European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october 2, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9 Over Here end of the Road for checkpoint Alpha tiny Remote Post closes 44 years of Allied history by Tiffin Clauson Sian interpreters both americans. Its Mali writer gotten to where those things Are not As Helmstedt West Germany a the important. So where  one time they a German West moves East  the stroke of request the commander now  let an Midnight tuesday sweeping Allied interpreter come and straighten things checkpoint Alpha into history. Out a Seebert said.  some Point in the Day a handful of one of those interpreters staff sgt. Is military police will lower the american British and French flags in front of the Small building overlooking the traffic packed autobahn and deserted West German customs station closing the 44-year Rael Talamantez was amazed  the reception he got from his soviet counterparts a couple of years ago. A right after i got Here they invited us in for Coffee. I  believe  but ,. ,.t a in. Of a a a m i we acc. I co Ian Veneve  Jobu old checkpoint. The soviet checkpoint they re soldiers doing a Job like we Are just inside East Germany already is a a Al . Closed. For first time travellers cold War tensions made checkpoint Alpha seem like a Frontier Post on the Edge of Indian country. Once past the checkpoint they trav alo/4 Jav   Morel Ammom r j Jiuu. Tinted by the Western allies or the Sovi eled the Comdr through mysterious ets always took place  the soviet Check Una Viown text Oil until they reached the Point. The soviets were never allowed to a checks  my he Check pm Toa the corridor Quot was the land route for numbing with the repetition of iria the coma a a a Refema. A a i he said. A on major Quot holidays we get together with the soviets and they really Lay  out like roast a whole pig and  Jiff of  is How Fri where a a a some of the ast travellers to Stop  Allied checkpoint Alpha prepare to cute the rated by the Western allies or the Sovi Helmstedt autobahn on their Way through East Germany to West Berlin. I  a c  Ltd a a a  i   a its amps Ken Clauson Allied Access to West Berlin a 105-mile autobahn linking West Germany to the divided City. To enter  Allied travellers first had to Stop  checkpoint Alpha. The americans and British had permanent detachments based in the nearby town of Helmstedt while the French soldiers rotated through on temporary duty. Since 1956, All Allied travellers were re same travel briefing countless times a Day and scrutinizing thousands of travel documents. A you have to enjoy working with people otherwise your life would be pretty miserable a spec. Pete Rowell said. Over the years most of the hundreds of thousands of travellers who processed through the checkpoint Only saw a few maps behind the Alpha desk. But the 13 quire to present Flag orders and other Mvi a i travel documents to their maps who made the he sure that birth dates and names exactly a he is matched those on passports or military Fejfar 1  brigade. Most of the or a. A a rest Are communications technicians who said they be always Felt Welcome there. Lisa Rowell who is married to spec. Pete Rowell said a one woman said to me a our country  be the Way  is if  weren to for America after the  identification cards. The soviets who Rowell and other family members said orders its is zz�st7ss�s ��"2�  Sistis own checkpoint just inside the East Ger a a a a in a of ? week College classes we a Man Border often could not read English and were merely Matching symbols on the documents. The maps  checkpoint Alpha would record the time travellers entered the Cor a amps map same building. A that can get old in about two weeks a one Soldier said. Other service members never grew tired of the area. Joseph Brown who was the detachment first sergeant from 1962 to 1964, moved Back to Helmstedt when he retired from the army in 1970. He said the town y a a a to Runny in be Saia me 1c limited and jobs for family members were has always been Friendly to americans. Scarce. For some of the communications techs living in the Barracks the world  Helmstedt got pretty Small  times. The bar so Many of their daughters married soldiers that nearly half the town probably has relatives in the states now a said Brown 63. A we probably averaged one marriage a  Brown who has grandchildren in the area married a Helmstedt girl himself when he was stationed there. The my Mission will end tuesday but the future of the rest of the detachment is still Uncertain command officials said. Iti Ruiu to Lime travellers Emerea me Corin  a Cavern is not much Lcuio got Preidy Smau  times. The bar Ridor and their odometer Reading then 8er than a football Field and sits on the Racks is on the second floor the pm i notify their checkpoint Bravo Couney use a a Helmstedt a farming town of Barry mess Hall and detachment Tei parts in Berlin. Drivers were allowed a Jabout 27,000 people nestled in the Hills Headquarters Are on the first floor and minimum of two hours and a maximum of e East Hannover. The americans the work site is in the basement a of the 3vi hours to make the trip. Straying from the corridor was forbidden As were stops  East German restaurants or filling stations along the route. Also forbidden were halts  rest stops if any soviet or East German soldiers or policemen were there. Encounters with these folks often meant delays of several hours. Drivers were Given a route Book with pictures of the three autobahn interchanges they had to drive through and two Large cards printed in English German and russian. Because Allied travellers were technically Only subject to soviet control while in the corridor one card requested that a soviet officer be summoned and the other said a i insist on my night to proceed without  sometimes the soviets would slow Down or halt traffic through their checkpoints a harassment tactic that sometimes created 10-mile traffic jams  Helmstedt. The recent warming of soviet Ameri relations was Felt  the checkpoints. When maj. Donald Seebert took command of the american Helmstedt det in june 1989, the situation was even cordial he said. By this past August the soviets were less upset about minor errors in movement orders than they had been in the past he said. I speak russian and in be got two rus pfc. Mike Concaugh checks Flag orders and passports  the checkpoint Alpha desk alongside French and British soldiers a amps Ken Clauson