European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Visit to Tacky s relatives but travel within West Germany has been limited to visits to Nurnberg and Rothenburg Bruemmer 22. Iron Houston Texas arrived in West Germany last april and took the first rental he saw he has t regretted it. The Price was right and when Tracey arrived three months later she was delighted. The one room furnished apartment is on the third Hoof of a one family House it is spacious and Light. The living room has slanted beamed ceilings a clothes closet and Wall of curtains separate it from the bedroom area the Kitchen has built ins and a breakfast table the Only improvements they d like would be a larger Tell Iterator a Bathtub instead of just a Shower and a softer bed Bruemmer found the apartment listed through the local military housing referral office and hopped a cab to Check it out i liked the Price and the apartment itself i have friends who Are living in Shabber places and paying 650 and 700 Marks a month $364 to $424 he says. The Bru Ermers paid a Deposit of 375 Marks $227 to move in. Ren including heat we just turn on the radiators whenever we want it. Water and trash pickup is 450 Marks a month $273 electricity 50 Marks $30is extra. They generally have a Telephone Bill of around $50 a month we usually make one Call to the United Stales says Tracey. Last month we spent $170 for groceries we Are almost through february and have Only spent $100." their Only other monthly Bills Are for car payments and car insurance. After we were Here for a while we realized we could not depend on Public transportation and cabs were too they bought a new polish car a 7so polonez Lor $4.500 payments run $109 a in Only. The insurance costs $157 a month. We had to pay $465 Down that was Kinda says Broom mar. Bruemmer was so eager to bring his wife to Europe that he sent or her on his own when she first arrived on a non sponsored basis his take Home pay was $934 a month. It took a few months to gel through the paperwork and get her on a command sponsored status. Now that she is sponsored they receive overseas housing allowance Ohland the monthly Lake Homo pay has jumped to $1.214. Tracey works 70 hours a month mostly weekends at the cafes video shop her Lake Home pay runs from $150 to $200 a month and helps pay for extras like going downtown or dinner at a chinese or italian restaurant. For entertainment they watch Home movies and play games like monopoly and scrabble there were almost no jobs to to had in Texas when Bruemmer entered the army in november 86. After leaving High school to worked As a prison guard fuck Driver i Csc Mechanic and the Bru Emmers have picked up some German from head Start classes. Bruemmer who would like to be a policeman when he gets out of the service attends As Many Law enforcement classes As possible they Are almost he says. You can t beat the military for the poor Job Market in Texas does t come As news to pvt 2 Edward Thornton who shares a House in the Village of Schaaf Heim near Babenhausen with another military family. Thornton and his wife. Suzanne who joined him overseas in november Are from northeastern Texas where he was a construction worker compared to what we left in Texas we Are getting along Fine says Thornton who arrived in West Germany in August. I was Laid Oil Lour times in 1986. The companies i worked for kept going under " just before entering the military the couple had reached the Point of relying on Odd jobs Ana what Thornton could bag As a Hunter. "1 Cut firewood fixed cars painted a few houses i fished and hunted we had a roof Over our Heads but no Money for medical Bills " Suzanne had worked As a Secretary until baby Thomas was born. Then things really got Tough there was nothing to support the three of she says. The Best answer was to come into the army " de is making use of the education classes offered. In Rich 14,1988 four years he Hopes to have a paper saying he has completed College. When he returns to civilian life he would like to find a 0h As a Gunsmith or open a Gunsmith shop. Though they Are getting along better in the army rent overseas is More than they were used to in the United Stales they pay 900 Marks a month Lor their two bedroom apartment. The rent includes water heal and electricity. To had to borrow from our Oha to pay the Security Deposit of two months says de. We ate paying it Back at the rate of $106 a month and have seven More logo " their other Large expense was for transportation vie sold our car before coming overseas says Suzanne i had been in Germany before to visit an Uncle stationed in Berlin. I thought there would be plenty of Public transportation and that we would t need a car. I did t realize we would be out in a Little ass photo by Gui so Hullow coming into the army solved our financial problems Anayi pvt2 Edward Thornton Hen with Wile Carol and baby Thomai 10 month. After struggling Lor a while the Thornton gave up and bought a 1975 Mercedes Lor $1,800. The insurance costs $80 a month. Though they were Able to borrow a number of household items from the army Community service loan closet setting up the apartment still was costly says Suzanne. Just replacing things like spices and herbs runs into she notes. Both the Thornton and their upstairs neighbors the staff sgt. Doug Bono family believe that a lot of the complaining they hear in t really because of the Low Dollar. The people just Don t want to be in says Bone they use the Dollar As a reason for Bonelis wife. Carol and their children Are enjoying. The experience very much. We have Good relations with our neighbors and the landlord is very Nice. We love it says Carol. The Bone children Jennifer. 15, Jerry 14. Stephanie 11. And Cornea 5 agree. The family has been in West Germany since last july we did t realize How hard having Lour children would make finding an apartment says Bone. At first the family stayed in a hotel. Then Tor tour month s they lived with a Friend. They were delighted when they smally found their present four bedroom apartment. The family is renting under the army s a Ftp government rental housing program which Bone says has really helped. The family s financial situation has been shaky because of payments on a House in the Stales he says and debts incurred by his first Wile the grip program is a Good one. We did t have to put Down a Deposit As the Thornton were required to do. The army pays the rent and utilities directly to the the Thornton wore t Able to get into the grip program. The bathroom of their apartment is outside on the Landing which disqualifies it from meeting the army s housing standards. Bone had to extend his overseas Lour to be eligible for the grip program. To did t mind doing that. The worry was the paperwork. It kept being delayed i was afraid that the apartment would be gone Belore it came through " everything finally worked Oul the landlord was says Bone and let us move in two weeks before he even received the army s payment " we Are Happy to be Here. We arc joining local athletic clubs getting to meet local germans we Are making the most of our experience of being is photo by swat to freon spec. 5 Vance Grubb and wife Elizabeth Aren t sympathetic with people who continually complain. The stars and stripes Page 15
