FROM COMBAT BOOTS TO GERMAN CASTLES: My Journey as a Black American Woman and U.S. Veteran in Germany

I joined the U.S. Army in 1977 to escape an abusive marriage and create a better future for my two daughters. Serving 22 years in Germany during the Cold War, I retired as a Permanently Disabled vet and write about my traveling adventures across Europe.

SPRING FEVER!: I found the cure!
Beware, everyone. An epidemic is lurking. No need to call the hospital or clinic. No vaccination exists for this sneaky, acute i ...

MY FUN TIMES and CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
I often revel in these memories, some of which still make me laugh at the great times I had growing up in my neighborhood in New ...

A Childhood Trauma: A Scary Movie I will Never Forget
THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON - The movie that scarred me for life!******************************************************** ...

The Shifty Shopping Cart: A Freak Accident Worth Mentioning
Shopping Carts are Dangerous!*************************************************************************************************** ...

My First Winter in Heidelberg, Germany: An Unforgettable "Sleigh" Ride
I felt as though Santa Claus had given me a lift! BACK THEN:******************************************************************** ...

DEALING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD BULLY: Teaching and Learning a Lesson in Compassion
Meeting Curtis, the Neighborhood Bully: **************************************************************************************** ...

MY FUN TIMES AND CHILDHOOD MEMORIES: At Club Goya with my crazy friend, Jose
Part 1: A tea candle set his shirt on fire!************************************************************************************* ...

MY FUN TIMES AND CHILDHOOD MEMORIES: Leaving Club Goya with my crazy friend, Jose
Part 2: This was a wild night to remember!************************************************************************************** ...

Our Scary Neighborhood Curmudgeon: Unforgettable Mr. Osa Lee
MR. OSA LEE**********************************************************************************************************Pretty much ...

AN EVIL CAR KEY FOB: Help from an Unexpected Source
For the first time in my life, I own a keyless car. I have one issue with it: instead of a traditional key, my car requires a fo ...

HOME ALONE!: My First Accident at Home
While sleeping on my living room couch, I woke up sweaty in the middle of the night. Plus, to my annoyance, I needed to pee. So ...

MY FRANKFURT AIRPORT DILEMMA: Will I ever get home?
In December, I treated myself to a round-trip, first-class ticket to Atlanta, Georgia, to celebrate my birthday with family. My ...

DAS BOOT (THE BOAT) A SCARY GERMAN CARNIVAL RIDE: A Little Girl Comforted me
DAS BOOT (THE BOAT)It was a summer in the 1980s. At the time, I was stationed in Heidelberg, working as a stenographer at the U. ...

MY ENCOUNTER WITH AN ANGEL: Stuck on a Snowy Road in Oberammergau, Germany
One November years ago, I attended a one-week security course at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany. Oberammergau is a bea ...

YOUND DANIEL, Part 1: Tutoring a Child with ADHD
PART ONE:After serving 22 years in the U.S. Army and surviving tough, challenging assignments in Germany, Bosnia, and Hungary, I ...

YOUNG DANIEL, Part 2: Tutoring a Child with ADHD
Daniel's curiosity about my haircut sparked a lighthearted exchange between us. He asked, "How come you cut your hair so short"? ...

HANNELORE IN MOURNING: Finding her strength during Fasching season
A few years ago, during the lively festivities of the Fasching season, Hannelore, a cherished friend and coworker, suffered a pr ...

MY MEDICAL EMERGENCY AT 2:00 a.m.: I thought I was going to die.
I had a bad habit of eating dinner late at night. And being from New Orleans, spicy seasonings remained a constant companion in ...

KARMA ALWAYS BALANCES THE SCALES: I Just Had to Remain Patient
In 1996, I graduated from the Defense Equal Opportunity (EO) Management Institute at Patrick AFB in Cocoa Beach, Florida, as an ...

ODD MAN OUT AT MY TOWN'S SENIOR SOCIAL: I stayed for the gift: A jar of German honey
The mayor of my town had planned a holiday event for all the senior citizens in our town and from other towns and villages in th ...

