Sept. 2003 in Deutschland: Wunderbar!

We Made it a Vacation...

Although the plans for a reunion of the 33rd ABAA in Heidelberg went unfulfilled, Frank Schlatter, Association Secretary-Treasurer, and his wife Carole met up with Bill Lesher (54-56) on September 4 at the Hotel Zagreb in Schwetzingen, Germany, and, for the next 10 days, experienced glorious weather and a wide range of pleasures during their holiday in the fatherland.

The trip abounded with highlights: Renting a Citroen Xsara for the same weekly rate we were scheduled to pay for a car three levels lower; strolling along the Hauptstrasse in Heidelberg any number of times; partaking of all the fine German food (starting each day with a continental breakfast that included numerous choices); driving along the Neckar and Rhine Rivers (and stopping at various sites); visiting with friends who live in the Heidelberg area; attending rehearsals of the USAREUR Band and Chorus in their rehearsal hall in Thompkins Barracks; listening to and viewing a performance of selected USAREUR Chorus members and digging the gig of the USAREUR Dixieland Band at the Patrick Henry Village Community Center during the Land Combat Expo 2003; getting into Patton Barracks with the assistance of our friend LTC Pat Mulkey of the IG office and thus rekindling memories of our band billets, the service center, and the other buildings there; riding the Bergbahn up to Molkenkur and then busing up to the Konigstuhl; taking a guided tour of the Heidelberg Schloss; viewing the Castle Illumination; ferrying across the Rhine (at no cost); making some fun purchases for family members and close friends (and, for Frank, the purchase of a train for his Marklin layout); and--of course--making the acquaintance of some wonderful people, in particular the staff at the Hotel Zagreb and the members of the current band and chorus.

Because of the fine weather, we were able to take countless pictures. But even while taking the pictures, we knew that our photos couldn't begin to do justice to what we were seeing. Consequently, the pictures accompanying this newsletter can only be suggestions of what was actually experienced.

Obviously, this was not the first time in Germany for Bill and Frank, but it was Carole's first trip, and she has now repeatedly said that everywhere you look in Germany you get a postcard view--a sentiment that pretty much summarizes the September sojourn for the threesome. It was a picture postcard trip.

___________________________________________________________________________

If one or more individuals within the 33rd ABAA should eventually decide to plan a reunion in Heidelberg, the following recommendations may be of some value.

1. Although the Zagreb Hotel in Schwetzingen is an appropriate hotel for just a few people who have access to a rental car, the planners for a larger gathering should "bite the bullet" and hold the reunion in a Heidelberg hotel. It will be more expensive, but those in attendance will have easy access to the main attractions of Heidelberg.

2. Plan the basic reunion to last for only two days, with participants making their own personal plans for whatever other days they will be in Europe.

3. Consider centering the activities of the basic reunion on the use by each individual of the Heidelberg Card, which can be obtained from the information center at the Bahnhof for a 12 Euro rate for two days. (In a follow-up article in this newsletter, you can see what the card provides.)

4. Select the hotel for the reunion, but have every individual (on his or her own or with the aid of his or her travel agent) make the necessary reservation with the hotel for room accommodations.

5. Because individuals themselves can probably find the lowest going rates for air transportation, airline reservations should be made by each individual through his or her own travel agent or via the internet.

6. People interested in renting a car should realize that better deals for wheels can be obtained by reserving a car in advance from a local Heidelberg agency. (When one reserves a car at the airport, the cost is boosted to cover airport fees.) The Dollar rental agency--in Europe it's called Sixt Rent a Car --was used for the recent trip. The Heidelberg agency is located at Eppelheimerstrasse 50-C, telephone 49-6221-138-990. We got a very good deal on the diesel-fueled Citroen.

It should be noted that some credit card companies automatically insure rental cars. So if you decide to rent a car, you would be well-advised to have a credit card that will cover the cost if the car is in an accident or stolen.

___________________________________________________________________________

A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT PARKING GARAGES IN GERMANY

So as not to unduly frustrate German drivers who utilize the parking facilities in different locations about the city, American drivers need to know that in German garages you must pay immediately on returning to retrieve your car, NOT when driving out. One must put the ticket he or she got on arrival into the machine and pay the amount displayed. The individual then retrieves the ticket, goes to the car, and upon exiting, inserts the ticket in a slot to get the barrier raised.

