Nostalgia: Abandoned Army Barracks

When we went to Germany this past August, one of the first things on my itinerary was to visit where I was stationed in Mannheim from 1998-2001. I had fond memories of a big, bustling military base, spread out over several barracks, and friendly relationships with the local Germans. Imagine my surprise when, a few weeks before the trip, I discovered that a few years ago, the US armed forces in Mannheim had departed, turning the bases back over to the German government. I found city planning websites that detailed their plans for Benjamin Franklin Village, where I had lived, and Taylor Barracks, where I had worked. I knew I HAD to visit the places one last time before they were razed down or repurposed.

First thing we did after arriving at the Frankfurt airport and getting our rental car was to drive the 45 minutes south to Mannheim. The boys were tired and jet-lagged, but I was eager to see my old haunts. When we got there, I was filled with nostalgia. Everything was fenced off and abandoned. Weeds grew rampant. Just being back there brought back a flood of memories. I could close my eyes and practically see and hear the hubbub of daily life. But when I opened them again, all I saw was a ghost town.

I thought I'd take you along my little trip down memory lane with a few pictures.

Here I am just a couple weeks after arriving in the country. I had just gotten my car (shipped over from Georgia) and settled into my apartment on post. Snow had fallen and I was trying out my new ice/snow scraper. My car is parked right in front of my apartment building.

January 1998

Here is my old apartment building today, fenced off:

August 2014

Rear view of my apartment building. My apartment's windows (in the yellow square) are mostly obscured by the tree, but you can make out the different sets of windows-- the first 2 windows (right side, closest to the edge of the building) are my living room, the small center window is my bathroom, and the 2 windows to the left of it are my bedroom.

August 2014

Through my windows, I had a view of the PX (Post Exchange), where many soldiers did their shopping. Here I am in front of the fence guarding the PX, where the overgrown weeds really add an air of abandonment to the shot.

August 2014

After touring where I used to live, we drove down the street to Taylor Barracks, where I used to work.

Here is a shot of the main grassy area during a battalion change of command ceremony:

June 1998

Those same grounds were home to some fun times, like Org Day 1998, with tug of war:

July 1998

... and the Commander's litter race:

July 1998

We didn't just play, though. We worked hard. Here's the 268th Signal Company command team in our motor pool:

(L-R) XO, CO, 2nd PL, 1st PL (me)

And here is Taylor Barracks today. This is the back entrance through which I drove to work every single day. I'd show my ID card to the soldier in the little brown guard shack, drive past the grassy area where we held COC ceremonies...

... past the motor pool...

... past the dining facility and dormitory-style barracks where the soldiers lived...

... and to our offices.

It made me really sad and wistful to see the place where I'd spent some of my formative years lie abandoned, overgrown, neglected, and blocked off. It was such a stark contrast to the thriving community that began after World War II and remained until just a few years ago. But, such is life, I suppose. You cycle through various transitions from one stage to another, always growing, never remaining the same. Still... the fond memories of what used to be will always last!

I'm posting every day in October as part of the 31-Day Writing Challenge. Click here to read more about it and to see the rest of my posts this month!