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Ein GI in Luebeck, Weihnachten 1955 (Englisch)
Von Christa-Maria | 19.Dezember 2009
Eine Beitragsaufgabe mit Erlaubnis von Bob Fleming.
Thirteen years ago I wrote the following letter to the Louisville Courier Journal and the Erie Times News. Both papers encouraged their readers to write in and describe their most memorable Christmas. Both papers selected the letter for publication:
I have many fond memories of the past 66 Christmas’s, the first twenty-two of which were spent growing up in Wesleyville (suburb of Erie Pa.). However the Christmas I remember most vividly is a Christmas I spent while in the Army stationed in Luebeck Germany in 1955.
Luebeck is located in northern Germany on the then border between East and West Germany. We really “had it made”. We lived like civilians in two beautiful old homes and ate our meals at a restaurant (Gasthaus) which was owned and operated by a lady we called “Mutti” (Mom).
“Muttis” Gasthaus Blankensee located across street from airfield.There was a displaced persons camp located next to the restaurant. The camp was a temporary refuge for families who managed to escape East Germany by crossing the nearby border.
We thought it would be nice to buy clothes for the kids at the camp at Christmas time. We mentioned this to Mutti and she said that instead of buying clothes we should have a Christmas party for them at one of our houses and give them toys. She said that they had plenty of clothes which had been donated by various charitable organizations.
We took Muttis’ advice and held the party. I had the honor of being “Der Weinachtsman” (SantaClaus).
As each child came up to get his or her gift they would recite a little poem or sing a little song and then return to their seat and open their present. I noticed one little girl who didn’t open her present. I asked Mutti to see if there was something wrong.
She told Mutti that the wrapped present was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and she wanted her mother, who was sick back at the camp, to see it before she opened it because she was sure her mother had never seen anything so beautiful.
The party ended with everyone standing around the Christmas tree singing Stille Nacht (Silent Night). Mutti had taught us the words in german.
There wasn’t a dry eye amongst a bunch of macho GIs some three thousand miles from home experiencing the true meaning of Christmas.
Bob Fleming
Luebeck ‘55-’56
Dining hall at “Muttis’” Gasthaus.
I’m second from left. Picture taken at Der Khan with Herbie the piano player.
Picture of me at bar in house on Jurgenwollenweger Str. (not sure of spelling)
Topics: Christa-Maria (USA)
Tags: 1955, Bob Fleming, Lübeck, Soldat, Weihnachten
Am 22. Dezember 2009 um 18:36 Uhr
Luebecker Nichrichten (Luebeck Germany newspaper) 12-19-09
Am 23. Dezember 2009 um 04:37 Uhr
The enclosed is a story that recently appeared on the inter net version of the Luebeck Germany newspaper.
I had sent it to a web site for guys who served in the Luebeck Detachment during the ’50s and ’60s. Some guy had emailed a “Christmas Story” he had mailled to a Seatlle paper( had nothing to to with Luebeck).
I decided to send my Christmas story to the website. A widow of one of the guys who was from Luebeck ( he met her while stationed there) read it on the web site and sent it to the inter net version of the paper.
The paper emailed back and said they wanted to put in a print version of the paper and asked for a picture of me when I was in Luebeck and a current picture.
I don’t know how to send pics on the inter net. Lynne Anne came over and sent them the pictures they requested (what a difference 50 plus years make).
Am 23. Dezember 2009 um 04:42 Uhr
Story I had sent to a web site run by guys who were stationed in Luebeck during the “Cold War”.
Widow of one of the guys who was from Luebeck (she married a GI) read it and sent it to the Luebeck inter net version of the paper.
They wrote back and said they wanted to publish it in the regular edition of the paper and requested a picture of me back then and a current picture.
Lynne Anne set them (I don’t know how to do it).
Am 24. Dezember 2009 um 03:11 Uhr
This is the inter net version of the Luebeck paper.
The same story will appear on the Christmas Day edition.
Am 25. Dezember 2009 um 11:31 Uhr
Dear Bob!
I remember some names: Bargow, Jack Weber, Sergeant (?) Hanson, Captain ….?, Paddy .We (boys – 10 -12 years old) congregate with our GI friends by “Mutti”, a little bar, in the Roonstraße!! And a piano was lend for a party from Musikhaus Andresen, my father.
Rainer Andresen
Am 25. Dezember 2009 um 15:39 Uhr
Bob, do you remember a British guy called Norman Neathey who would have been stationed in Lübeck around about the same time as you? From your description it sounds like you may have been part of the same team. Norman and I went to the same church here in England in the early 1980s – sadly he passed away in 1985, but I am still in contact with his widow.
Am 26. Dezember 2009 um 10:08 Uhr
This is a copy of a letter I wrote over 13 years ago to two newspapers in response to their invitation to readers to submit letters describing their most memorable Christmas.
Two or three weeks ago I was looking at the web site run by an ex GI who was stationed at Luebeck after we were there.
Someone sent in a copy of a “Christmas Letter” he had recently written (Luebeck not involved) to the web site. I decided to email a copy of my old letter to the web site.
A lady, who is the widow of a fellow who was stationed in Luebeck after we were, posted it on the Luebeck Nachtrichten newspaper web-site along with pictures she requested from me.
The paper asked my permission to write a story about the letter along with a picture. They published the article in their Christmas Day edition.
This is the web site article
Am 26. Dezember 2009 um 10:21 Uhr
This is a copy of a letter I wrote about 13 years ago in response to their invitations to readers to write a letter about a “memorable Christmas”.
Several weeks ago I was looking at the web site run by a fellow who served in Luebeck after we left. Someone had posted a Christmas letter they had recently written to a paper. I sent a copy of my old letter to the web site.
A lady, who was born in Luebeck and the widow of a fellow who served there after we did, submitted my letter along with pictures she requested to the Luebeck Nachrichten newspaper web site.
The paper requested my permission to write an article about the letter. They published the article in the Christmas edition of the paper.
Flem
Am 26. Dezember 2009 um 10:56 Uhr
This is from a web site of the Luebeck Germany paper of Dec. 19
Paper wrote an article about it in their Christmas edition
Am 28. Dezember 2009 um 02:58 Uhr
Ich suche Rainer Andresen in Lübeck. Er ist / war Photograf. Solltest Du es sein Rainer, der hier geschrieben hat, wirst Du Dich an meinem Namen erinnern. Ich habe sonst nichts mit Eurer Schule zu tun. TmL.
Anne Louise Jürgensen, Mosjøen, Norwegen
Am 29. Dezember 2009 um 12:31 Uhr
Hallo, Bob, the picture from you was called “Der
Kahn”, in the neur from the Holstentor. You remember? He is away, like the “Riverboau” on the
other side from the “Puppenbrücke”. Peter Hoffmann.
Am 30. Dezember 2009 um 18:22 Uhr
In the years 1957/58 I met a GI named Richard “dick”
Nelson,may be from Maine.in the last month 58
staitoned in Kassel-Rothwesten.
Is there someone knowing his adress ?
h.Strehl
Am 30. Dezember 2009 um 19:00 Uhr
Answer question of H.Strehl.
Don’t recognize the name. I left Luebeck in 1956.
Send a note to Luebeckers@yahoogroup.com. There may be somone who follows that web site who can answer your question.
Am 4. Januar 2010 um 13:09 Uhr
Christmas