MEMORIES ROSE BOAN

MEMORIES ROSE BOAN-CEDOLA

First let me apologize to all, because I am terrible at remembering names... so those of you that I knew and don't mention... it's not because I've forgotten you, but it is because I've forgotten names... I would recognize you if I saw you lol

My family and I arrived on Camp King around the end of February beginning of March in 1977. We had to attend my Grandmother's funeral upon arriving in Country, and had to get special permission to get off the plane in Koln, instead of Frankfurt (due to Frankfurt of course being fogged in.)

At first we lived upstairs in the temp quarters in building 1049, under the roof, the one with the 8 bedrooms, and long hallway, a door to A and B stairwell. We had a German Shepard, named Shanna, who would run down the hallway to whichever door had been knocked on. It was fun to watch because she would try to stop about halfway to the door and slide the rest of the way. Towards the end of our stay in those temp quarters she had it down pact and would actually stop before bumping into the doors.

We finally got our permanent quarters, also in building 1049 apartment A-1. It was great. We had a neighbor that lived across the hall from us, Mrs. McClelland. My mother and her would go up to the woods to take the dogs for a walk everyday, rain, shine or even snow! I still have some pictures. Well she was a sweet woman, but to us kids she was the neighbor from hell. She was the neighbor that all kids dread, she knew everything and everyone. She could tell you what each and everyone of us had done, where we had been, and with who.

I remember the bus stop where all of us kids waited on the school bus to come. The bus of course would turn around in the parking lot. The bowling Alley, the small PX where Kenny Johnson's mother worked, the small commissary, the one room beauty shop, where Jimmy and Jerry Reed's mother worked, as well as the library, and the Gym. I remember the Club behind the bowling Alley, where as a member of a band we played, and the DYA hosted a dance there.

The DYA was the greatest. We hung out there playing pool, fussball, listening to music, or just hanging. I remember we had a temporary director one time that taught some of us, some pool tricks. I also remember being one of the ones that painted the album covers on the walls of the rooms... The DYA sponsored concert trips and my first concert I attended was Foreigner. Laurent White, Kenny Johnson, Mark Sanders, the Copeland Boys, and a bunch of others all went. It was amazing... I also felt proud of myself when the DYA nominated me to go to a Fitness program that all of the DYA's participated down in Berschtesgarden. We went down there for the weekend, and I remember the bus had an accident... one of the German busses or trucks took the mirror off of our bus! We stayed in the hotel that Hitler put up all of his guests in, and remember we kids would run around after the chaperones went to bed.

I graduated from Frankfurt American High School in 1979, along with my fellow graduates, and Camp Kingers, my best friend Sharon Dishner, Greg Copeland, Dean Greenhoe, Pat Taylor and Susan Krueger. After graduation I had a job at the DYA as the Arts and Crafts instructor. Remember the leather kit wallets, and the basket weaving, and who can forget macramé. Yes for a few weeks I got to teach the children of Camp King. I also did a lot of baby sitting...

I joined the bowling league with my mother. It was a team of women, I believe Greg's and Kenny's mom were also members, against three teams of men. You have to remember there were only four lanes, and Camp King was a small post. Camp King is also where I met my first love, Jimmy Reed. He was a musician and still is. I also met my soul sister Beverly Morgan. Jimmy, Jerry, Beverly, Cammack and I used to hang out a lot... and we started a band. The band was called Gold Rush, and included a friend of Jimmy's named Mike (here's where I forget the names) played lead guitar, Cammack was on the drums, another soldier by the name of Blanson played bass, we had a female soldier for a while who was the lead singer, and Beverly and me. I believe Ginny Collins was apart of the band as well for a while. But in the end it was just Jimmy, Mike, Cammack, Blanson, Beverly and me. We had so much fun. We did a concert for German-American day, we played at the Club, and in the Church up on the hill. I can remember Jimmy and I doing a duet on Amazing Grace.

Another great pastime was the movies. I remember when Star Wars was first released. My brother Billy and Robert Greenhoe worked at the concession stand, and I was allowed to help take tickets. I got to watch Star Wars like 12 times, because they had two showings for like 4 days in a row. I also remember when Jimmy started working there. ( I have some really good memories of the back storage room then *giggles*)

Another pass time for us kids was to walk down the street and go to the Pizzeria, and for us older ones to go right around the corner of the Pizzeria and behind it, to the UHU, and drink beer from a boot. Those were such wonderful days.