European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Hindenburg Cavern motor Pool is now empty. The building at the left is a Bob. A knew everyone soldiers of the 123rd family gave Merz the nickname  he said he still gets More than 100 Christmas cards a year from his customers a some from people 20, 25 years Back these Are Good friends. Here is my  Merz like Carter said the closing of Hindenburg came a few years too soon he would have liked to have retired before it shut Down. He now oversees several cafes Barber shops in the area and is not worried about the financial loss a but for friends  a a in a sad about it a said Maria Oberlacher who has worked in Hindenburg s Small Post Exchange for 20 years. Quot in a so used to my soldiers and everything Quot she said. A i was the Mother of the battalion. Sometimes soldiers had problems and they would come to  she too wanted to retire at Hindenburg Quot but they closed it so  Oberlacher said she helped Many gis get married going to the Wurzburg City Hall with them to translate and help fill out documents. A i went to the Telephone office to explain things when they could t pay their Bills. A the funniest thing to me is when gis came to me and tried to talk German a the new  because she was the first German Many new soldiers came in Contact with Oberlacher said she s heard plenty of bad German in her Days at Hindenburg. Dieter Schafer first worked on Hindenburg in 1946 As a Cook in the no club Back then a it was very different Quot he said. A they threw bottles and chairs and ashtrays and we would clean it up  he also remembers when Uso acts like Little Jimmy Dixon came through the club on a regular basis. A i remember him because he was so Little and had such a big guitar Quot Schafer has worked in the Wurzburg club system for 16 years but he liked the Early Days at Hindenburg the Best. Here i had my own snack bar and the officers club had generals and inspectors and  capt. Phillip Sherrill who has been at the Cavern Only 22 months Calls himself a Hindenburg baby when compared to old timers like Carter and Merz. Nonetheless he too is sad about the Cavern closing. Quot i m going to miss Hindenburg because i commanded Here Quot said the Leader of he co 123rd signal in. A it s a precious thing to an officer his first command of a  that a doubly so for Hall the battalion adjutant. Quot i got the Chance to prove that i was not a failure Quot Hall said of the 39 months he spent at Hindenburg. He came to the Cavern from another unit where he was relieved of command. Quot i got in a fight with my Boss Quot he said Quot i had lost my command and my  but Hall got a second Chance at Hindenburg and was put in a command position. Quot i did t really realize it until today Quot Hall said on his last Day on the Cavern Quot but this is where i got my command Back this is where i got my self respect  Quot it hurts Quot Golliday said of Hindenburg s closing Quot it was sort of an Island of its own. It was really a Good place to be  and the mean first sergeant with the mole on his face turned out to be Quot one of the Best first sergeants i met in my life Quot Golliday said. When he finally emerged from his underground hiding place he said the Tough no a set me off on the right track and i became a professional  left Marla Oberlacher state sgt. Troy Carter sgt. 1st Claes Carton Vargas Santiago Dieter Schifer and Horst a mafia Quot Mere. A amps photos by John Millar notary 24, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 15