Tag Archives: Military

West Berlin Part~2

18 Aug

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

JUDY

         

One of our favorite places to visit in West Berlin was the Charlottenburg Palace.

1It is very like many of the palaces and castles built by German King Ludwig, and part of it was influenced by those structures.  It is built in rococo and baroque style.  It was built in the late 1700’s.  The central area has a large domed area with a gilded nude statue of Fortune as a weather vane.  The grounds are beautifully landscaped, similar to Versailles in France.

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Within the Palace is the Charlottenburg Museum.  One of the most fascinating things in there is the original bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.  We’ve always wondered why the original was in Germany and not England or even Egypt.

In the Tiergarten area of West Berlin (a large public park to the west of the city center) is the Russian Memorial.  It commemorates the 480,000 Russian war dead who died in the Battle of Berlin in April and May of 1945.  Throughout the Cold War, Soviet honor guards from the Soviet occupation zone were sent to stand watch at the memorial.  It is an impressive sight.

5Another impressive sight is the Victory Column, also in the Tiergarten area of Berlin.  It was built from 1864 to 1873 to commemorate the Prussian victory in the Prusso–Danish war in 1864.  The shaft of the monument is made of cannon captured from the enemies. The bronze figure at the top was added later, after further Prussian victories in wars against Austria (1866) and France (1870– 71); so the column marks also the unification of Germany after these victories.  It’s really beautiful.

We had heard of the Congress Halle, and walked past it when our oldest daughter 6and I were in West Berlin with Fred, who was on a TDY (Temporary Duty) back in 1969.  It was built by the Americans and given to the Berliners as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.  Because of it’s unique design – an “open” oyster – it is affectionately known as the “pregnant oyster” by the locals.

While we were with Fred on that TDY, we were staying in a hotel that was miscpart of  Templehof Airport, where the Berlin Airlift originated.  One day, I wasn’t feeling very well, kind of like I was getting the flu.  When I went down to the restaurant, the German server inquired about my health.  When I explained, he said he had just the thing for me – and he brought me a cup of the most delicious lentil soup I’ve ever had.  Mostly broth – nice and hot.  And then he put together a tray of very hot water with several tea bags and had it sent up to our room.  After all that TLC, I was back to normal by morning.

One of our fondest memories of West Berlin is the English-speaking Baptist church we visited.  There was a large group of English-speaking people in7West Berlin, and they managed to find each other and form a church.  All were welcome – including any Germans who might wish to attend an English-speaking service, even if it was more to increase their knowledge of English, than to worship our Lord.  But along the way, they were sure to be touched by the people around them, as well as the Holy Spirit, and perhaps come to know Christ as their personal Savior.

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Our tour and trips to West Berlin were some of the most satisfying of our time in Europe.  Certainly something we will never forget.

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AEROBICS AND HEARING AIDS

14 Jul

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

JUDY 

 I have been an “exerciser” for many, many years of my life.  As a matter of fact, I began jogging more than three months before I shamed Fred into jogging with me. We’ve never stopped doing something in the way of exercise.

 So it came as no surprise to me to find an “aerobic dancing” class beginning shortly after we arrived in Heidelberg, West Germany.  One of the military wives was teaching the class.  I took the class and loved it!  The interest was so great that she wanted to have a partner to help teach – and she selected me.  I taught the remainder of the three years we were in Heidelberg.   This was our logo and color.

During that time, there was one lady in my class who always stood in the front row and to my right (I was facing away from the students).  As we conversed, I thought she had a speech impediment.  After we got to know each other a bit better, she told me that she had been born with some hearing loss.  She wasn’t totally deaf, but enough so that she couldn’t hear the way most words were sounded.  That explained her speech.  But she had hearing aids that helped her so much, and she could understand all the cues I shouted out in the class.

As interesting as all that is – to me anyway – that’s not the end of the story.  We returned stateside and began our life in Virginia.  Our oldest daughter had met her 2future husband while in high school in Heidelberg (his father was our American pastor), and he had returned to the States to attend college – where she was attending, of course.  They married a few years later.

One evening, around Thanksgiving time, I received a call from our son-in-law, saying that, on their way to see his parents in South Carolina, our daughter had fallen asleep at the wheel and they had crashed.  I was furious that he would only say that she was “in with the doctor” and wouldn’t give me any more details – like…..is she still alive???!!!

I asked if he wanted us to come and take them back home (they were only about an hour from their apartment).  He agreed.  He then said, “wait, here is the paramedic who will give you directions to the hospital.”  This young man came on the phone and gave me the directions – with the very same intonation that my aerobic student had!!  I knew at once that he had hearing loss, and not a speech impediment.  And, by God’s grace, I was able to understand every word he said – the first time!  No repeats.  God had prepared me, all those years ago, for that very moment, when I would need my wits about me, and to understand this young man’s instructions.

