After thirty nine years of thought on the subject I have decided to put into words some of the experiences of my days in the U. S. Army. At the time in 1970, I was a specialist with the 7th Armored Division, at the ripe old age of 20. One of my duties included helping to patrol a 200 mile stretch of the East-West border of Germany. At that time we still had the so-called Cold War going on.

     The winters were horrible, cold, windy and lots of snow. Our team had the honor of patrolling the border between East and West Germany. We were just observers. We got to observe snow, ice and bitter cold. Our main outpost was designated Oscar Papa 21. This snug little retreat consisted of two metal buildings and an observation tower about seventy-five feet high. The complex  was powered at night with a diesel generator that worked occasionally. The tiny barracks of tin was heated by a kerosene stove that was not too effective when the temperatures plunged to minus twenty five degrees.

    Two weeks at a time were spent here watching the border and going out on patrols at two a.m. each day. we spent twelve hour shifts in the tower when we were not out patrolling the border. Each time the watch would change there was a Standard Operating Procedure Manual we had to consult for our daily secure radio codes and passwords.

Being a very thorough and thoughtful soldier, I read the manual cover to cover each night before my watch. On one particular night as I was doing my required reading, a loose page fell out. Wondering what I might have missed, I grabbed it off of the floor of the tower. The page read as follows ” Please find in the lower right hand drawer of the desk one wooden stake and /or one silver bullet to be used in case of vampires and/or local crazies”. As of this day thirty nine years later I still ponder who it was that added the page. no one would admit to placing it there, and the page remained for all the time I was stationed in that desolate area. I have my suspicions Sargent Mccrary!

Franklin F. Flood SP/5 U. S. Army 1970