after reading your story, it sounded like I could have written it. We lived on Rhode Island Ave. across the street from the school, church and the carnival was across the street from us. It was one of the best times of my life. We also lived on the third floor.
Hi K Allen, What grade were you in when you lived there? Good old days in Karlsruhe.
Thanks for signing my hub.
Thanks for an interesting Hub. Pat says - my Wonderful Husband often goes to Germany for work, and sometimes I go too. Very pretty country.
Thanks for visiting and for comments.
Hi there,
iá german national living in the 60s nearby Paul Revere Village. My first High School Date was 1965 an American girl. Later on i worked for IBM and have been several times to NY, New Orleans, Hawaii and California.
What great memories ! Sorry th US has gone right now. If you want i can send you some pictures of today. Just send an email to pagode-sl@web.de
Thanks so much for signing my hub. Would love to see pictures of Paul Revere.
That picture at the top , showing the apartments and the cars outside....that was my building !!!! My Dad drove a green VW Beetle !Who took that picture? All pictures I had were lost. This makes me cry.
nikkidougherty@gmail.com
Hi Nikki I don't know for sure who took the picture it was in with some of my Karlsruhe pictures on my computer. I know I have more pictures I just have to find them all their packed away. When did you live in Karlsruhe?
We lived in PRV in the late 70's. Went back to see the place this summer. It is student apartments now, painted light blue. They've added a 4th floor to each building and metal balconies. The grass needed cutting, it was a foot tall! The Paul Revere Village sign was still there in good condition. We lived at 5D Rhode Island. Great memories.
We were living on base in Karlsruhe when the Berlin Wall went up. I remember my dad being on alert and we started packing to leave in the middle of the night. We stayed. I was in 1st grade then. I would love to visit Germany again, especially Garmisch where we vacationed.
opal106 I can sure understand why many packed getting ready to leave Karlsruhe. I remember my Mom and Dad saying that we may be going home.
Thanks for comments.
We were stationed in Karlsruhe 60-63. We were in 31 d on tennessee strasse. Does anyone remember J Doswell? He was my dentist and lived above us. Plus used to attend cub scouts at the Grammers. I was also friends with Jerry Erskine who lived in our building. We used to get old tires and roll them in the basement because we were afraid there were people hiding down in the storage areas. What an imagination we had back then. Sure was fun. I do remember my mom getting a note under the door instructing her to pack a duffel bag as we might need to evacuate. Think it was the cuban missle crisis or something like that.
Hi L brooks we were also on Tennessee Strasse the first building by the baseball fields third floor end apartment. We would hang in our windows and yell at the kids that walked by. You sound like you may have been the age of my brothers Tommy and Glenn. I remember the storage area spooky. I use to have to help my Mom with the washing and hang the clothes in the spooky drying rooms when I was by myself I always thought someone was down there. I hung those clothes as fast as I could.
Thanks for posting.
Actually we lived on the 2nd floor of 31 Tenn. Last stairwell from the street across the hall from the end apartments. My teacers were Miss Sommers and Miss Amatuli. Not sure of the spelling. There was a sandbox infront of our building. A German guy used to come around in a truck of somesort and we could by toys and things. I remember my mom being scared to go in the laundry room because a man was down there once hiding. We used to go off base through a little park and go to bakery and get gummi candy. My brother is Ron and he would have been 11-12. One time he was walking our dog in the woods and he broke loose and chased a german police officer on a bike. Bit the guy and boy did we get in trouble. I was actually born in Germany my parents first tour there. We were stationed near Nurnburg. I love Germany and had such great times. Before getting a place on the base we had to live on the economy. Our little apartment was over a slaughter house with a hof brau across the street. My kids love the stories but to us military kids it was just life. Do you remember any of the folks in the building?
