Friedberg and Bad Nauheim, Hessen mean a great deal to me. My path there was not planned and I was simply assigned there once I arrived in Rhein-Main. I was not aware of the area or town before getting off the bus in 1981. If fact, the only reason I was in German was that I traded assignments with another soldier in basic training who wanted to remain in the US, so I volunteered to take his assignment. Now looking back on that decision, it was the best decision in my life!

I was lucky, as I was fortunate to be stationed at Ray Barracks while Elvis's former barber still worked there cutting our hair, he had photos and the stories he would tell. I had not known of Elvis's time here until I went to the mess hall which was named the Elvis A. Presley Dining Faciltiy. Awesome I thought.

On our last day in Germany, before flying to Fort Stewart as a young couple. With no real plans outside of being together, we started our path in the world.

Since after three times stationed (a repeat feat!) at Ray Barracks, I left the US Army in Germany in 1992, after the gulf war where I was deployed during desert shield and storm. When I left the military, I requested that I be allowed to leave the US Army in Germany, known as a "European Out", as some soldiers who had German spouses could choose to do. like one of my soldiers who married a girl from Bad Nauheim as I did, unfortunately, he died after leaving the military and I visit his grave every time I visit Bad Nauheim.

When I left the US Army, the very next day I started working at the "Computer Center - Freidberg" where I worked for about two years, then onto larger roles locally, then in Wiesbaden, then Munich and Frankfurt Niederad. I worked as in the German economy from 1992 until 1999 when I returned to the United States working for Cisco Systems. By the way, all of our kids were born at the Hochwald Krankenhaus