The other morning, the men shiveringly packed up their clothes.
For breakfast we had a hearty warm soup, hot tea, rolls from the day before yesterday, and canned sausage. Our chef and his two assistants deserve great praise.
Around noon we went in the mot. March towards home. Weapons deliver and change. Late Sunday afternoon I was finally back home.
One or two days after each exercise, all weapons had to be checked for cleanliness and function by predetermined colleagues.
This time I had to report for a follow-up inspection and was supposed to report to my commander afterwards. ‘Another one of those special tasks that nobody wants to do,’ I thought.
But my boss surprised me with wonderful news: My twenty-five years of service were ending, and I was to be ceremoniously discharged before the end of the year.
To be honest, at that moment I did not know at all when I had become a member of the combat group, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.
‘Of course, we’d like you to volunteer to stay because we’d like to train you to be a hundred-man leader,’ my commander said, adding sympathetically, ‘You have plenty of experience.’
‘I’ll think about it and discuss the offer with my wife,’ I replied evasively. ‘Not a second longer!’ I thought quietly, and that evening I told Chris of the good news.
Although everything was finally to be over after so many years and my release was imminent, the question of under what circumstances I had become a member of the battle group preoccupied me, and I tried to remember: In 1962, I had already worked at the chemical plant for over ten years.
My vocational training as a welder, the modern apartment, years of solid medical and social care, sports, the chemical combo, and all my leisure activities, were all closely related to the plant.
Therefore, I thought it was important to form an organized group as an extended plant and disaster protection group, did not want to stand on the sidelines, and volunteered.
Our uniform at that time consisted of blue coats with red armbands. There was no talk of military training or armament. A year later I was delegated to study, and membership was suspended for four years.
During this time, what I then considered to be an expanded plant guard developed into an armed military unit nationwide. As a typical war child, affected by the terrible events of that time, I would never have voluntarily joined a military formation.
For this reason, I rejected my commander’s proposal. To substantiate my refusal, I pointed out that my wife urgently needed me to care for our premature baby. Without further discussion, I was discharged that same year.
In front of the enlisted hundred, I received the medal ‘For 25 years of loyal service in the battle group’ and, as a farewell gift, a wristwatch engraved ‘Honorary gift of the central committee of the Socialist Unity Party’.
Furthermore, as a pensioner I was entitled to an additional 100 marks per month. I am sure that almost all my colleagues envied me at that hour. Not because of the awards, of course! 𝓣𝓸 𝓑𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓮𝓭…
This is a supporter-funded publication. To receive new contributions and promote my work, become a subscriber: