The wall

[Leadeye]

In about two weeks we'll have a small annual celebration here at home on November 9, a 30 year anniversary this time. Maybe it will get some national news time, but in today's media, focused as it is on what celebrities did last hour, orange man bad, and other short attention span topics I doubt it. I remember following events in Europe in the late summer and fall of 1989 with great interest. The iron curtain rusting away, and jokes about "frequent fleeing miles", as East Germans fled through Hungary on "vacations" to get to the west. I remember the cold face of Eric Honecker on the news, not giving and inch and the bitter expression he had at the end of the celebration of East Germany's 40th anniversary October 7. Gorbachev's expression of sad disgust and the unsettled looks of the lesser leadership of the DDR behind both men.

I remember getting home turning on tv and seeing the people sitting on the wall, the bewildered look of the DDR border guards like uncertain guests at a block party. The cold war was over, everything had changed.

Whether you believe in "Ich bin ein Berliner", or "Mr. Gorbachev Tear down this wall", hoist a glass to freedom on November 9.

 

[T.Lex]

[cheers]

Those events presaged the autumn and winter of 1991 that changed the world forever.

And by "forever" I mean "until Putin came to power."

 

[jamil]

[cheers]

Those events presaged the autumn and winter of 1991 that changed the world forever.

And by "forever" I mean "until Putin came to power."

Nah. Putin makes Russia not a friend. But, the world remains changed by the fall of the Berlin Wall. Germany is still unified. None of the former Soviet Bloc nations look anything like they did then, politically. Russia isn't communist.

 

[T.Lex]

Nah. Putin makes Russia not a friend. But, the world remains changed by the fall of the Berlin Wall. Germany is still unified. None of the former Soviet Bloc nations look anything like they did then, politically. Russia isn't communist.

Putin is building and expanding the Russian hegemony that the Sovs had. Is it identical? No. Not yet.

But, the approach - specifically "spheres of influence" - is the same.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/p...-widen-russias-sphere-of-influence-2019-10-23

 

[Kutnupe14]

In about two weeks we'll have a small annual celebration here at home on November 9, a 30 year anniversary this time. Maybe it will get some national news time, but in today's media, focused as it is on what celebrities did last hour, orange man bad, and other short attention span topics I doubt it. I remember following events in Europe in the late summer and fall of 1989 with great interest. The iron curtain rusting away, and jokes about "frequent fleeing miles", as East Germans fled through Hungary on "vacations" to get to the west. I remember the cold face of Eric Honecker on the news, not giving and inch and the bitter expression he had at the end of the celebration of East Germany's 40th anniversary October 7. Gorbachev's expression of sad disgust and the unsettled looks of the lesser leadership of the DDR behind both men.

I remember getting home turning on tv and seeing the people sitting on the wall, the bewildered look of the DDR border guards like uncertain guests at a block party. The cold war was over, everything had changed.

Whether you believe in "Ich bin ein Berliner", or "Mr. Gorbachev Tear down this wall", hoist a glass to freedom on November 9.

Do you remember David Hasselhoff in a leather jacket with Christmas lights?

 

[Leadeye]

Do you remember David Hasselhoff in a leather jacket with Christmas lights?

Must have missed that.

 

[spencer rifle]

But, the approach - specifically "spheres of influence" - is the same.

You mean like the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere?"
Didn't work out so well for anyone, and cost way too much to break up.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Must have missed that.

It actually happened a short time after the wall fell, but it's still one of those things Germans, at least, associate with the fall of the wall:

[video=youtube;SNpCn0nAlR0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNpCn0nAlR0[/video]

He powers up the coat at around the one minute mark.

 

[T.Lex]

You mean like the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere?"
Didn't work out so well for anyone, and cost way too much to break up.

Same idea, different country.

 

[deo62]

Spent 3 years guarding the Fulda Gap. Don’t remember the exact amount of time but we were supposed to slow them down for 45 minutes. Looking at mock towns across the fence that I suppose are inhabited now. 3/11th ACR . Just rambling. Remember watching the wall coming down and thinking that we actually accomplished something.

 

[Leadeye]

Spent 3 years guarding the Fulda Gap. Don’t remember the exact amount of time but we were supposed to slow them down for 45 minutes. Looking at mock towns across the fence that I suppose are inhabited now. 3/11th ACR . Just rambling. Remember watching the wall coming down and thinking that we actually accomplished something.

Like many before you, you did, and the world is a better place because of it.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

God bless you all.

 

[Thor]

A friend of mine was in Prague when the wall came down, people were in the streets partying and the Scorpions song The Winds of Change was playing...he said it made a chill run down his spine as he saw the world reborn.

 

[actaeon277]

One of those things so ingrained in your knowledge, that you never would have guessed it would happen, till it did.
my job was a bit different than deo62 though.

 

[Leadeye]

Anybody catch any mention of this today?

 

[Leadeye]

Well anyway, hoist a glass to all those who held the line, all those many fearful years. You made a difference.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Saw coverage of it on NBC this morning. Tom Brokaw did a piece on it with the original footage of him covering it from Germany back then.

 

[patience0830]

Thanks, Leadeye! Russian linguist 98G stationed at Wildflecken with the 108th MI here. End of 86 to January 90 right before the wall came down.

 

[Brad69]

You did accomplish your goal having spent time in 4/7 Cav and 2 ACR we didn’t have to slow them down and all is good.
Don’t forget we would have went out in a “blaze of glory” it would have been a glorious death we didn’t have to suffer.

I do not regret seeing you in “Fiddlers Green” before our time.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

And yes! Thanks to all that were there, and to all that have served.