Twenty years ago today ....

[Football_Bat]

.... I can't ****ing believe it's been so long.

I had done my training at Fort Sill and another three weeks at Fort Benning, Ga. for airborne school and had taken four weeks of leave before I was to fly to Germany.

I spent a night at Fort Leonard Wood in transit (free, thanks to my orders), finished my drive to St. Louis the next day, dropped off my vehicle across the river for shipment overseas, spent $30 on a cab ride back to the city, and checked in to a hotel just in time to catch coverage of the Sioux City airplane crash. Boy, was I pumped to fly after that.

I reported to the airport the next day in my Class A's. Maybe fortunately, my flight was delayed one day, and then another day. The Cardinals were out of town playing the Cubs and I was doubly bummed. Finally we left.

On Sunday, July 23, 1989 I landed in Germany to begin my great adventure. The first song I heard when I got to the transit station at Rhein-Main? "Once Bitten Twice Shy" by Great White.

Ended up staying in Germany for three years and doing another year as a civilian. That last year was the best year of my life.

 

[mustangj17]

My dad said the best thing that ever happened to him was getting drafted because he got to spend two years in Germany drinking.

 

[JackReacher]

My dad said the best thing that ever happened to him was getting drafted because he got to spend two years in Germany drinking.

My cousin just moved to Germany to work for the Army. Said he's loving it so far. The food and beer are amazing, he said.

Might have to make a trip out that way sometime in the near future.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

I was in the Air National guard and my first two-week annual training. When we got to the barracks, they had vending machines downstairs with beer in them, and they were 1DM each. The DM coin was not much bigger than a quarter, and this guy in my unit said that as far as he was concerned, they were quarters, and as soon as we got there he bought every beer in the machine and iced them down in his room. A good time was had by all.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Sgt. Pepper told the band to play?

 

[Shoeless Joe]

I left home en route to boot camp — RTC Orlando. If I had stayed in (which I didn't really want to) today would be retirement day.

 

[HejiraHenry]

If I'd shot that guy, back in '89, I'd probably be out by now ... with good behavior.

 

[BYH]

My dad said the best thing that ever happened to him was getting drafted because he got to spend two years in Germany drinking.

My cousin just moved to Germany to work for the Army. Said he's loving it so far. The food and beer are amazing, he said.

Might have to make a trip out that way sometime in the near future.

Yeah, it's been too long since your last vacation. :D