German Unification Day

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 03 Oct 2007, 10:21

Hi out there,

this is not really related to modern military but as it is the "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" (German Unification Day) today I would like to express my thanks to all the allies that let this re-unification happen.

The first half of the past century was the worst in german history bringing two World Wars over mankind. Millions of people lost their lives fighting against the Nazis. I guess many of you can tell about ancestors that died in one of those wars. I still feel sad when thinking of that time. Keeping this in mind it was almost a miracle that the western allied forces helped the germans to build up a democracy we have these days. Remember the Berlin Airlift supplying West Berlin with tons of food bringing many pilots to the limits of their power.

Finally we had the unification seventeen years ago. I cannot remember who said the following words but hopefully next generations will obey these words:

"There should never be a war again brought from the german nation."

Thanks again for forgiving and your support in all those years. I am so glad that our generation can have such a peachful international contact like on this website.

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 03 Oct 2007, 14:57

17 years ago! Wow, I'm getting old, I still remember that day.

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 04 Oct 2007, 06:37

Yeah, Mike, me too ! I was at age 14 when the wall came down in 1989. I was born in the former GDR and moved to West Germany 29th September 1989 which was about six weeks before the wall came down. I could possibly write a book about my life

. I remember my fathers opinion when I told him I will join the Navy in 1994. He had some bad experience with the East German Army...

groundcrew · Post by **groundcrew** » 04 Oct 2007, 08:28

hi sprocky,
over here in the netherlands we still get invaded by germans every summer!!

they all go to the coast to dig massive holes and ly in them

anyways happy aniversary
greetz jw

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 04 Oct 2007, 10:10

Hi groundcrew,

saw yesterday a show where they said most visitors here came from the Netherlands. So who invades who ?

To be honest: I have some good friends in the Netherlands.

f14driver · Post by **f14driver** » 04 Oct 2007, 16:40

Jan,

I'll take my hat off for you for posting this !

I'm living in the netherlands and pretty close to germany myself and I have some german friends nowadays.

Let's hope that peace will last a long long time and if war ever emerges again that we're on the same side.

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 04 Oct 2007, 17:39

Hi Tom,

I hope so !

Btw: Your original name is not Tijs (maybe the name is spelled wrong)?

I once knew a guy with the same last name as yours. Could be that he is still with HHP...

f14driver · Post by **f14driver** » 04 Oct 2007, 18:53

Nope it's correctly spelled and I don't know anybody with that name

groundcrew · Post by **groundcrew** » 05 Oct 2007, 09:14

hi jan,

so i guess its an equal exchange

. to be honest i might be going on hollidays to germany maybe next year.

jw

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 05 Oct 2007, 09:42

Hi jw,

do you know already where you want to spend your holidays ? Germany is a little bigger than the Netherlands

There is much to see if you are not only coming here for swimming in the North Sea/Baltic Sea or skiing in the Alps

To be honest: Have not spend my holidays in Germany since about 15 years (besides in my graden

). I have been to Louisiana (and surrounding states), Italy and Spain (ok, it was just two times Mallorca where people from The Netherlands, UK and Germany still fight: for the best places on the beach

). I like more the hotter places and the summer here was pretty wet this year

Post by **VulcanDriver** » 05 Oct 2007, 17:58

I remember being at University studying 20th Century politics and being told by a lecturer two things:

1. The Chinese People's Army would never open fire on the Chinese People because of their doctrine. Tiananmen Square?

2. The Berlin Wall will never be torn down.

Umm I wonder if he was related to the music company executive who said of The Beatles "The days of guitar bands are over" and didnt sign them to his record company....

John

bitburgeaglekeeper · Post by **bitburgeaglekeeper** » 06 Oct 2007, 03:14

I think this was the defineing day of my assignment. When I first arrived at Bitburg we had to attend chemical warfare training within a week of arrival because "the russions can and will put a chemical weapon on this place within 9 minutus of the start of hostalities" We kept 8 fullally armed eagles on alert at all times, and had rapid upload drills on the rest a couple times a month. Then came reuninfaction day.
The first big change we saw was an invansion from the east, but instead of russian tanks it was german cilivans tring to find a new life, within a month we had almost 2000 former east germans, living in older houseing units on Bitburg itself. Our alert birds dropped from 8 to 2. instead of upoading missles we up loaded C-130s with releaf supplys heading east.
There were some challanges, I remember one humorous one reguarding west german prostuitutes up set bacause their east german counterparts were moving in and cutting prices. and a lot more serous challanges in intragrateing the east and west german cilivan work forces that took a couple years to work out.
By the time I left Bitburg we were not even flying between the hours of 1200 to 1500 bacause of all the new babies in town taking naps at that time, and although we still kept 2 eagles on alert we tried to contract a couple to the bitburger brewery, ( to fill the drop tanks with beer for rapid delivery anywae on the continent

Happy Tag der Deutschen Einheit to all my german friends.

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 06 Oct 2007, 08:31

Thanks, Bitburgeaglekeeper, for your kind words and sharing your memories. I have heard a lot from former east german soldiers about the time of changes but never from someone of the western allied troups.

@John
Many things have been said in the past that will "never" happen. When I was young in East Germany I was told something about the western situation in school which we had to write down and learn. I will try to translate it in english as close to the words I can get.

"Der Imperialismus ist ein faulender parasitärer sterbender Kapitalismus."
"The imerialism is a rotting parasitic starving capitalism."

Followed by the words that the future will bring the socialism when the working people will fight against the employers that rip them off.

Nice to see that the people raised to tear the wall down and fought for capitalism.

groundcrew · Post by **groundcrew** » 06 Oct 2007, 12:20

hi jan,

we are not sure yet were to go but it might become hochsauerland or the eifel. i have been there before (in the eifel) when i was at school and i like the scenery very much.
jw

sprocky · Post by **sprocky** » 06 Oct 2007, 15:43

Yes, jw, thats a beautiful landscape. Hope you can relax from your work there.