Larry
I really don't remember any of the names in our building. We use to love the kaiser rolls we would get from a bakery near by. We went off base to buy our hair dye. Teenage girls we had to have our dye. I remember there being a German guy hanging around in the buildings and everyone was worried about him being around. Never had to live on economy but I had friends that did strange little places the houses they lived in. One friend we would walk to her house late at night and have to walk by the French Compound and we would run like heck to get past the compound because it was suppose to be unsafe for young girls. ha ha I think our parents just to us that to make sure we didn't meet some nice young French man. My brother's were about 11 and 12 at the time we lived there. I have a picture someplace of all their friends at a birthday party see if I can find that.
I think I recog two of the kids in the picture. One is Barry Butlar and the other would be his brother. I cannot remember his name. They had two younger twin sisters, Vanessa and Valerie. Cld you ask you brother if I am correct? They were very good friends with my family.
Thanks
I'll ask him. Thanks for stopping back.
We were ahead of our time and now we grasp for straws may gods bless us all for being alive I loved KHS and Paul Revere village
I loved KHS also. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi,
I was wondering if you had a chance to ask you brother about the picture? It sure looks like Barry Butler and his brother
Sorry I haven't thought to ask him. There has been health problems in my family and his. It's just not something I remembered to ask about. I think I do have the names for that picture around here. I'll look for it.
Kids in picture Richard Oliver, Lowell Bratcher, Jeff Meikle, Jim McNelly. Second Row: Roy Hancock, Claude Cirimele, Jacqueline Kerr, Sharon Staton, Charles Kelly, William Howerton, Third Row, Tom Thomason, David Henry, Carl Miller, Mr. Richard Dickinson, Sposor, Walter Hicks, Jack Walker, Jack Katt.
Thanks so much for the names
Larry
Your welcome
remember the Chimney Sweeper?
Yes I remember Chimney Sweeps. Added a picture of modern ones. Thanks for stopping by and signing my hub.
I loved Karlshrue.. i lived there in the mid eighties...My best girl friends name was Jeannie, never have had the luck of finding her. I love the pictures. I thought the buildings were taller.. 5 stories..not 3 w attic. I remember the storage areas... CREEPY!! we would play ball down there in the long corriders after we all looked around w our dads green and red light flashlights.... Id love to go back, but have seen other pics, now that its not a base and it dosnt look anything like i remember...guess you cant ever really go home can you....
I was there in the 60's and at that time there were only 3 floors and attic. Maybe they added on in later years. I know the buildings are taller now but I don't know when that was done.
No you can't go home. Sad!
Thanks, for comments and for stopping by my hub.
I too remember the buildings only having three floors. But I was there in the 60's and there could have been other buildings on base in Karlsruhe. I forgot about the sweeps. The always scared me a little as a little kid. I used to love it when the german man would come around selling toys out of his truck. Pluse when they would fill up the sand box outside of our place on Tennessee Strasse. Does anyone remember walking thru a park of some sort to get to the store and bakery off base? We used to get gumme bears and candy animals with rings attached. I wish I could remember my german teacher in 1st and 2nd grade. I do believe she was from Austria.
It is great to read other comments about their memories, seems we all have about the same ones. My mother, sister and I arrived there in Oct. 61, and had to live on the economy until Oct. 63, living on the economy gives you a whole different outlook. When we did move on base we lived on Tennessee Strasse, the attic, which was loads of fun for my younger sisters to ride their trick down the long hallway. The Grammers were mentioned in one of the posts, I remember that family very well, there were 12 of them. Thanks for sharing your story and your pictures.
Sorry it took me so long to answer these comments. I have been doing genealogy and that takes all my time.
I don't remember the sandbox to old for that. I do remember the bakery foods so good. I remember the fog so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of you,trying to get across the baseball fields to the other side to go to the snack bar or theater in that fog was terrible.
I also remember getting on the bus to go to the pool at one of the other barracks does anyone remember which barracks.
Thanks for your comments.
