European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 30, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Damn Tusori Toft and Robert Schwarzkopf Elk to Meta Robbor plot had to Transfer Mut from a holding Ink to Tytlar. Tut Tolt pot Tor a . By Betty Bell staff writer Owre you Gonna keep am Down on the Arm ask Lor volunteers. For More than 10 years soldiers have been working with German Farmers to overcome the summer season s labor shortage. Through the farm help program soldiers spend about three weeks away from their units living with Arm families and helping to pick bail haul and Harvest during the Busy season the formers provide free room and Board Lor the soldiers the soldiers provide free labor to the Farmers. The program which began in Fulda in 1975 with soldiers visiting farms Tor one weak periods has spread to other communities around Germany said Renate Stieber Fulda Public affairs officer. The soldiers like the program and have established some lasting relationships with their farm families. We had one marriage a few years ago and another is expected this fall she said. Soldiers Don t have to have a farming background to participate in the program. In Aschaffenbur soldiers spend three to four weeks with a farm family. When my platoon sergeant asked Lor volunteers to wok on a German Arm. I volunteered right away. I wanted to get out and meet germans this was a Way to do it said spec 4 Vincent Burnett of he co. 1 St in 7th inf. Burnett lives with the Juergen Nuss family and travels with Nuss to his horse Arm seven Days a week. "1 go into the Fields work in the Garden water the pigs and feed the horses he said i come from Birmingham Ala. Most people think it s All farm country but this is my first farm  pfc. Curtis j. Wolle of co d. 1 St in. 7th inf. 3rd inf div grew up on a Grain farm in Clay Oil Iii. Pretty near ail my life i be been taking care of animals and planting and harvesting in the Fields. This 30.1986 was a lot like being Home. I liked the program a lot it was like a  Wolfe spent one week helping his Arm sponsor build a Duck House for 1,000 baby ducks and the next two weeks picking strawberries. The first couple of Days 1 ate a lot of strawberries after a while i got tired of them but the food was great. They Butcher their own meals. Every Day there s something different to do he said. One Day somebody drove the tractor Inlo a Pond and we had to fish it out. Nobody s talking about who did it. Ii was a lot of work but i had a lot of fun Walla said spec. 4 Carroll l. Tullock of service Bury 1 St in 80th Field arty has participated in the farm help program twice. Two years ago he was with the null family on their horse farm. This summer his farm sponsor Robert Schwarzkopf raises beef cattle i went to the Slaughter House on my first Day out  Tullock said. Here i was in a White Shin and Tennis shoes watching a  on Schwarzkopf s farm nearly 80 cattle housed in special holding pens Are fed and fattened for in months before Slaughter. Tullock feeds and Waters the animals and lends a hand cleaning out the stalls. The ongoing Challenge for most of the soldiers is finding ways to communicate Wilh their German sponsors. Burnett spoke mostly Wilh Nuss Wile. Henny who Speaks some English. Wolfe said he and his sponsor communicated through hand signals and a German English dictionary. Although Schwarzkopf Speaks no English and Tullock Little German they have Tew problems communicating. I understand him Tullock said i Don t know How i do but i understand what he s talking about. When we have a problem we get the Book  Schwarzkopf praised the program and the soldiers who be worked Wilh him. This is his second year with the program and Tullock is his fourth Soldier Darrell finds work to do without being asked. He s s&5 Elwo by Tiow Metzge Alvincent Burnett Foteff pig on Jat Ryen nuts Hart Arm in Vachat Fenbury. Self motivated. You can Tell he s worked before on the farm Schwarzkopf said. Schwarzkopf s wife said Darren eats everything we put before  a Soldier who worked Wilh the Schwarzkopf a married a local German woman and still visits the farm. Every Lime he comes we have a Little fest Schwarzkopf said it s a Good program and americans arc Insl like any other people. There s lots to do especially an saturdays and sundays and we would have to Hue someone else Schwarzkopf said. Nuss said the program has been a Good experience for his family and his farm. Although he rents horses 10 american riders the program has Given him More personal Contact with americans. Nuss said his 7-year-old daughter Sonja Learned to count from one of the solders and has become very attached to the american visitors. Sonja was 4 years old when the first farm help Soldier came. She cried when ii was time for him to leave her Mother said. The Little children Are real curious Burnett said. The Nuss family made me feel welcomed they re real Nice  there Are no losers in this program Sake col. Julius f. Johnson Aschaffenbur Community commander. The German family the Soldier goes out to help learns a great Deal about the american Soldier. The Soldier gains a perspective of the attitudes and mores of the German family and brings Hal knowledge Back to soldiers in his unit. The family evaluates the Soldier and he evaluates them. It s an appreciation for each Ether s role and position in life. The work ethic is established when a Young Soldier sees the tremendous amount of work that must be done on the farm Johnson said. The More we understand each other the better we can live together. The key is  the stars and stripes Pago 15