On August 24, 2018, about 100 MI Reunion attendees from the States and numerous guests of honor assembled in the Town Hall for the reception by the City of Augsburg. At the suggestion of the Amerika in Augsburg e.V. society, Lord Mayor Dr. Kurt Gribl had invited the ex-servicemen of the Field Station to a festive welcome in the splendid Golden Hall.
In his speech, Lord Mayor Dr. Gribl recalled the history of the American Forces’ presence in Germany, before he dealt in detail with their presence in Augsburg during the Cold War, and before he emphasized the AiA society’s endeavor with regard to the safekeeping and active support of international understanding. He accentuated particularly that all visitors should enter their names in the available guest book.
Stephen Ibelli, Munich’s US Consul, Public Affairs Office, took the podium as a further speaker. Covering for Consul General Meghan Gregonis he greeted his fellow countrymen and women with a remarkable speech. Last but not least, the reunion’s representative and organizer Vic McFadden had the opportunity to thank in moving words for the invitation and to deal with the personal memories and impressions of his Augsburg tour of duty.
Finally, AiA chairmen Max Lohrmann and Georg Feuerer thanked the American guests, alternately in German and in English, for their long journeys, as well as the City of Augsburg and the Munich Consulate for their organized cooperation. Everything was obviously enriched by several Royal Bavarian military historians / reenactors.
The following reception offered numerous opportunities for conversations to get to know each other and for photographic memories. Quite a few Americans, male and female, appeared in traditional Bavarian costume to express their inviolable closeness to Bavaria. Augsburg and America again forged a bond of transatlantic unity. It is a pity that the local newspaper did not mention this event at all.
