Mark Hofman
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Just got this from the head of our chaplaincy program:
This was written by the wife of the Commanding General, United States Army Europe and 7th Army (General B.B. Bell) in Germany.
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Dear Family,
We are so grateful for your concern and for your prayers. Most of our German friends are so puzzled by their government's decision. The hoards of demonstrators we have had are, for the most part, young. The older folks know how we saved Europe some 60 years ago. My opinion is that the younger generations see us as having everything they want. I am convinced that their hatred stems from envy, on several layers.
There have been, lately, instances of Americans being heckled in towns. These incidents have not been anything but words. Americans are cautioned to keep a low profile and we are warned to stay away from some areas, like Hamburg, but we mainly go about business as usual. If any of this changes B. B. may have to put certain places off limits. I believe that we will see some repositioning of our troops in Europe in the next year or two or three. .
To answer your question, Anne, I feel safe. As I have told all of you, this house is a fenced (with barbed wire) compound behind B. B.'s office building. There are MPs on the gate all the time. And the gate can only be opened by them or by our remotes. So we are safe that way. B. B. never drives. He has a driver and a bodyguard that ride with him and there are what are called, "chase cars" in front of him and in back.
I have been pretty much free to come and go as I pleased until about a week ago. That is when I was assigned a bodyguard. She drives me everywhere I go now and though she is just darling and wonderful, it is a pain to have to plan instead of just going spontaneously. I don't know how long we will have this arrangement. I hope it is not for too long for both our sakes.
I want to tell you all about today. Today was a defining moment for me; it ranks with my wedding day and the day Buck was born as a day so meaningful that I am filled with too much emotion to handle. B.B. and I went to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, one of the three Army hospitals left in Germany. As you all know this hospital is where almost all injured soldiers are brought from operations in the Middle East. We arrived there around 1:30, were briefed by the hospital commander about the patients we would see and then headed up to the second floor.
The first patient we saw had had his hand crushed. It was wrapped up in bandages as thick as a pillow but you could see the black fingers. They are trying to save it. He faces skin grafts and maybe worse if they can't save it. He was medivaced from Kuwait a week ago and two days ago his wife gave birth to their second child in Weiden, Germany. His was anxious to see her and the baby, to get well and to head back to the front. He did not complain at all about his pain and had such a positive attitude.
The next fellow we saw was a marine who had been run over by a tank in the desert. Only the softness of the sand saved his life. His entire pelvic area was crushed, creating many urology nightmares. He has had a colostomy and faces months of surgeries. The Docs believe he can fully recover, a miracle if you think about the tonnage that rolled over him. He was absolutely adorable. He was from Kansas and he and B.B. got into pheasant and deer hunting right away. His spirits are good and he kept trying to sit up tall in the bed even though it was apparent he was in pain. He kept asking about his unit, "where are they?", "How close to Baghdad?" B.B. asked me to leave the room a couple of times so that he could talk top-secret stuff with this soldier.
The next fellow we saw was from Alabama. A bullet entered his lower abdomen and traveled up and exited through his back. He was on oxygen but pulled the mask off and refused to put it bac
This was written by the wife of the Commanding General, United States Army Europe and 7th Army (General B.B. Bell) in Germany.
==========================================
Dear Family,
We are so grateful for your concern and for your prayers. Most of our German friends are so puzzled by their government's decision. The hoards of demonstrators we have had are, for the most part, young. The older folks know how we saved Europe some 60 years ago. My opinion is that the younger generations see us as having everything they want. I am convinced that their hatred stems from envy, on several layers.
There have been, lately, instances of Americans being heckled in towns. These incidents have not been anything but words. Americans are cautioned to keep a low profile and we are warned to stay away from some areas, like Hamburg, but we mainly go about business as usual. If any of this changes B. B. may have to put certain places off limits. I believe that we will see some repositioning of our troops in Europe in the next year or two or three. .
To answer your question, Anne, I feel safe. As I have told all of you, this house is a fenced (with barbed wire) compound behind B. B.'s office building. There are MPs on the gate all the time. And the gate can only be opened by them or by our remotes. So we are safe that way. B. B. never drives. He has a driver and a bodyguard that ride with him and there are what are called, "chase cars" in front of him and in back.
I have been pretty much free to come and go as I pleased until about a week ago. That is when I was assigned a bodyguard. She drives me everywhere I go now and though she is just darling and wonderful, it is a pain to have to plan instead of just going spontaneously. I don't know how long we will have this arrangement. I hope it is not for too long for both our sakes.
I want to tell you all about today. Today was a defining moment for me; it ranks with my wedding day and the day Buck was born as a day so meaningful that I am filled with too much emotion to handle. B.B. and I went to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, one of the three Army hospitals left in Germany. As you all know this hospital is where almost all injured soldiers are brought from operations in the Middle East. We arrived there around 1:30, were briefed by the hospital commander about the patients we would see and then headed up to the second floor.
The first patient we saw had had his hand crushed. It was wrapped up in bandages as thick as a pillow but you could see the black fingers. They are trying to save it. He faces skin grafts and maybe worse if they can't save it. He was medivaced from Kuwait a week ago and two days ago his wife gave birth to their second child in Weiden, Germany. His was anxious to see her and the baby, to get well and to head back to the front. He did not complain at all about his pain and had such a positive attitude.
The next fellow we saw was a marine who had been run over by a tank in the desert. Only the softness of the sand saved his life. His entire pelvic area was crushed, creating many urology nightmares. He has had a colostomy and faces months of surgeries. The Docs believe he can fully recover, a miracle if you think about the tonnage that rolled over him. He was absolutely adorable. He was from Kansas and he and B.B. got into pheasant and deer hunting right away. His spirits are good and he kept trying to sit up tall in the bed even though it was apparent he was in pain. He kept asking about his unit, "where are they?", "How close to Baghdad?" B.B. asked me to leave the room a couple of times so that he could talk top-secret stuff with this soldier.
The next fellow we saw was from Alabama. A bullet entered his lower abdomen and traveled up and exited through his back. He was on oxygen but pulled the mask off and refused to put it bac