Your pictures are amazing. My family and I were there from 1974 to 1980. Everyone is describing what I went through there. I never saw my Dad cry as he did when we had to go back to the states. We all did. Our address was 9099 26F Rhode Island Strasse, third floor. I cannot ever imagine going back "home" after seeing the new pictures of what the buildings look like now. It will never be the same. Now, my home is Chippewa Lake, Ohio. Thank you everyone for letting me remember Paul Revere Village the was it was.
Thanks so much for the beautiful memories, we were there in 1961-dec 1963, address 14 E Tennessee, and later Kentucky Ave, anyone play little league at that time, I was on the orioles and red sox.
Jamie and Aaron thanks for stopping by. Aaron I think my brothers may have played on the little league but not sure I was a teen and paid very little attention to what my brothers did unless I had to take care of them which wasn't often.
Jamie, it sure doesn't look the same as it use to I haven't been back but I do look it up on google earth often. In fact I have looked at all the old houses we lived in as a military family. Amazing what can be seen with google earth.
Sure, it still looks somewhat similar from google earth, but boy does it look different from the ground shots I saw on someones flicker pages! I remember my Dad coaching a little league team in Karlsruhe and I think my Mom played catcher at one point....not sure what year though. '74-'80
Thanks Jamie for stopping by.
My dad was stationed in Karlsruhe from 60-63. I believe our address was 54B on Tennessee Strasse. The above photo are my classmates in 7th grade. I am looking at my yearbook now. I was class treasurer back then. We were right across from the baseball fields and the AYA Teen Club. I remember playing on the girls softball team (AYA) & traveling to all the different posts to play. My brother Harry Miller graduated in 63 from KHS me from 8th grade before we moved back to the states. My brother reunited with his high school sweetheart Heidi from KHS and were married a few years later. Does anyone remember 'Joe' the guy that used to live in the shack in the woods by the soccer field? I remember Ron Brooks - he was in my class. The Horn family was in our stairwell too. Sure was a fun time and this site brought back many fun memories. Thanks for sharing. Diana
Diana thanks for stopping by. I remember Horns not sure if I remember your brother. I have to dig out my year book and look in there. I have a few more pictures to put on of Karlsruhe not real good ones but shows the baseball fields.
Glad you enjoyed the site.
Thanks - I look forward to seeing your photos of the baseball fields. Do you remember the AYA Teen Club? I remember getting on a bus to go swimming too - I believe it was the Gerszewski Barracks that had the pool. Take care!
I think your right about the name of the barracks. Yes, I remember the teen club spent many a day there. Our apartment building was right next to the baseball field on Tennessee Strasse third floor. I could look out my bedroom window and yell to the kids in the field. I could see the teen club and the school from my room. So anyone that came walking down the sidewalk from school I could see them. My friends and I hung out that window alot. Friends would also walk by at night and throw rocks at my window so I would come to the window and talk. Good old days of being a teen.
There was also Germersheim Army Depot (Germersheim)where my Dad was stationed
Phillips Barracks
Rheinland Barracks
Neureut Barracks
Have I left anything out. Believe me I didn't remember these by heart I had to look them up. Have I left any out. I did remember Phillips Barracks and Germersheim Army Depot.
Hi - I don't recall the barracks my Dad was stationed at - I will ask my brother. I remember some KHS students coming from Porziem(?) on a bus. My 7th grade homeroom teacher was Mr. De Frank. He was pretty cool. I also remember it being a big thing to 'trade comic books'-ha! Going from bldg to bldg. I believe in your bldg I knew the Levine's (1st stairwell-2nd floor) Heidi & Beverly and the Park's in the 3rd stairwell-3rd floor) Len & Una. I believe the back of their bldg faced the ball fields. What grades were you in while you were in Karlshruhe and your siblings? Sure was a fun time!
Take care, Diana
I was in the 8th 9th and 10th from 1959 to 1962. Thomason was our last name. Sharon-Joyce-Tommy-Glenn and Jackie.
I was in the drill team and do have some picture with my sister and I in our uniforms. In fact I still have my drill team outfit.
I'll get my other pictures in yet. Having some back trouble so not at the computer to much until I get this back taken care of.