I could end the story there – that is the main thrust of it – but I want to tell you of God’s gracious hand in all this.  You see, when our daughter fell asleep, the car drifted, and our son-in-law looked up and screamed, which woke her, and she drastically over-corrected.  That caused the car to roll several times.  Amazingly, there were no other cars around them – just down the road a bit – no other cars involved in the crash.  There was an off-duty ambulance behind them that stopped, and the paramedics gave aid.  They could have rolled off a bridge and crashed onto the road below them – but they didn’t – they just rolled to a stop on an embankment.  While the car was totaled, our children only suffered a few cuts and bruises.

Our God is loving and faithful and gracious, indeed.

O Lord, you will keep us safe and protect us…

Psalm 12:7

 

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SERENDIPITY – PART 2

5 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy

                                                     

One serendipity encompassed a large span of time.  Before we left for Germany, our Karen had to have tubes put in her ears.  She was 12 at the time, and rather old for it, but she needed it.  The pediatrician was a rather abrupt person, and not one I really cared to deal with.  However, once the decision was made to insert the tubes, he was the most compassionate doctor I think I’ve ever dealt with.  He was also the surgeon.  As I sat, praying – for him and his skill – he came out of the O.R., strapping on his watch.  He saw me, headed my way, and said “There you are.”  He sat down next to me and told me all about the surgery – how one tube fitted in just fine, but the other eardrum was “vascular” and bled a lot, so they just “slipped it in” right as Karen was beginning to stir.  Within a few hours, she was doing well, but we hadn’t been released from the hospital yet.  Then I noticed that she was acting in a strange manner.  Even though we were able to take Karen home that evening, she still wasn’t quite back to normal.  This wonderful doctor actually called the house that evening to check on her.  Remember – this was a military doctor!  That was not something I ever expected from him.  Turns out there must have been a bad batch of anesthesia, as they had three patients react the same way.

He told me that Karen was the oldest child he had ever placed ear tubes in.  And she would be his last.

He was such a wonderful surgeon – and he loved surgery.  So it was a bit of a shock and disappointment to find that the AF was involuntarily changing him from surgeon to Radiologist!  Just seems like they would leave the doctors in the field that was their specialty.

Fast-forward 15+ years.  Karen’s surgery had the desired effect – her hearing was restored and she never had any more problems with hearing.  We had moved to Florida, and began our medical stuff at Patrick AFB, near Melbourne.  Mammogram time again – oh joy!

XRAY

After I read the report, I was surprised to read a familiar name as the Radiologist.  I asked the tech if the Radiologist had ever been a surgeon, and she said yes.  So I told her about Karen’s surgery.  The next time I went back, I asked her if she had spoken to him about it.  She said that, at the end of one work day, he was sitting with his feet propped up on his desk, and she began telling him about me, and my story.  She said he dropped his feet with a thud, sat up straight, and said, “I remember that!”

Small world.

So even though I didn’t get to see or meet him again, my life was touched by this same man.  I hope that gave him a nice memory, as well.

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OUR FIRST REAL CHRISTMAS TREE

23 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Judy

                                                  

 Growing up, Christmas was really special to our family.  We usually stayed at home in Albuquerque, and my brother and I woke up to “Santa” and all the presents our parents, Grandmother, and Aunt Jessie had gotten for us.  We always had a tree, loaded with those huge lights in multi-colors.  Such neat memories.

So it came as a bit of a surprise to me that my new husband and I didn’t have room in our tiny apartment for a tree!  Of course, we were both working – and he was in school all day – and so there was hardly any reason to have a tree.  I did learn how to make a “tree” out of a magazine and spray-paint it with silver or green paint.  Add some tiny ornaments, and there it was.

 

And there were some Christmases that we went to visit our respective families, and we didn’t need to have a tree.  That “tradition” followed us through the early years with our daughters.  After we moved to Florida (Panama City/Tyndall AFB), we usually made the trip down to Titusville to spend the holiday itself with my brother and his family.  After a few days there, we would drive across the peninsula to Clearwater and spend a few more days with Fred’s parents in their retirement condo.

 

One year had been especially difficult and tiring for us.  I remember Fred making the statement that for five cents, he would stay home that year.  I handed him a nickel.  We stayed home that year.  We decided that, since we were staying home, we needed a tree for ourselves – and this time we would get a live tree!!  The girls were so very excited about that prospect.  We went tree hunting and brought home a lovely big tree.  It made our house smell wonderfully fresh and piney.  We put Christmas music on the stereo, and began decorating our first real Christmas tree!  We made cookies.  We bought or made presents for each other.  It was a lovely time together.

