Hi James, I just discovered your site last night while googling for
some friends from Garmisch circa. 78-79 when I was a ski instructor
there. Thanks for the excellent work putting together this site. I
haven't found many people I know -- not yet at any rate -- but it's
great to see someone putting together a site so we can all meet up
again.
I'm a Canadian and got a job through a tryout on the Zugspitze -- must
have been late October '78. I don't know where to start with a bio
but I'll definitely put some energy into it and see if I can tell some
of the adventures in a few pages. I feel like I could write a few
chapters!
It's amazing how many of us see our time in Garmisch-Partenkirchen as
one of the times of our lives. It was an absolutely magical place and
I made so many good friends. I was just a teenager hitchhiking
through Europe when I dropped into Col. Jenrette's office out of the
blue and unannounced one day hoping to land a job. I had ski raced
back home in Canada and had a dream in the back of my mind of teaching
in the Alps. I was on my way to a tryout in Innsbruck which a new
friend of mine from Munchen had arranged for me. Needless to say I
never made it to the Innsbruck tryout. I took the Zugspitze AFRC
clinic and taught the racing camp at the beginning of the season.
A few wonderful Americans living in the Breitenau Kaserne took me
under their wing when I first arrived. I believe it was Col.
Jenrette's exec. secretary, Dee, who offered me their spare room. I
don't know how to reach any of them, but that was the impetus behind
me googling for AFRC last night. I'd like to find some way to thank
all the kind people who took in a wayward teenage kid (I had just
turned 18) and helped me have one of the years of my life.
I'd like to see your bio so I can have a template to work from.
And I'd really like to contact any of the following people. Have you
seen or heard anything from these people? How would I go about
contacting retired military personnel? There must be records of who
served in Garmisch.
Col. Jenrette
Col. Miller
Minta Miller
Dee (Jenrette's secretary)
Jack (Garmisch doctor) and Ann
Dave Steffes
Caroline Braun
Randy & Monique
Debbie
Sorry, for the life of me, I think I knew many of these friends on a
first name basis only.
I'm currently working in Vancouver, BC as a television producer. It
would be great to get back in touch with any of these people.
All the best, and thank you for all the work putting a site like this
together for all of us.
Yours,