My husband helped me add a few Karlsruhe pictures. I have more for later. Remember these where taken by a kid with one of those little kodak cameras.
Hi - I just looked in the 62' yearbook and saw you guys. I recognize your faces. I remember you guys as cheerleaders. Tommy was in my class too. My brother Harry was in 11th when you were in 10th. I think I may have been one of the youngest players on the softball team I mentioned earlier as I do remember the McClain sisters being on the team and the Vazquez's too. We used to get on an army bus and travel to different kersernes and usually got to stop by a castle along the way and of course the snack bar on every post so we could get our american hamburger. We played home games on the field closest to the teen club. Gosh - I remember learning to dance the 'twist' at the teen club. Do you remember the 'sock hops' at the gym at KHS? I remember Linda Sheppard - I remember liking her brother Sammy. My brother and Charlie Horn are still friends - they both reside in Colorado - I believe they have been to a couple of KHS high school reunions. It is so nice chatting with you and hope you are feeling better. Take care, Diana
Diana I found my year book also. I remember Linda Sheppard I knew her but think she hung out with my sister.
Oh I remember the snack bar and vanilla/cherry cokes and French fries. We always hung out there. Once the juke box got stuck on "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" it played all day long.
Slumber parties were always so much fun, sock hops and teen club dances.
Tommy lives in MN. now
Had an MRI done on my back today. Hoping they find the problem and can do something about it.
Nice talking to you. You can come on here anytime you want an leave a message.
Hi-The new photos are awesome! I am sure one of the background bldgs was ours. I found a document where we won honorable mention on our window decoration at Xmas and the address was bldg 921 54B on Tennessee. We had the woods right behind us. You are right about the slumber parties - went to alot of those. Where were you guys before Germany? We were in Ft. Leonard Wood in MO. My dad retired from Germany & we moved back to CA. Cannot believe you have a photo with Beverly, my sister-in-law Heidi's sister.
Take care and hope your back will be on the mend shortly! Tell Tommy hi - not sure if he will remember.
Diana
Heidi lived in our building I remember her mother well. She was up to visit my Mom often. Heidi's Mom helped me find my parakeet she knew someone that had him or something. His name was Robbie and he went on ship with us all the way back to the US and then to Arkansas and then my Grandma's cat got in the house and that was the end of my poor Robbie.
We were in Arkansas before we came to Germany. We stayed with my Grandma and Grandpa until we got our orders.
Before that we were at Ft. Bliss, TX and then after Germany we went back to Ft. Bliss.
I married and moved away and my Dad retired from Ft. Bliss.
I will say hi to Tommy for you. I just emailed him. I told him that maybe now that Brett Favre has gone to the Vikings maybe they will start winning games!!
Diana,I will tell my brother and see if he remembers. He is 5 years older than me. 4kids,a bunch of gkds. Whn we retired we settled in Calif. My dad is from here. About 60 miles south of Sac. I live in Bay Area now. Again we lived at 31 tenn. Anyone remember the Doswells? He was a dentist. His son was about my age,Jimmy,I think my babysitter was a lenhardt but cant remember. They lived in next building. Do you remember the Butlars, Barry and David? Had twin sisters Valerie and Vanessa. We had a parakeet too, Tweety, My dad was a master sgt and the gi's gave him their mascot. The bird had a "dirty" mouth. It was so funny. My brother got lost in the woods once. Our dog got loose and chased a German police officer. The burgermeister found my brother lost and gave him some goat milk. Serves him right! One time at the PX he told me to drink a milk shake as fast as I could..brain freeze..I cried he laughed.He also got me to pick some nettles on one of our walks. Ouch! Darn Army brat.
