Tallahassee, Florida. (December 20, 2024): In this photo by Bernd Mai, American Soldiers gather with German families who volunteer to host servicemembers for Christmas celebrations. Local Germans open their hearts and homes to G.I.s who are far from home and in return they receive memories that last a lifetime.
I was one of those lonely Soldiers forty-seven years ago stationed with the combat engineers at Heilbronn, a small city near Stuttgart. My buddy Butch and I signed up for “Operation Good Cheer,” a new program for troops with nowhere to go for Christmas. We were hosted by a marvelous elderly widow who was herself alone for the holidays for the first time. She was kind and gracious (she even used real candles on her tree!) and she patiently explained how Germans celebrate the holiday. We had a traditional meal and left with a warmth I feel to this day. Looking back, I’m pretty sure our visit was as special to our host as it was to us.
The program was established to give U.S. servicemembers a chance to learn about a new culture, meet new friends, and experience the local way of life. Soldiers meet with their assigned families to plan for their visit, assisted by the local command. Many of these initial meetings evolve into regular socializing, going to dinner , and sightseeing. It was common for host families to be invited to visit their new friends in United States.
Operation Good Cheer is a program that touches the lives of servicemembers and host families in ways that last a lifetime.
Jim Spearing (SSG, Ret.)
237th Combat Engineer Battalion
Heilbronn, Germany. 1978