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Goodness gracious. Is it really the weekend again?
Now, let’s see what I can come up with this time in my non-prize winning column writing endeavor.
How about an innocuous occurrence that transpired back in the very early
60’s. Okay?
So. Here goes. I was at Fort Skelly, situated just a couple of miles from the old city, in the center of Regensburg, Germany.
Now, Regensburg was located right along the banks of the Donau river. We
know that storied, historic waterway as the Danube.
Regensburg is a truly beautiful old city in Bayern (Bavaria). It has been around since the twelfth century, at least. Some hundred thousand residents call it home.
Fort Skelly was also quite picturesque. It looked, in some ways, more like a college campus. Prior to the 3rd battalion of the 11th Armored Cavalry being based there, it was occupied by SS troops. Some of the murals in the basements of many of the barracks still had storm troops murals on the walls.
You may now be thinking, “Will he ever get to the story of the ‘innocuous occurrence’?”
Well, anti-climactic that it will be, here goes:
I’m walking near the building on post that housed the snack bar, EM club, barbershop, PX, library, AYA Center, and chapel, on several different levels.
It must have been a bit cool, because I had on my field jacket. Also, I’m really now counting the diminishing number of days leading to the completion of my active duty time in Uncle Sam’s army.
Soon I’ll board the train (zug) at the hauptbahnof in Regensburg, enroute to Bremerhaven. From there I’ll travel by “luxurious” troop ship across the mighty Atlantic, slated to pass right by the Statue of Liberty; and then, just a few hours later, would once again be a civilian.
Oh. Back to my story. As I was walking, not very far away a lieutenant said, “Soldier, take your hand out of your pocket.”
Upon hearing this I responded, of course, with “Yes, sir.”
Then, maybe realizing I had probably been in the army longer than he had, I
said, “Sir. I’ve seen photos of the President with one of his hands in a coat pocket.”
“And when you become president, you can put your hand in your pocket
too.”

“Yes, sir.” Touche.
What president was it to whom we referred? John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
And that’s my story.
APROPOS -“We do not remember days so much, as we remember moments.”
-Cesare Pavese (1961)