My dad used to take us on walks in the woods. One time a German grabbed one of the kids in our building and took off with her on his bike towards the woods.I do believe he let her go after a short chase. And as I mentioned before the scarry basements with the laundry rooms. We were forbidden to go down there by ourselves. Yeah right! What a life we lived as Army kids. I wouldnt change for the world. Not even living over that slaughter house on the economy waiting for quarters on base. Do you remember a german man that used to stop by and sell toys out of a wagon or vehicle? We always looked forward to that. Of course I was just a little guy but I remember so many things. And of course the huge multiplex theatre(The Minute Man) I did play little league for a short time. 60-63. My dad was a coach I beleive and I was on the Pirates. Well enough memories for one evening. I love all you stories.
Larry
Just looked at the pictures. One of my dads best friend was named Blackburn. He had a T-bird and used to give us rides. I wonder if that is his son in pick.
Also we came to Germany on the Darby. We were stationed in Ft Monmouth before Germany. I was born in Germany,as Karlsruhe was our second time there. We in Furth/Herzo 1st time. After Germany, Ft Lewis Washington.
Hi Sharon & Larry: Sharon - I just spoke to my brother & Heidi and they remember you living upstairs from Heidi. Heidi's mom's name was Erica. She passed a while back as well as Heidi's sister Beverly. I live in the Bay Area as well - on the Peninsula now - settled in Pacifica when we returned to the states. I married right out of high school and returned to Germany as my ex went into the army. We were stationed in a little town called Illesheim - close to Nurnberg - my son was born in Nurnberg. We were there only a short time - about 1-1/2 yrs as he came came down on a levy for Vietman so I can back to the Bay Area. I do remember the little truck coming and selling stuff. He had everything. There was 5 siblings in my family. I was the middle. I had an older sister and brother and younger sister & brother. Larry you may have known my sister Alice - she may have been in 2nd or 3rd grade when we were there. I remember on Tennessee if I went right - it was towards the highschool and officers quarters before you got to Smiley Barracks. And if I went left it was towards to teachers bldgs and then off post. I think I went to a beauty salon right off post. So much fun listening to all the stories. Larry I see where Ronnie signed my yearbook but not sure if you guys lived close by. We stayed with our grandparents too before we can to Germany. I bet alot of us army brats had to do that. Such fun and innocent times- amazing that we could go all over the place without any worries!
Anyway keep in touch! Diana
Hi Diana,We were in Karlsruhe 60-63. I am not sure if I remember your sister. I was in 1st-3rd there. Had Ms Sommers or Summers and Miss Amotuli(sp)Also we had a German teacher. I do believe she was from Austria. Can you ask your sister if she remembers Pixie and Dixie? I think that was thier names? They were twins. One of my brothers best friends was Leslie Lennhardt. I think our building must have been a little further from the school. when we would go off base we would go through a small park and then to the German stores. One time a man pulled a knife on us kids. We ran as fast as we could. I had to be 7 or 8. I cannot believe the freedom we had at such a young age. I dont even like my grandchildren walking around the block.
When my dad retired and I had to go to civilian school I was in shock. They might as well have put me in with a group of foriegn children. I had trouble making friends because I was used to army kids.
If you ever get to the East Bay there is this great German restaurant called Speisekammer. It is in Alameda. Nothing is like Germany though.
I like the Penninsula but havent been to Pacifica in a while. I grew up(after my dad retired) as I mentioned in the Central Valley. The summers are so hot but we would get the nice breeze coming in from the Delta. Of course I miss the tule fog in the winter.
Go Army! Beat Navy! Well we can only hope.
Diana sorry to hear about Heidi's mom and her sister. My Mom is still living. I told her I had talked to you on the internet and what had happened with the Lavines. She remembers all of them.
I remember the beauty shop off base that's where I bought my hair dye. We would wear our dads white shirts and black tights, white canvas tennis shoes and put silver and gold dye in our hair that we bought from the beauty shop. The dye washed right out. Those were the beatnik days.
I sure remember those scary laudry rooms. I hated them but I was the oldest in the family and had to help out. So I often did the wash in the basements.
It is funny how free we all ran around. Our parents never seem to really look for us just so we were home for dinner.
