Post-War Memories of a U.S. Military Kid
in Southern Germany

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

How to Get from Sindelfingen to Sin-City in 10 Easy Steps


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Life in Sindelfingen, Patch Barracks & Panzer Kaserne - Jan. 2, 1960


Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

My parents Rose & Dale Gilbert just before our transfer to Germany.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

Leaving for Germany from Fresno, California - New Year's Eve 1959. Erik (me) is at lower right, my older brother Jeff
is on the left, my mom Rose is above him...and my 'sad to see us going' Grandma is standing in the middle.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

My step-dad Dale & my mom Rose's first night out, in Germany, at the Dolly Bar in Stuttgart, Jan. 4, 1960 - with Sgt. Eddie (Indiana).

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

We stayed at the Vaihinger Hotel, in Stuttgart for about two weeks while my step-dad was stationed at Patch Barracks.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

My parents let me take pictures with their Agfa rangefinder and twin-lens reflex cameras. This beer truck caught my interest.

Image courtesy of usarmygermany.com

We were stationed at Patch Barracks, a former German military base, built in 1936. The website USArmyGermany.com
states: "German Panzer Regiments operated out of what we know as Patch Barracks until October of 1940 when they
moved to Panzer Kaserne (near Sindelfingen). The first American unit came to Vaihingen on July 7, 1945".

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

I took this photo, of the main square, from the PX cafeteria located on the second floor of the Service Club building.

Image courtesy of usarmygermany.com

Map of Patch Barracks. Red star marks the location of the main square.

Photo on left by Erik Wunstell � 1960-2007. Photo on right courtesy of Google Earth

The website US ArmyGermany.com states that "Americans erected two monuments. On July 4, 1952 Mrs. A.M Patch
unveiled the bronze plaque between the flagpoles, naming the post in memory of Lieutenant General Alexander M. Patch".
2007 image on the right (from Google Earth) shows the flagpoles in the main square, although the plaque has since been removed.

Photo courtesy of Google Earth

Current 'Google Earth' view of the Patch army base. My step-dad's barrracks was located next to Michigan Street.

Photo courtesy of USArmyGermany.com

1957 - Patch Barracks, showing American expansions. In 1989 this base was turned back over to German government .


Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

We went out for dinner a lot and would either eat Chateaubriand covered with gravy and mushrooms or have viener schnitzel,
bratwurst, other sausages or German meatballs. For breakfast we ate brochens with honey.

Old postcard of Panzer Kaserne - a former German Military Base occupied by the American Army after World War Two.
This is the military base we were transferred to after staying at Patch Barracks.

Satellite view courtesy of 'Google Earth'

2007 satellite view of the complete Panzer army base - showing the school, theater, commissary and library. After school
I'd usually walk to the library building to wait till 5pm for my step-dad or sometimes ride my bike back to Sindelfingen

A new building (labeled Hitler's Office) was once the site of a building used by Adolph Hitler as one of his southern bases
of operation. I distincly (and absolutely) remember being given a tour of this office and seeing Adolph Hitler's desk, leather
chair and personal framed photos and mementos on his desk and walls. While most of the original buildings still stand
Hitler's office has since been completely removed and replaced by an entirely new structure.

A lot of history, relating to Adolph Hitler has been destroyed for reasons stated in the excerpt from Wikipedia regarding
the obliteration of Hitler's F�hrerbunker:

"Since 1945 government authorities have been consistently concerned about the
site of the bunker evolving into a Neo-Nazi shrine. The strategy for avoiding this has largely been to ensure the
surroundings remain anonymous and unremarkable. However, many feel this is simply erasing the past and ignoring the fact
that it is essentially the most famous war bunker in history. In 2005 the location of the bunker was not marked in any way. The
immediate area is occupied by a Chinese restaurant and shopping mall while the emergency exit point for the bunker
(which had been in the Chancellery gardens) is occupied by a parking lot"
.

Replication of Hitler's Bunker and a current 2007 view (left) of the basically, unmarked remains of a valuable historical site
still buried under the ground, in spite of the Russian army's attempt to destroy it. Bulldozers merely covered it with dirt.

Images, such as the one above and below, have long been held back from public sight to ensure that Adolph Hitler would
only be remembered as a madman (which I totally agree he was). I have no interest in Nazism what-so-ever. As a historian,
though, I feel that historical records do not need to be obliterated or hidden away from public view.

Copyright � 2006 by Erik Wunstell

The American Occupiers.

Copyright � 2006 by Erik Wunstell

U.S. Military Kids in Sindelfingen, Germany - 1960. Could Hitler have imagined this scene ever happening?

1960 photo of my school and a 1940 photo of the same building formerly used as a base headquarters for the Third Reich.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

A New World Order. Life on the economy. Our German neighbor Herman visiting us in our 2nd floor German housing.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

Dinner at our house with our soldier friend Al (from Brooklyn).

