
Volkssturman
I had a wonderful time at “The Alpen Hof German Restaurant” on Saturday night June 6, 2009. The Alpen Hof is located on Morgantown Road in Reading, Pa. It is only three miles from the Mid Atlantic Air Museum.
The occasion for my being there was that our German reenacting unit “The Kaiserlautern Volks Sturm” was having a dinner party to celebrate two promotions. Mine to Sgt. Gruppenfuhrer (group leader), and Jim Barnes to Lt. Zugfuhrer der 2.Ko.15/1 Kaiserlautern Volks Sturm.
The Volkssturm was initated on October 18, 1944 so, at that late stage of the war, supplies were limited. Therefore, part of our table were dressed in proper German military uniforms, other were in captured Russian uniforms or a mix of civilian and military fashions. See the attached group photograph.
We noticed a sign posted on the outside wall of the restaurant “come see World War II period soldiers dressed in uniforms this week end”.
Once seated at our table we were serenaded by a Bavarian (in period Bavarian trachten kleid) playing the accordion. He had just finished his presentation when I asked him to play “Lilli Marleen”, which he did as I sang the words in German: Vor der Kaserne, vor dem grossen Tor, stand eine Laterne und steht sie noch davor, so wollen wir uns da wiedersehen bei der Laterne wollen wir steh’n wie einst Lilli Marleen, wie Einst Lilli Marleen.
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