Chapter 24
Frank and
Lacy brought Jarom home from the hospital the next day. It was Friday and the other children were in
school, so the parents had an intimate opportunity to speak with their son
about his reckless behavior. He acknowledged that he had been wrong and
apologized, but somehow they knew that his ingrained stubbornness was something
they would have to help him control until he was on his own.
The day
before had ended well. The German and American political leaders were still
deciding how to deal with the release of information about the tunnel system
and its contents, but Frank expected world-wide interest in the coming week.
After the meeting was concluded, everyone wanted to see the tunnels. Lacy was
surprised to find her house filled with dignitaries, all trooping through her
living room and up her stairs. Headlamps and flashlights were furnished to all,
and they all climbed down the ladder into the tunnel system. Frank led them to
the three storage chambers where they were surprised by the quantity of the
ammunition, marveled at the artwork and the gold, and were aghast at the
underground tomb. The system was too vast for the group to explore, and they
climbed out through the James residence.
General Sheldon put the Provost Marshal in charge of securing the
tunnels, and the boys were right: As soon as the Army knew about the tunnels,
they were not invited back into them.
Marius and his wife came to visit Jarom that afternoon and Marius expressed his deep regret for what he had done. Of course it was understood that if Jarom had been obedient, he never would have been in jeopardy.
Marius and his wife came to visit Jarom that afternoon and Marius expressed his deep regret for what he had done. Of course it was understood that if Jarom had been obedient, he never would have been in jeopardy.
The family
didn’t have to move out of their quarters, but the engineers did come and
fasten the floor of their upstairs closet down. Permanently.
Afterword
The Mannheim military community did
exist as it has been described. My family and I were stationed there from
1990-1993. Construction on BFV housing was begun in 1951 and Grant Circle was
built in 1956-57. The German World War II bases became the American kasernes
which were all in use until recently. Taylor Barracks and Turley Barracks were
given back to the German people in 2010, Ben Franklin Village in 2012, Coleman
Barracks in 2013, Spinelli Barracks in 2013 and Funari Barracks in 2013. US Army Garrison Mannheim was formally
deactivated on 31 May 2011.
BASF, now the largest chemical
company in the world, originated as a gasworks and dye manufacturer in 1865.
During World War I, they were a supplier of fuel and components for explosives
to the German army. In World War II, BASF merged with several other companies
to form IG Farben. IG Farben notoriously used slave labor in their factories
and produced synthetic rubber, gasoline, fertilizer, ammonia and most
infamously Zyklon-B. The Allies dissolved IG Farben after the war and many of
its directors were tried for war crimes. BASF was refounded under its own name
in 1952.
The Abandoned Ammunition Arsenal in
the Kafertal Wald is still on the map, though there are no buildings on the
site.
As far as I know there are no
tunnels under the BFV area, although in researching for this book, I discovered
long-held rumors about World War II tunnels under Coleman Barracks that have
never been substantiated.
I know of no cave system or of an
underground river beneath the Kafertal Wald.
Gefar! Zugang für Unbefugte verboten in
English is: Danger! Unauthorized Access Forbidden
Geben Sie die Hoffnung, die ihr hier eingeben in English is : Abandon hope, All ye who enter
here.
Kein Eintritt in English is: No Entry
The buffalo outside Mannheim
American High School was placed there as a result of my son, Robert’s Eagle
Scout Project. While driving through
Munich in 1992, our family recognized an abandoned American military housing
area. On one corner, we noticed a huge concrete buffalo with broken horns, but
recognizable. On our return to Mannheim, he contacted American Army officials
who contacted German officials. He learned that the buffalo had been a gift
from the people of Munich to the Americans that lived there. Since no Americans
still lived there, the government eventually agreed that it could be moved to
Mannheim to serve as the emblem of the high school whose mascot was the bison.
Coordination was made for a US Army heavy equipment transport to move the
weighty buffalo, for the German Army to lift it from its location in Munich and
load it onto the transport, and for an American Army crane to set it in place
at the high school. Its horns were repaired and a concrete pad in front of the
school was later built to accommodate the statue, and it was moved there. Now,
once again, the Americans have moved on and the buffalo remains.
If you zoom in from here, you can see the buffalo guarding
the front of the school
Sources
A surprising amount of research is
necessary to write a book that is coherent and believable. Whether this story
is coherent and believable is, of course, your judgment. Some useful links that
give a more complete picture of the Mannheim area and life on the military
installations follow:
Ben Franklin Village: The various kasernes are highlighted
on this map with BFV on center
A better quality
satellite image of the same area without the labels
Maps of the Mannheim kasernes, photos of the installations
General information about Mannheim
Mannheim history and pictures
BASF
IG Farben
Everything you ever wanted to know about Zyklon B
And Cyanide poisoning
Great article about Mannheim, Kafertal area. Learned some more today. I got married by Standesamt in Kafertal. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI went to Mannheim American High School in 68 thru 70..From BFV I would ride my bike into the woods and go to a popular site with teens known as the bunkers There were 2 hanger type affairs half filled with dirt that sloped so we sat inside and could light bonfiress. Rails went out from them for guns I was told. Any pics and info as to their history would be appreciated
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