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

Our German landlords (Herr & Frau Reicher) whose house we lived in on the upper floor, in the German economy of Sindelfingen.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

My mom Rose in front of our house at Fleiderweg Four - two blocks from the Mercedes-Benz auto plant.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

My brother as seen from my bedroom window.

Image Courtesy of Google Earth

Google Earth - Satellite view of our house (yellow dot) in Sindelfingen near the Mercedes-Benz factory.

Image Courtesy of Google Earth

'Google Earth' Satellite view showing our house (red dot) between the soccer field and the Mercedes auto factory.

Image Courtesy of Google Earth

'Google Earth'. Wide satellite view of our surrounding neighborhood near Linden Street.

Image Courtesy of Google Earth

The 850 year old town of Sindelfingen has become one of the most important economic areas in Europe. Known as
the Silicon Valley of Europe - along with its production of Mercedes-Benz autos - it is now one of the weathiest areas in
Germany. 48,000 of its 65,000 residents work for the auto factory.

Over the last 47 years the Mercedes-Benz factory has grown to an enormous size. Its parent company (Gottlieb-Daimler)
recently outbid Las Vegas casino mogul Kirk Kerkorian for the acquistion of the Chrysler Corporation, making it likely
to become the world's biggest producer of automobiles.

Click Hybrid Button for combination satellite view with street names. Use cursor to move map.

Copyright � 2006 by Erik Wunstell

Drinking Sprudlewasser and reading Funny Books on Fleiderweg.

Copyright � 2006 by Erik Wunstell

Bavarian Golfing.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

Me and my mom visiting our German neighbor - Frau Rettenburg.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Pastry party with our German neighbors Gisella and Hildegard.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

Golfing with my stepdad Dale Gilbert.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

We went to see the German Ice Capades several times in Stuttgart & Munich.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

This was our German taxi driver Herr Hanz in his immaculate 1960 Mercedes.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Some of our neighbors were other Americans living on the economy. This is our next door neighbor Suzy (from Dallas).

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

We saw a lot of Suzy while the husbands were away at the military base.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

This is a photo I took of Suzy on a walk up Linden Street.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

This is a photo I took of our German neighbor Doris.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Our other friends were the German Rettenburg twins.

Copyright � 1960-2006 by Erik Wunstell

My mother and the twins. The Mercedes factory was located in the background.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

This is my mom and Frau Rettenburg - mother of the twins - at her Fleiderweg house.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

A photo I took of Doris and my mom while shopping.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Suzy again, ready for a night on the town.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Get-togethers with our American neighbors was a big part of life in Germany. At the time, German television was only
broadcast a few hours a night and was mainly filled with givernment discussions and quite limited in entertainment value.
The U.S. Miltary radio shows provided the main form of home entertainment.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

We mainly traveled to places in Southern Germany like Garmish and Berchtesgaden (Hitler's luxurious hide-away)
in Bavaria. We visited the Black Forest and bought lots of Gnomes and Coo-Koo clocks to send back to the states.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Rose, Erik and Jeff - Germany 1960.

Copyright � 2007 by Erik Wunstell

Rose, Erik and Jeff - in Austria.


Panzer Kaserne - Boblingen, Germany

Image courtesy of USArmyGermany.com

Front entrance to the Panzer military base.

Image courtesy of USArmyGermany.com

1955 photo of the American occupation of the former Panzer Kaserne, German military base.

Image courtesy of USArmyGermany.com

1950s photo of the Panzer Commissary building.

Image courtesy of USArmyGermany.com

The Panzer Kaserne front entrance, guard house gate - from the inside looking out.

Image courtesy of Google Earth

Google Earth satellite view of the Panzer base with the town of Sindelfingen seen on the right.

Image courtesy of Google Earth

The Panzer base showing the school, entrance gate and the new, rectangular building replacing Hitler's former office.

Image courtesy of Google Earth

'Google Earth' satellite view of Panzer showing the theater and library.


Image courtesy of USArmyGermany.com

A summer place. The camp movie theater.

Image courtesy of USArmyGermany.com

Front entrance to the camp library.


Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

My mom with step-dad in Uniform.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Waiting in our car.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Breakfast with Gilbert in Frankfurt.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

My parents in Garmish.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Another photo from Garmish.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Saturday ay the Solitude Race Track Park.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

An American in Deutchland. My brother Jeff.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

At the Boblingen Pool with Suzy, Rose, Dale and Nick.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

At the Bella Vista Restaurant.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

We took advantage of the many miniature golf courses in Germany, in the early 60s.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

My passenger-seat view of downtown Sindelfingen.

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

My photo of the German Rettenburg twins, their mother and their American boyfriends Glen & Mark (NY & CA).

Copyright � 1960-2007 by Erik Wunstell

Standing in a base bowling alley.


From Sindelfingen to Sin City - Life in the Slow Lane

What Happens In Deutchland.....

Stays With You Forever.


Current SINDELFINGEN & LAS VEGAS Info

Map of Sindelfingen.

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