My Mom denies that now but I know what we did. It was also that way when I was very young. Just can't let kids go like that now days.
I also had a hard time ajusting to a regular school. I hated it when my parents moved off base after we got back to El Paso. I would have rather lived on base.
I remember Leslie Lennhardt.
My brother Tommy says Hi. He doesn't remember your name Diana but would maybe remember you by site. He said the kids he remembers the most were Jimmy Ball, Murial Gerrard.
I know Balls lived in the building next to ours.
The only twin girls I remember were Karen and Suzan Vinson.
I still keep in touch with one old friend from Karlsruhe. Susie that you see in the pictures.
Carol I'm so sorry somehow I missed doing an approve on your post that you put on 8 months ago. I don't know how I missed it hubpages usually lets me know when someone post a message. Thanks for stopping by my hub.
I'm not real computer savvy, but I can't figure out how to see the slideshow of Karlsruhe & PRV. Can you help?
Leslie Cale
KAHS 1970-73
Hi Leslie just push the green arrows and it should start showing the photos. The arrows should be above the ship.
Thanks for stopping by.
I was in Karlsruhe during 61-62 and in second grade. Not only do I remember getting excited seeing the chimney sweeps, i remember the day the Gypsies came through with their caravan. Everyone ran inside so we wouldn't get "stolen". I don't remember alot except for catching Junebugs, having my first Communion (and confession!), and going to baseball games with my Dad.
Becky thanks for stopping by and signing my hub.
Becky I too was in Germany those years. Do you remember your teachers? I had Ms Sommers and Ms Ammatuli(sp) Ms Ammatuli would make us listen to classical music.
Before moving on base we live on the ecomony. Over a slaughter house with a Hof Brau across the street. I do believe a German family owned both. Again my children can't believe it but as many say it was normal for us Army kids.
What an adventure! Anybody come over on the USS Darby?
larry thanks for stopping by. Our family went to Germany on the Patch and came home on the Darby.
Landed in Germany on the USS Darby on December 30, 1961. I was only 16 months old with a 3 year old sister. We were extremely sick for the nine days we were aboard. Of course we were to young to remember it, but my mom was only 20 yrs. old at the time. I couldn't imagine myself taking that on when I was 20. The USS Darby has an impressive history if you google it.
We were there untill 1965 so I do appreciate the pictures. I remember the 3 story buildings and freinds that we had made. Some that are freinds today. I have these memories, before I even remember knowing what Grand Parents were. We flew back, I can remember the excitement of the flight when land came into view. I didn't understand it too much then, but of course I do now.
We arrived on the USS Patch on Dec 23, 1959 and we left Germany on the USS Darby on April 15,1962.
Your Mom was young. My Mom had never done anything like that in her life. I still wonder how she did it with 5 kids. I never got sick on Ship everyone around me did.
WOW.. These stories are all too familiar. I was there from 1975 - 1978 (as I recall) and everything, from the basements to the forest and the to the little truck selling stuff. I think we lived on Kanalweg in one of those buildings. Got my first bike one of those years. I attended the elementary school there but don't remember any of my teachers (or much else for that matter as I was only like 5-8 when I was there). I do remember playing T-Ball and my dad was one of the coaches. I also remember these things called "Porky's"... Some sort of chip, thing, that I would buy from that truck driving by. They were awesome but can't seem to find them anywhere online. Oh well, thanks for the pics and the fond memories...
Your welcome and glad you stopped by and signed my hub.
Speaking of memories, did anybody else do St. Nicholas Day? My sister and I always got candy in our shoes, but it never failed that my Dad got a lump of coal in his army boot.
We never did St. Nicholas day, with 5 kids and a military salary we were lucky to get much for Christmas. I was the oldest I always got less because the little kids needed more. I always understood and how hard times could be. I bought lots of my own clothes because I babysat as much as I could. Even so for the most part it was a happy life.
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SweetiePie says:
2 years ago
Informative hub and wonderful pictures.