SUNDOWN AT THE ATM ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT: Meeting a US soldier returning from Iraq
It was the afternoon of Halloween. The slowly setting sun resisted being tucked away for the night of this spooky holiday. The h ...

My Canine Friend in Wertheim, Germany: A Stranger's Friendly German Shepherd
"When I was in the U.S. Army stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, I enjoyed going volksmarching, one of my favorite hobbies. On the ...

DRIVING A USED BENZ TO FRANCE: I felt like a crash test dummy!
It was Saturday, my day for another trip to the flea market in Metz, France. At the time, I was living in Kaiserslautern, German ...

KINDNESS FROM A TECHNICIAN AT A MEDICAL CLINIC: She got on the floor and put my boots on my feet.
After retiring from the US Army in Germany, I decided to stay here for several reasons. I have lived here for several years now. ...

ONE RED BEAN: A visit from my late sister
My dear sister Rose passed away unexpectedly on March 22, 2016. Losing her devastated me. I was mentally unwell for a very long ...

EVERYONE WHO LOOKED LIKE ME WAS NOT MY FRIEND: Dealing With an Army Bully in Sarajevo, Bosnia
During one of my tours in the US Army as a senior noncommissioned officer, I was assigned to V Corps, G1, Heidelberg, Germany, a ...

A SAFETY HAZARD INDEED!: Does anyone pay attention anymore?
In any workplace environment, safety plays a vital part in daily operations. Where I worked, our melodramatic Safety Officers fl ...

A STRANGER'S FAITH IN ME: Trust from a Vendor in Ramstein, Germany
 A VENDOR'S TRUSTA few years ago, I visited the Base Exchange (BX) at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. After shopping, I went to ...

DOING A FREE PUBLIC SERVICE: Calming a Crying Brat at a German Store
One day, I went to Penny Markt, one of my favorite stores in my town. I love shopping there because it's always so clean, peacef ...

THE CASE OF THE MISSING SCHILDKROETE: The Whaat?
One afternoon, I was sitting on my living room couch watching television. From there, I could see my patio through the glass doo ...

A PANDORA'S BOX OF A DRIVE TO METZ, FRANCE: Traveling with a Non-stop Talker, Part 1
"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them."  ...

A PANDORA'S BOX TO METZ, FRANCE, Part 2: Seriously Lost and on Mental Overload
After paying for my ticket again, I drove out of the parking garage and had to make a right turn to merge into the flow of traff ...

COMMITTING A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS: I Tended to Someone Else's Needs
It was Monday morning, about 8:15. As usual, I was running late for work. Despite this, I stopped at a local store in my neighbo ...

SERVING WITH AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN: Colonel William H. Berry, Executive Officer
I was in the U.S. Army and stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. I was a stenograph on the staff of General Frederick J. Kroesen, th ...

MY AUDACITY TO BE ANGRY WITH GOD: How I Dealt With It
After watching my mother die in my arms, I was beside myself with grief and pain. From my experience, I found out that it's ok t ...

Do cats really have nine lives?: I need verification!
A few years ago, I had total knee replacement surgery at Landstuhl Army Hospital near Ramstein, Germany. Kind, extremely generou ...

A SPECIAL SURPRISE VISIT: The German Kids in my Neighborhood
I believe that God knows when you need someone. One day, I was in a bad mood, getting depressed by the minute. I had been thinki ...

The Pitfalls of Aging: The Fun and Absurdity of it all.
When I was six years old, the aging process was a bone of contention for me. Back then, I had amusing concepts about growing old ...

MY SHRIMP GUMBO ATTACKED!: I didn't know he was allergic!
Throughout my Army career, men always outnumbered me in my professional specialty of military intelligence. I loved my assignmen ...

My Defiant Act as a Black Woman in the US Army: I challenged authority and survived.
In July 1977, I joined the Army and completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. When I was assigned to an all-fema ...

SNAPSHOT OF A DAY IN SARAJEVO, BOSNIA: JUNE 1997 DEPLOYMENT
Written to a friend in the United States during my deployment to Taszar and Kaposvar, Hungary, and Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 1997.Hi, ...

Where are you, my little Herbie?: Herbie Didn't Show Up For Me
It was the end of October. Cooler temperatures had effectively rescued the country from the sweltering summer heat. The once-lus ...