The 33rd ABAA Secretary-Treasurer failed to get that information and, needless to say, a "situation" arose when the car he was driving was sandwiched between the barrier and the line of cars that developed behind his vehicle. That was embarrassing!

___________________________________________________________________________

The two-day Heidelberg Card provides free entrance to the Castle and a guided tour. It also provides for a trip on the funicular railway up to Molkenkur and, if the reunion is held in September, for the bus that takes you up to the Konigstuhl. It provides for a reduced rate for boat trips, for free rides on city busses and streetcars, entrance to Old Assembly Hall/Heidelberg University, the German pharmaceutical museum, the Student Prison, the Museum of the Palatinate, and the Ethnographical Museum. There are also other discounts, and if the card is fully utilized, it is a terrific bargain. The information booth at the bahnhof also provides tourists with a fine city guide/map.

___________________________________________________________________________

In the rehearsal session attended by Carole, Frank, and Bill, LTC Thomas H. Palmatier worked with the band on the following numbers:

The White Rose
William Tell Overture
Concert Fantasia (Clarinet solo)
Hudson River
Summer Time
Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Man With the Horn
Roller Coaster
Un Bel Dei

___________________________________________________________________________

Following the band rehearsal, Frank and Bill visited with the band historian and others interested in the band(s) from earlier times. A concern expressed to Frank, who himself has had archival material sent to him, had to do with the various artifacts that the band has accumulated over the years, namely, the plates and plaques of the various fests, exhibitions, competitions, and the like. Frank was told that the band does not have a place for all the "trophies," and when Frank was asked whether the 33rd ABAA would be interested in having them, Frank noted that there is no location at this time for such memorabilia. He emphatically--but graciously--rejected the offer for him to take the numerous materials home with him.

Frank did suggest that items from the historical records which the band has should occasionally be placed on the band's website so that former members of the band who frequent the website can see some of the data that may actually pertain to them and to their time with the band. For instance, one of the pictures that Frank found of interest (a picture he had not seen previously) showed a choral quartet (c.a. 1957) composed of Greg Miller, William Wordworth, Gene Karjala, and Tony Nigro.

Still another photo (this one will appear in a future Passing In Review) is of the chorus composed of band members, circa 1958.

Part of the problem with the pictures that the current band has in its archives is that those who are in the photographs very often are not identified. Perhaps, then, if the historian of the band or the band's webmaster should occasionally place pictures on the band site, members of the 33rd ABAA who view the photos may be able to make some needed identifications.

___________________________________________________________________________

NEW DIRECTORY OF 33RD ABAA PROJECTED

Members of Organization Encouraged to Send In Data Updates, Plus Views Regarding the Next Reunion

Since the last official directory of the 33rd ABAA is woefully out-of-date, the organization's Secretary-Treasurer is announcing plans to revise the document by the end of October. All persons associated with the organization are urged to provide Frank Schlatter, 3111 Futura, Roswell, NM 88201 (E-mail: obfusa@rt66.com) with the following current information:

The individual's name and the beginning and ending dates with the USAREUR Band.

The individual's street address, city, state, and zip code.

The individual's telephone number and e-mail address.

The instrument(s) played with the band, and/or the individual's responsibility with the band.

The Secretary-Treasurer would also like to have the views of the membership on when and where the next reunion of the association should be held. Please be as specific as possible, naming one or more specific cities and dates.

Please try to get the above information to Frank by October 20.

The 33rd Army Band Alumni Association is a not-for-profit organization that has been developed to provide a means for former members of the USAREUR Band to be in contact with one another via the quarterly newsletter Passing In Review and through periodic reunions. The organization's website: http://www.rt66.com/~obfusa/33rd. Webmaster for the site: Dee Tonning, 2265 Tawny Woods Pl., Boise, ID 83706. E-mail: dtonning@aol.com

Persons who are not former members of the 33rd Army Band but who are interested in participating in the activities of the alumni association are welcome as associate members. Annual dues for all members: $15, payable to the 33rd ABAA and sent to the Secretary-Treasurer.

Secretary-Treasurer, Membership, and Newsletter Editor: Frank Schlatter, Addresses given earlier.

___________________________________________________________________________

The following are pictures taken at the Heidelberg Reunion

Old 33rd Billets at Patton Barracks

On The Hauptstrasse

Bergbahn

. .

Hotel ZumRitter

.

Old Bridge

________________________________________________________