European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 19, 1973, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday november 19, 1973 the stars and stripes Page 19 Modem living a get acquainted dinner Between German Hagen Hoehnke and spec. 4 Bill Rhame has led to a very close Friendship. Here Hoehnke left and wife Helga talk with Rhame and wife Bobbie. Repaying kindness with Friendship or our american son and daughter Story and photos by Bob Milham Stuttgart Bureau chief a year ago Hagen Hoehnke knew no americans. Few . Soldiers came to the Stuttgart suburb of Waiblinger where Hagen lives with his wife Helga and two daughters. Most of the american caverns Are scattered in other parts of this German City. Today things Are different. Hagen and his Friend spec. 4 Bill Rhame of he Vii corps at Kelley Barracks Are in separable. When Rhame went to Texas to be married this summer Hagen went along to be Best Man. Now the Hoehnke proudly introduce Rhame and his Bride Bobbie As our american son and Daugh  what happened a Little understanding says Hagen. A lot of kindness says Bill. We read in the German paper last Christmas about homesick Ameri can soldiers says Hagen. So i called Vii corps Headquarters to ask if a i new to Germany would like to spend the holidays with my family. My English was t very Good but they under  Rhame who had been Here Only three weeks and was spending his first Christ Mas away from his family in Corpus Christi Texas eagerly accepted. The Hoehnke picked him up at the Kelley bar Racks Gate dec. 18 for a get acquainted dinner. That first night says Hagen we Learned Bill was a texan. We were so sur prised. Like Many germans we thought texans were As we saw them in the movies tall with Cowboy boots and hats and pistols. We asked him if his father was a rancher. He said no Rhame said the Hoehnke were also shocked that his Twenty years did not yet entitle him to drink Beer in the states. They just could t believe it he says. Dinner was at a Gasthaus Bill says and it was t especially Good. But the Hoehnke were Good sports about it. They put me at ease. I was trying to use my silverware like i had seen them do which is different from the Way i Learned at Home. They told me to eat Normal " when Bill arrived at the Hoehnke Home for Christmas three Days later there was a sign Over the doorway in English a Hearty Welcome  i Felt at Home from the Start says Rhame. They just took me in like a rela  Helga spoke no English and Bill spoke no German but she communicated her Welcome with a hot dish of sch Wabian spaetzle hand made noodles. She was worried about what to fix says Hagen. I told her German food. This is a German household hell eat it if he s  Bill still beams at Hagen and Helga when he talks about their first Christmas together. I loved it it was Home away from Home. I d never seen real candles on a Christmas tree. And the kids and the wine toasts. A real family Christmas. They brought me Back for new year s. By then we were All Good friends we had a real family Blowout. When it was time to go new year s Day you could just feel it in the air. Momma Helga started to cry. I had to go in the other room cause my eyes got  i should explain says Hagen that bringing Bill into our House was partly meant to repay a kindness Given Many years ago. I was born in a part of Germany that is now Poland. My father was in world War ii and my family had to move because of the bombing to Schleswig Holstein. We had no relatives there no Home we were strangers. It was a hard time for us. My brother got sick because there was not enough to eat and no Wood to Cook with. Mostly we ate raw cabbage. One Day my Mother got a parcel we did t know from who but the return address was in the United states. Inside was White bread Honey chocolate for us it was like Christmas. It was the first time in a Long while my sick brother had his Stom Ach filled. From week to week we got other pack Ages All from addresses in the states. Some Day i hoped i could give Back a Little to thank the unknown  during the holidays the Hoehnke took Bill on their traditional Christmas visit to their relatives around Stuttgart and at each Stop Bill was Given a pre sent As our relative from the  afterwards Hagen helped Bill carry his Box loads of gifts to his Barracks room. I had never seen one before says Hagen. I told Helga it did t look too Good. I understand the army s problems Here and Bill told me some of the problems of the Barracks. My wife and i asked him to come live with us like a  Bill began spending each weekend with the Hoehnke in january. The daughters Angelika 16, and Elke 12, fixed up a room for him upstairs and moved in together downstairs. To make the daily trip from the Hoehnke s Home to Kelley Barracks easier Hagen s brother Uwe bought Bill a used Volkswagen and deferred repay ment until he sold the car. Now with transportation Bill moved in permanently in february. At night Bill helped out in the two neigh boyhood movie Heaters which the Hoehnke manage As an usher. My Ger Man now included Vorne and Hinten says Bill. Front and  after closing the Heaters at 11, Bill and Hagen would talk and relax. We would stay up till 2 . Talking says Hagen. Bill corrected my picture of Texas and his Home country. We Dis cussed the differences in our nations our ways of life. We had no political talks i Don t understand about the . Govern ment. We talked about our families mostly and i would push him to write Home. And Helga would always ask me what did you eat today says Bill. If i told her nothing or i just had something at the continued on Page 20