ARMY STORY – NO MEDALS

By Harvey Tobkes

Back in 1950, I was in the army, stationed in Stuttgart, but I managed to spend many weekends in Zurich. It was not allowed to wear an army uniform in neutral Switzerland but luckily, I had business attire stashed at the bottom of my duffle bag, and so the dress code was not a problem.

Sailboat-sunset

While in Germany, we enjoyed visiting Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the foot of the Zugspitze. A marvelous resort area. Horseback riding, archery, mountain climbing, boating on a lake were some of the activities.

I was a bit daring and in spite of never having had any instructions, I tried taking a small boat for a sail on the lake. Just when I got to the middle, a gust of wind billowed the sail and I capsized. A one-star general in a nearby boat came to the rescue.

I was wet and embarrassed but he was a regular guy, and very understanding.

P.S. In case you were wondering, the general DID NOT recommend me for a medal, not even the purple-heart.

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Published:
03.04.21 3:19
Category:
Anita & Harvey Stories, Memories