 

Christmas tree

At this time, Karen was 10 years old, and Janet was six.  One day, while I was sitting at the piano working on a piece of music, near the rocking chair, which was next to the tree, Karen was sitting in the rocking chair reading….her favorite past time.  All of a sudden she let out a scream and jumped out of the chair, flinging her book across the room!!  WHAT????

Apparently the wonderful tree we had purchased was home to a LOT of inch worms – and some of them had made their way onto the chair, and onto the book she was reading!  I then realized there was an inch worm on the piano, as well!!

WELL!!  That tree didn’t last much longer in OUR house, that’s for sure!!  It was out the door in no time!

I think Karen didn’t sit in that chair for a month after Christmas!!

At least it was a Christmas to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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OBERAMMERGAU

25 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

                                                 

 

My husband and I (and later our daughters, as well) were blessed to have spent six years in Germany.  Except for a couple of short trips with my Aunt Jessie to Mexican border towns, I had never traveled outside the United States.  So the prospect of spending YEARS in Germany was quite an adventure for me.  Fred had never lived in Germany, but had spent some time in Italy and Japan with his parents in his growing-up years.

It’s very hard to say “where” our favorite place in Europe was.  So many places we were able to visit, and they all delighted us.

And yet, one of our very favorite memories is of the town of Oberammergau, Germany.  It is beautifully situated in a valley between mountains.  On our travels, we had visited there occasionally, but since we were in Germany in 1970, we decided to go see the Passion Play that the town presents every 10 years, on the even year.  We had always enjoyed staying in B&B’s on our trips, rather than fancy hotels, so we were pleased to be able to get a “package” that included two nights stay in a home with a German family.  We learned that the man of the house had played Jesus in the 1960 performance.  We would have breakfast in that home, but the other meals were to be taken in the restaurant at one of the hotels in town.  The Passion Play was an eight-hour production, with a lunch break.  That gave us some time to explore the town and it’s shops, mostly appealing to tourists.

We found the house where we were to stay, and found that half of the house was the barn for their animals, with only a wall between it and the residency.  Made for some interesting sounds and smells!  Our room was on the top floor – essentially the attic – with a shared bathroom down the hall, and a balcony outside our room.  The bed was comfortable, with an  comforter to keep us comfy and warm.

 

 

 

We had reserved seats in the huge theater, especially built for the Play.  All the seating area, except for about the first 10 rows, were under cover.  But those rows of seats and the stage was open to the air.  Our tickets were for the first regular showing of the Play of the season – May 22, 1970.  And we were quite glad that our seats were half-way back the theater, since we had a snow fall during the performance!  We were amazed to see the actors, including the children in the play, remain in their assigned positions even with the snow falling on them!

 

The entire play was spoken in German, but we had a handbook that gave the dialog in English.  Actually, we didn’t need to refer to it too much, since we knew the story line!

 

 

It was an extremely moving and wonderful performance.  It touched our hearts, and brought us again to our Savior’s feet.  We are so thankful to have been in that place at that time, and  able to experience that Play.

 

 

 

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San Jose

18 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Will

 

Do you know the way to San Jose…………

 

My husband had just completed his basic military training in San Antonio, Texas, and was assigned to San Jose State College for one year of meteorology training.  We were both excited about the prospect of living in California for that year.  I, personally, had only been to California a couple of times, and looked forward to the time.  We had visited my brother and his wife in Inglewood the Christmas before we married.  But that was a LONG time ago.

We drove with our belongings to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a visit with my parents, then on to Colorado Springs where my husband’s youngest sister was getting married.  From there we drove to northern California, and San Jose.

We were able to acquire a small one-bedroom apartment near the college.  That was a good thing – Fred wouldn’t have to drive to the campus, fight to find a non-existent parking spot, and then find his way to classes.  He could just walk to class.  The city public library was nearby as well – and I walked there at least once each week.

We had a little time before he was to begin his summer classes, so we began exploring.  We found Mount Hamilton – not too far away – and it had an observatory on top of the hill.  It was fascinating to us to look over the valley – and sometimes see a light plane soaring by – below where we stood!

 

 

We drove down to Monterey to see that beautiful Pebble Beach Golf Course on the ocean front.  Gorgeous!

 

 

One of the most wonderful aspects of San Jose was the climate.  After growing up in dry New Mexico, hot and humid Texas was barely tolerated.  San Jose had nearly the same humidity level as Albuquerque – nice and dry.  However, just a short drive over the mountains – and you found yourself at the Pacific Ocean!!  What a treat!  For someone who never grew up around water, the ocean was fascinating.

We often drove to Muir Woods for a day of exploration.

