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My name is Steve Monteith and was an MP in Berchtesgaden from '83 to '86. While there, I got married to Marion Harzer who worked at the commissary as well as a ski instructor at skytop. we just returned from a trip to Berchtesgaden (my last was 15 yrs ago).

First of all it was awesome. It snowed everyday and the was about  3 ft of snow up in obersalzberg. Everything was covered in a white blaket of snow that brought back fond memories. Every Amercan Hotel have been razed. The Hof is a vacant lot, the Alpine Inn is gone and a German housing complex is in its place. Only part of the skytop remains as a golf club and where the General Walker was is a new Intercontinental Hotel which looks like it has no business being in obersalzberg. It is a big modern concrete donut.

Downtown is pretty much the same. Went to the Golden Bar, Beir Adam and the Neuhaus as well as the Hobel Bank. The Alt Berchtesgaden and the Schloss Stubel were both closed and vacant. All in all it was a great trip. It's a little sad to see the US Facilities gone, especially the Hof and the Walker

ALCON;

I get back to Berchtesgaden every two years, due to the fact my wife Erika is from there and we go to visit her family. Each time I go back I see things that has changed, people die, move away or go out of business..... And Yes all those places have changed hands and B'garden is not the same without the Americans. The AFRC Hotels are gone, and many of our old watering holes are no longer there.... . I left Berchtesgaden in 95 after selling my bar and restrauant in Bischofswiesen,  only to see that the guy who bought from me went out of business two years later. Willie Nelson say it well when he sung, “To all those girls I loved and all the places I visited!!!“

The hobelbank is no longer owned by Werner, he sold it and has retired... Berchtesgaden now is but a ghost town. The skiing is still good at the Jenner but as far as fun goes, everyone goes into Salzburg for fun.

Prost AFRC'ers!

Monty;

I was and still am an active member of the Bischofswiesen Weilnachtsschutzen, actually the only American to ever be accepted into such a club... I do miss shooting...and we get over almost every two-or three years and we are headed over there again in January as my wife's family is in Koenigssee and they have a Pension there. I used to live in Bischofswiesen from 76 until 79, and in 79 moved to Bad Toelz but move back to Berchtesgaden in 1990. In 1992 I opened my bar and I had my bar- Bills Bar- in B'wiesen,  on the main street when I sold out to Harrys Bar, who went Bankrupt in 1997. As far as I know the bar has been empty since. Your name isn't familiar are you part of our old team AFRC Skiers or just joined.

What a shame.

Joe and others;

Ted was also a military broadcaster in public affairs. When he first got to Berchtesgaden in 1979/1980 (I think?) we met thru Paul Schneider. I had just moved to the year prior to Bad Toelz. Anyways when I had my studio on Salzstrasse, he used to stop in and for a few beers just before I went off to Desert Storm, then he even did a quick video of my bar in Bischofswiesen after I got back in 92.  The last time I saw him was just before I was moving down to Ansbach, Germany in 1994. Back then, - he seemed to doing the same old thing...I'm surprised if he is still there but I wouldn't doubt it. As of now anyone who is who in the film business has moved over to Salzburg, Austria because B'gaden is dead. Most of the business has moved to Austria and seldom is there work there.

The funniest thing was one night right after I had moved to Berchtesgaden in 1988 after moving from Bad Toelz, I was standing out front trying to put up an illuminated sign when I see some guy drunk as hell wander by me and damn near knock over my ladder I was standing on to put up the sign. After he stopped and hung on the ladder, I noticed his German was pretty shitty... so I got a better look at him... Hey Ted I said, and he was surprised to see me. Since then he used to drop by occassionally but I haven't heard since from him? Anyone know of his email address?

Prosit! Auf gehts sauf eine aus!!!

Bill

Joe;

I don't recall your name either.  But if you knew, Paul Schneider, or any of the crew that stayed there until 80-82, then we ran in the same circles. Especially the Spook crew!!... I knew Gabi from the early 70's, and my wife from Koenigssee knew her too... yea Ted was a public affairs guy just like me and believe it or not they have changed the MOS number three times since the 80's. - I usually didn't know most of the MP's in the 80's as the ones I did know moved. We had one E6 wife watch my first daughter in 1978-79, until we moved to Bad Toelz. Most of my friends from” DetA“ encourged my move as Salzburg wasn't like Vienna, and I wasn't going to move to Vienna. At Bad Toelz, I could work with the 10th SF, and found that they were a tough bunch of guys. If I knew then what I know now, I should've taken a re-enlistment offer to the 10th SF Gp, and this would all be over by now. I also wouldn't have stayed that long in Germany. 20 years is just too long. I was back there in 05 working as a journalist for the US Army Engineers in Wiesbaden,-- they build the American Hotel in GAP. Things have changed so much since and you know what they say, never go back, its defeats the memories.

But back in 1978-88, While I was in Toelz, I worked running three German Photo Studios, and later in 1982, I went thru the arduous process of attending school in Munich and getting my “Meisters” or Masters in Photography. Hey its a Bachelors but it was suppose to be more then!! A feat which was required to open and stay “selbststandig” or self employed. The grueling course was a two year period which now is not even worth the paper it was written on, since all of Germany has succumbed to Euro Standards.  

But I do remember when Ted and I used to talk about DINFOS and compair notes as photographers, journalists and broadcasters. I have long wondered what he is doing now days?

Regards,

Hey Paul

 Hope all is well with you and yes this website has always been a source of information for me even while I was in Iraq! So its a great way to see how things are going. When I was overseas stationed in Wiesbaden with the Engineer Division there, I ran into a few friends of Dave. I called him and we talked. I guess he didn't want to say in touch otherwise he would have? He told me then he was moving with Bobby to Italy and then asked me if I knew his wife Bobby...??? I met her in 75.

I can't make it to Colorado b/c I am being called up again for Duty at Ft. Bliss, Texas--  seems they need someone to help out with some training and admin issues there. I used to be a great 1st Sgt so who knows eh?

Erika and I will be going to B'gaden in January for one week she wanted to visit her mother who is around 83, along  my oldest son who hasn't been there since 1994 is going with us along with my second daughter who is at the Pentagon. (All my four kids were born there or in Bad Toelz). So for them it will be re-opening of sorts Only my daughters still speak fluently... kind of sad but thats the way it goes in a society that speaks only English *(and Spanish)... . I know my youngest son who is currently at West Point wishes he would have some time to go also, but he is doing his thing and they are strick about trips. Steve Stahl visited about two weeks ago, we talked and drank a beer and he is going to the Reunion....

He should have a good time. As for me the last I saw Breckenridge was when I worked there as an instructor in 1975. In September of that year I left for Germany with Steve and somehow managed to stay until I came back.

Stay in touch!

Bill

Sue,

He did have an interview with Niel and thought it went very well. He will be glad to hear that his age will not be a factor. He had read somewhere that the average age of those hired into the program was 20-28 yrs old and was a little concerned since he is twice that. The pay and the type of work is not an issue to him. It may sound a little funny, but he looks at it as a way to give a litle back to serve those who are serving our country.

Monty