Memories

Memories

                                      by Collette

My father served in the army in the European Theater during WWII in Germany and Austria. He was too young to enter the service at the beginning of the war, and he didn’t have to serve since his work was considered essential to our economy. My dad was a farmer who believed everyone should do his part to help defeat Nazism.

He was part of the occupation forces and helped restore and build communications in the mountainous regions of Germany and Austria. Because he had experience working with large equipment, he was placed in the motor pool and did maintenance work for the army. Every opportunity he got, my dad explored the region where he was stationed. The countryside and people impressed him. Even though the war had not officially ended when he arrived, the civilian population had already begun to rebuild the countryside. The German people did not wait for the allies to help with reconstruction, but began the process of digging themselves out of the rubble immediately.

His exploring did get my dad into trouble one day when he went alone to visit Hitler’s Eagles’ Nest in the mountains. He was the only American on the bus and no one was pleased to be riding with him. It turned into an ugly scene and he could have been hurt if some Russian soldiers had not intervened to protect him so my father could safely return to his barracks.