 

 

 

We took another couple from the meteorology class with us to Half Moon Bay for a picnic on the beach.  Someone had purchased a $1.50 paper kite and string – and we played it out at least a mile-and-a-half!  Such fun!  Except when it was time to retrieve it.  We should have just cut the string and let it float away.  But we took turns reeling it in – took us an hour and a half!  Whew!

We found that, after living in New Mexico, where the mountain peaks top out at 10,678′ the mountains in that part of northern California were just glorified hills.  But that was okay – it was better than flat-land Texas.

Fred’s classes were intense during that summer session.  When it was finished, and before he began his Fall semester, for relaxation he built our first stereo system.  He did a masterful job.

California will always hold a special place in our hearts.  Not sure we would want to live there anymore, but we hope to go back for a visit at some point.  I’m trying to twist his arm into letting us take a cruise up the west coast – from San Diego all the way up to Seattle, Washington.  I would love that!

 

California, here I come……

 

 

 

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MORE THAN AN AIR SHOW

10 Nov
A Few Thoughts

Patricia Franklin
 
I’m sitting on the deck at my son’s house on the prairie near the air force base.  I am enthralled watching the “air show,” as I call it, when I am with my grandchildren.  The four air force jets are doing their “touch-and-go routine” and flying in loops above and around us as I thrill at the sight of their take-offs, landings and spiraling into the sky, a sight I never tire of every time I visit.  My grandchildren just shake their heads and try to figure out why I am so excited. It is commonplace to them and they are so used to it that they do not even notice or hear the sound of the thunderbirds above them as they play below in the safety and security of their back yard.
I have always loved, appreciated and felt very humbled by our military.  I lived through World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. I remember when I was young and watched newsreels at the movie theater before there was TV,  and saw our troops fighting under unbelievable conditions. I remember when I was young sitting on the porch for hours and watching a huge convoy of military vehicles passing by on their way to practice maneuvers for defense of our country, protecting our freedoms and making us safe. Even now when I am home sitting in my own backyard, and when the wind is right, I can occasionally hear the sound of guns firing on the army base 20 miles away and I feel safe.
One of my greatest thrills was right after 9-11 when my daughter and I were driving up past the air force base to visit my son. As we drove past the runway, we could see one of the jets coming in for a landing. As it approached the end of the runway for the landing, it was very low and we were right underneath it.  My daughter looked up and she said “Mom, the plane is loaded!”  She could see that it was loaded with bombs underneath and ready to fire if necessary (whether they were live or not we did not know), but it was a very thrilling and impressive sight. Neither one of us felt at all threatened, but very secure and safe with the military on the job. 
I do not understand those who complain about the noise of the jets over their homes or land, or the traffic congestion when following a convoy along a busy road, or the NIMBY mentality that you hear about today.  All I can think of is that I am very grateful, appreciative and feel almost a reverence for these wonderful men and women who are willing to sacrifice their lives for our safety. I can sometimes feel tears in my eyes as my knees buckle at the sight of a military parade or uniform. I am  proud and yet humbled thinking of the hard work, discipline, commitment, and their willingness to brave anything for their love of country that leads these men and women to make the selfless decision to join the military and be prepared to fight and die for us and our freedoms.
May God Always Bless Our Military and the United States of America!
Air Show...

Air Show… (Photo credit: naathas)

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Folded Flag

29 Mar

Great post today by DiVoran. I enjoyed it, hope you do too.

Folded Flag

My Take

We are at a funeral in a church. The wife of the deceased holds out her hands for the folded American flag. We’ve seen it on T. V.many times. What we have not seen is the prayerful ceremony that precedes it.

Earlier, one of the woman’s sons brought an uniformed airman to her and introduced them. The straight-backed military man said respectfully, “I am sorry for your loss, Ma’am.

After taps, played on a solitary trumpet, two air force men walked to the front, one carrying the flag, which he slowly and ritually began to unfold. He handed an end to the other man who backed up the length of the flag, opening it with great ceremony and care. They stretched the beautiful stars and stripes full length and opened it like a sheet that would go on a bed. Later we learned that it would have gone on a coffin if there had been one. They folded it again and tucked in every end. No mother has ever folded her baby’s clothes more lovingly. One of the airmen hugged the triangular bundle to his heart with white-gloved hands and bowed his head. The other airman seemed to be on watch. A reverent hush fell over the gathered family and friends and God was honored. I call that prayer.

We hear someone is trying to take prayer out of military protocol just as it was taken from our schools long ago allowing murder, suicide, and all manner of licentiousness to run rampant among our impressionable young people. No one with good sense wants that for our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen. True patriots don’t want it for our country. But some politicians are given more power than they deserve. Do as they will, however, God has promised He will never leave us or forsake us, so obviously no one can take the Holy Spirit away. He is here to stay, no matter what. Hebrews 13:5.

DiVoran Lites

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