European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A of. Kit. Vis Profos by Ken George a. V when soldiers leave Sontheim West Germany they follow an old tradition and throw their boots on to the branches of the Boot  Nyji Tijones staff writer to says boots Are made for walking Hawk missile watchers stationed Way up on a Mountain somewhere East of Pitburg West Germany have More than 100 pairs that no longer require spit shines nor March to cadence but Are always proudly on display. Rather than warm the feet of soldiers these boots of All sizes colors and designs hang from a 50-foot Linden Boot tree outside the site of Btry a 1st in 1st air defense arty in Sontheim West Germany. A Boot tree is an old  tradition. When soldiers leave a place they Haven t been especially fond of such As a Remote site or Basic training site they toss their boots in a tree. The tree along route 421, which has been adopted by local Sontheim citizens As the Battery Symbol sports combat boots painted red yellow Blue and Green. It s hard to miss the purple pair or the red ones with Silver wings. One Boot is painted like the american Flag while its mate is decorated As the West German Flag. And there Are sneakers from soldiers with sore feet and a pair of women s shoes. At Delta Battery word is that if these boots Ever again touch the ground it Means Tough Luck for some poor soul hell be Back. Battery commander capt. Allen Hull does t know if soldiers really believe the tale but it certainly adds mystique around the Battery he said. Such  traditions go As far Back As the service a itself and were common at . Units in Germany some years ago. But the Sontheim Boot tree is famous in its area. An aged barely readable wooden sign erected by Sontheim s mayor stands under the tree poetically describing for visitors in German and in English the tree s significance and associated rules. The Delta Battery Boot tree adorned with hundreds of combat boots is widely known in Germany the sign reads. Upon leaving the Battery a Soldier throws his boots onto the tree. If it takes More than three tries or if they later fall it is said that one Day he will be stationed again at  not a Day goes by when a car does t Stop and germans get out and take pictures Hull said at least once a week a tour bus stops and the whole bus gets  in the City s recent Rose Montag Parade one of Sontheim s floats was a 7-foot Boot tree packed in soil on a trailer. Hull said soldiers have pitched boots into that tree since the americans got Here and that s going on 40  he called it a tradition of soldiers knowing they have the Chance when they leave never to come  the tree is another kind of landmark to the More than 100 soldiers stationed at the Remote site too. It s the first thing you see at 4 o clock every morning it s your goal when you re doing the it test the finish line and the last thing you see at night said Indiana native sgt. Gregory a. Kentel. Describing the methods of throwing 1st it. James Bailey said soldiers tie the Boot laces together then either grab the boots or Sling the boots by their  sometimes boots Are thrown during formation but in the Busy world of air defense it s not unusual to find a Soldier at 2 a.m., slinging his boots into the tree. Some like to do it in private said Bailey who will test his throwing in about a month. I guess they Don t want anybody to see because if their boots fall they May keep them or they just keep throwing until they  others make it their last act before leaving the Remote site. Spec. Daniel Perkins remembers being on Gate guard duty when a Lone Soldier left. He Slung the strings the boots flew he jumped up and Down then got in his car and  some soldiers Nail their boots to the tree trunk to make sure they never return he said. For Perkins a texan who gets to throw his boots monday and head for fort Bragg n.c., the tree Means More. While on guard duty near the tree he would wonder about the boots that hang there and the men who wore them. I d think How Remote it is Here. I d look up at the boots and think my god they wearers of the boots May not even be alive " he said he looked at. The boots As souls of men who gave two years of their lives  the tree has sparked countless legends at the 32nd  air defense come outpost. One is of a pair of boots near the tree top. The Story is that some general flew in and dropped them out of a helicopter Bailey said. There is no Way possible they humanly could have been thrown  Page 14 the stars and stripes saturday february 25, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 15