Everyone Who Looked Like Me Was Not My Friend: Surviving in an Army Administrative Circus
I was a staff sergeant, the senior noncommissioned officer (NCO) in the S1 Administration Section of the 205th Military Intellig ...

LOSING MY BLUE WALLET IN A GERMAN STORE: The honesty of Germans never ceases to amaze me.
I went to Penny Mart, one of my favorite stores in my town. After parking my car, I took my blue wallet out of my purse to get a ...

Rescued by Three American Angels in Germany: Angels Come in All Sizes and Colors
All too often, many of us tend to judge people of other races based on the color of their skin. Sometimes we base our beliefs on ...

A Mardi Gras to Remember with my Late Sister Rose: Challenging a Cop as an Army NCO
Several years ago, I took a flight from Germany to visit my sister Rose in New Orleans for the annual Mardi Gras, a cultural and ...

Volksmarching in Germany: What exactly is it?
When I was in the Army stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, I became interested in volksmarching.  WHAT IS VOLKSMARCHING? ...

Why I Miss Tube Socks!: They always stayed put!
Recently, I went shopping at the Base Exchange on Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein, Germany. Shortly after I started walking throug ...

The German Nuisance at the NATO School: A German captain almost started a mini war.
THIS GERMAN NUISANCE I have never been a history buff. But years ago, I discovered one interesting fact in my research for a sch ...

A CHRISTMAS SOCIAL FOR SENIOR CITIZENS: A gift of a jar of honey
THE mayor of my town, Niedernhausen, Germany, had his staff organize a Christmas social for all the senior citizens in our town ...

Her Name Was Maria: Remembering my Generous German Landlady
HER NAME WAS FRAU MARIA RINDERIn 1991, I was in the Army assigned to the 527th Military Intelligence Battalion in Kaiserslautern ...

The V Corps EO Office False Flag: Was I in Germany or the Backwoods of Mississippi?
PART 1 - GRADUATION FROM THE DEFENSE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE I graduated from the Defense Equal Opportunity ...

A Unique Gift from a Poor Bosnian Woman: A Bag of Negro Candy
After 22 years of service in the US Army, I retired in Vilseck, Germany, a short distance east of the Czech border. Within a mon ...

The Dangers of Shopping on an Empty Stomach: I only needed some milk
I went shopping the other day for two bottles of milk. Oblivious to my original plan, I visited a few other stores and picked up ...

Losing my Best Childhood Friend: Her Name was Ann Lavigne
Her name was Ann Lavigne, my best friend in fifth grade. We attended St. Monica's Catholic Elementary School in New Orleans, Lou ...

My Hangover in Bosnia: It showed no mercy!
"HOOOOOOONNNNNNKKK!" blared the warning from the horn of a massive ship bearing down on me. Terrified, I started to row like hel ...

I WAS A SOLDIER: Army Physical Training Got me in Shape
The evil Monday morning PT formation hovered over me like a hungry vulture in a scorching desert waiting to pounce on me, its he ...

MY NEW COMPUTER CHAIR: My problem is that I rarely read instructions.
OK, I bought this sleek, black high-back swivel chair for me to sit in at my computer table. It took me a minute or two to get t ...

TRAIN RIDES AIN'T THE SAME!: My trip turned to hell on earth, Part 1 - 5
PART ONETRAVELING BY TRAIN AS A KID WITH MY MOMI grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a kid, I often traveled with my Mom by tr ...

The Hitchhiker From Kosovo: A lonely young man in a country not his own.
THE HITCHHIKER FROM KOSOVOIt was Saturday morning. Heavy rain played a dismal tune on my concrete balcony. The noise awakened me ...

HIS SHIRT CAUGHT FIRE!: My glass of merlot was not an extinguisher.
Ah, those dainty tea light candles. They serve many useful purposes. They warm gourmet foods at lavish buffets. They pump pleasa ...

MY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: Christmas had a spiritual message for me.
What are the odds of strange things happening at any given time? Something out of the ordinary happened to me today. I don&rsquo ...

