Nürnberg American High School

"Far beyond the walls of Nürnberg........." and depending on which version of the song you wanted to sing, you supplied the appropriate lyrics.  Not only has it been "far beyond the walls", but it's also been a LONG time.  There's a certain amount of PRIDE that goes along with having attended a school in a country most people only read about, and fewer ever actually get to experience.

My experience started back in October of 1966.  My father, being a career Army person, preferred to be somewhere else than his assignment at the time, which ironically, is where I live today.  He managed to be assigned to Germany, some off the wall place called Baumholder.  We flew Trans Caribbean Airlines from McGuire AFB, NJ to Frankfurt, Germany sometime in May of 1967.  My father was assigned to an armored battalion in the 8th Infantry Division.  He wasn't pleased.  Every couple of months, his unit had to travel to the other side of West Germany (oh yes!  the Cold War!) to another off-the-wall place called Grafenwöhr.  This was where everyone trained in Germany at the time, run by the 7th Army.  While at "Graf", dad found a place nearby called the 7th Army Combined Arms School; it was located in Vilseck.  Okay, to make the long story short, we finally wound up in Vilseck because they taught everything my dad tested with the M60 tank.  Hence, he was a wealth of knowledge on the subject.

One major problem with Vilseck, no high school.  The closest high school was about 2 hrs away in Nürnberg.  Long way to travel everyday - but wait!  Being that far from the closest school had it's advantages.  There was a dormitory right next to the school!  Leave Vilseck on Monday morning (talk about 0-dark-thirty!), stay in the Dorm during the week and get back to Vilseck sometime around 6pm Friday evenings.  For a 15-16 year old male, this was way cool!  Learned a lot during those times.  About myself, about other people, about life.

The Dorm had kids from several installations.  Some were Army posts, like Vilseck, Graf, Bindlach, Amberg.  There was one Air Force base represented that I can remember - Hof.  Hof was unique.  They were the furthest away, so they came to the Dorm on Sunday evenings!  I believe there was a second base or post that joined the Sunday evening ranks in '69 or '70, but with age has come forgetfulness.  I can't remember the other installation.  Living in the Dorm, we had roommates.  In the beginning of the year, they were assigned, but after a couple weeks, we were allowed to switch to someone we knew, if all the other logistics were smoothed out.

Made some good friends in Germany, specifically at Nürnberg.  But, being "dufflebag babies", we all knew there would come a time when we would leave.  Normal "tours" lasted about 3 years.  Some of us only lasted 1 year or 2 years.  My years at Nürnberg were during the '68-'69 and '69-'70 school years.  Great times they were!  Field trip with the Dorm to Rottenberg, Germany in December of '68 and there was the annual "Cruise down the Rhine" each spring, as well as concert trips to Meistersingerhälle, for Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, the BeeGees (when they were popular the first time!), Ray Charles and Wilson Pickett.

Okay, we've walked down Memory Lane - where's the time gone?  We're all older now, gray hair, glasses (bifocals, no less!  progressive, no lines), put on a few pounds, gone through a marriage or two, kids - but I still look at my pictures and the memories and feelings come flooding back.  Mary - my first major love whom I still have contact with, Jeff Shifflett from Hof - Best Man for my FIRST marriage (where are you Jeff?), Vint Wilson who is the '71 Class Rep for NHS Alumni - Man, I can still remember having problems in Mr. Wilson's Geometry class!  And many more, too numerous to mention.  Check out the links below, register with NHS Alumni Association if you haven't already, and let people YOU know find you!  

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