Engineer Memoirs _____________________________________________________________________
We flew up to Berlin and drove to Potsdam. They met us at the U.S. mission with a bus. We
drove for about an hour to their headquarters at Wunsdorf.
There were numerous activities involving first an honor ceremony, then an introductions get-
together with breakfast kind of goodies out and coffee. One of the significant things about the
Russians in East Germany was that they didn't live like we did. They were all by themselves
in East Germany. They allowed no Germans into their kasernes, whereas our workforce in
support of the U.S. Army, Europe, was largely German. With them, there were no Germans,
and that meant quite an isolation of their army from the German population. They maintained
it that way, for whatever their purposes.
I guess there were eight waitresses that were there to take care of the tables, et cetera. We had
a rather stiff opening, and then we started going around touring. They took us by a typical
barracks, which was immaculate. Shined floor and not a thing out of place and not a coat in
sight. Occupied? Didn't appear so.
Then we went to what they called their rec center tearoom. There were the same eight Soviet
waitresses waiting to pass out something to eat.
So, then we went out to the field and observed field training activities at a large range
complex. They had set up a huge tent for field mess, and we were to get a typical Russian
soldier's meal. After walking in and being able to wash our hands, we went in to sit down at
the tables, and surprise, there were those same eight Soviet waitresses--out in the field.
I'd have to say the meal was very good. I don't know if that was the typical meal, but the
soup might have been typical soup, and it was very good. Then we went back out to the
ranges and observed an exercise that afternoon. It was a live-fire exercise in which the
Warsaw Pact forces took on an attack by NATO forces. We watched that live-fire exercise
and then watched some other training.
Then we went back to the headquarters and freshened up for an evening in which we were
going to have a meal and then watch a Soviet soldier show. This was a very professional
series of acts. They had the families of the local garrison there and the wives of our hosts.
That was our only activity with somebody besides our meeting group. At the meal, again,
there were those same eight Soviet waitresses. Anyway, it was an interesting time.
On the bus back that evening, we were talking with the person who had picked us up and was
escorting us back, the Deputy Commander in Chief. Someone on the bus asked him, "Well,
do you think Gorbachev will succeed?"
His answer was very interesting because--now mind you, your question was, "Were we able
to predict anything?" My answer was, "No." His answer was, "Well, he must succeed, you
see, because we have too many millionaires in our government and in our society and we're
not supposed to have any millionaires."
Q:
Interesting.
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