COURTESY AT A GERMAN GAS STATION: A stranger's unexpected kindness
A most pleasant, unexpected thing happened to me. I had some business to take care of in Kaiserslautern. After I finished, ...

MY EX-HUSBAND WAS A VIOLENT DOMESTIC ABUSER: Saving my children and myself
JOINING THE ARMY SAVED ME FROM A VIOLENT DOMESTIC ABUSER My ex-husband was a physical and emotional abuser. He would beat m ...

REMEMBERING COLONEL WILLIAM H. BERRY: The epitome of a senior Army officer
Colonel William Berry, Executive OfficerExecutive Officerto General Frederick J. Kroesen, the COMMANDER IN CHIEF (CINC)UNITED ST ...

That Evil Army Floor Buffer: I thought I was tough, but it was much tougher.
My first taste of battle was with a thing called a buffer. I thought I was tough, but it proved to be much tougher. I ...

MY FULL RICH DAY: Angels rescued me in my time of need.
Recently, I had eye surgery at Landstuhl Army Hospital. My surgeon scheduled me for a checkup the following morning. After my do ...

TRAVELING WITH MR. FOR SURE: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
On Saturday, my adopted son and I visited Amsterdam. Locals and tourists from all over the world packed the city. I love Amsterd ...

FORT DEVENS, MASSACHUSETTS: An Army Morse Code Interceptor was not my choice!
After basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, I reported to the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command at ...

My Deployment to Tuzla, Bosnia: A Hangover Worth Mentioning
"HOOOOOOONNNNNNKKK!" blared the warning from the horn of a gigantic ship bearing down on me. Terrified in my fragile rubber raft ...

CHAPTER 2 - Notes of enlisting in the US Army: Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina
EACH CHALLENGE STRENGTHENED MEI found a picture of my Basic Training unit on the internet!!! How cool is that? I joined the ...

MY DISABLED VETERAN CAP: It Carries a Lot of Weight
Last week, I visited the commissary in Wiesbaden to do some shopping. That day, I wore my Disabled Veteran cap with pride. I als ...

FORT BENJAMIN HARRISON, INDIANA: Bye Morse Code! Hello Army Stenographer!
I had an advantage. I had taken the Gregg Shorthand Course before I joined the Army, so I knew this would be an easy course for ...

FORT POLK, LOUISIANA: Snakes, mosquitoes, heat and I never got along.
I am from New Orleans, Louisiana. Fort Polk was in the western part of the state. I had never traveled to that area so Fort Polk ...

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY!: An Army stenographer for a 4-star general.
The staff, my arrival in the dead of winter in November 1979, Santa Claus gave me a lift from the commissary, my very first volk ...

FORT HUACHUCA, ARIZONA: So many idiots in the Military Intelligence Course
The unique training, surveillance in Phoenix, SSG Kevin McHugh, the bully; SFC Bryan, the sexual harasser, Jaime, learning to ra ...

MONTEREY, CA FOR THE DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE: The Russian language course was a challenge
The Russian teacher, class consisted of two Navy guys (one white and one Black), one Marine (Craig Silverman who took me to the ...

Chapter 38: EVERYONE WHO LOOKS LIKE ME IS NOT MY FRIEND
The Black Lieutenant Colonel in Sarajevo, Bosnia. During one of my tours as a senior noncommissioned officer, I was assigne ...

GOD TAKES CARE OF BABIES AND FOOLS
I found out in a hilarious way!

SHARING PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
A Mardi Gras to Remember with my Late Sister RoseDealing with the Neighborhood Bully: Learning a Lesson in Compassion Losin ...

STORIES OF MY EXPERIENCES IN THE US ARMY
Everyone who looked like me was not my friend: Dealing With a Bully in Sarajevo, BosniaEveryone Who Looked Like Me Was Not My Fr ...

Coming Face to Face with a Symbol of Hatred
I had a job to do.

FROM COMBAT BOOTS TO GERMAN CASTLES: My Journey as a Black American Woman and U.S. Veteran in Germany

I joined the U.S. Army in 1977 to escape an abusive marriage and create a better future for my two daughters. Serving 22 years in Germany during the Cold War, I retired as a Permanently Disabled vet and write about my traveling adventures across Europe.