June 23, 2008
Submitted by Larry Neitzert
Bulgaria has been invaded by fourteen teachers and two leaders! Just as General Dwight Eisenhower led the American troops in June of 1944 to liberate Europe, we have our A Day -- ARRIVED. We have arrived not to liberate but to learn the culture and history of Bulgaria and the Balkans.
Similar to that memorable day in 1944 we arrive in waves, leaving the United States at different times and places. No heavy artillery of munitions are brought -- just guide books and cameras, although some of the baggage was heavier than what the GI’s carried ashore at Normandy. General Pamela Galbraith of CASID successfully planned and executed this invasion of a land that serves as a buffer between Europe of the West and Asia of the East.
The only glitch that many of us experienced was a horrendous line in Paris that we had to stand in as we tried to make a connecting flight to Sofia. I thought about a scene in the movie Patton with George C. Scott where his tanks are held up by a poor peasant’s mule on a bridge in France. Patton callously shoots the mule and pushes it into the river, and then he sends his tanks forward to Germany. I thought it was probably not a good idea to shoot the offending French security guards. French and American relations are strained enough without me adding to the problem, besides I had left my sidearms home for this trip. Carol Mohrlock took charge and got us around the blockage. I think she would have made a great major or colonel at D Day.
By afternoon of Monday, June 23 everyone had arrived safely at the Sofia airport. (People all showed up, but a couple of bags had decided to stay in Paris and enjoy the sights.)
With people and baggage collected we headed by bus to the hotel where we were all registered and lodged by four PM.
Pamela took us on a walking tour of Sofia to briefly show some of the sights that we will visit and study later. Unfortunately she had forgotten to bring her cattle prod, club, or whip, and so we were strung out lagging behind -- some window shopping, some tired, and some limping with a bum knee. Fortunately she did not lose any of us and later we all gathered in a restaurant near the hotel for a meal -- a meal that was stupendous and sat well in our tired stomachs as we drug ourselves back to the hotel and crashed for the evening.
It is not certain whether General Galbraith or General Margaret Holtschlag deserve a bronze or silver star for leading the “troops” to Bulgaria. They certainly deserve some type of commendation for putting this Fulbright trip together and getting us here eager to learn and to experience Bulgaria.
Submitted by Larry Neitzert
Bulgaria has been invaded by fourteen teachers and two leaders! Just as General Dwight Eisenhower led the American troops in June of 1944 to liberate Europe, we have our A Day -- ARRIVED. We have arrived not to liberate but to learn the culture and history of Bulgaria and the Balkans.
Similar to that memorable day in 1944 we arrive in waves, leaving the United States at different times and places. No heavy artillery of munitions are brought -- just guide books and cameras, although some of the baggage was heavier than what the GI’s carried ashore at Normandy. General Pamela Galbraith of CASID successfully planned and executed this invasion of a land that serves as a buffer between Europe of the West and Asia of the East.
The only glitch that many of us experienced was a horrendous line in Paris that we had to stand in as we tried to make a connecting flight to Sofia. I thought about a scene in the movie Patton with George C. Scott where his tanks are held up by a poor peasant’s mule on a bridge in France. Patton callously shoots the mule and pushes it into the river, and then he sends his tanks forward to Germany. I thought it was probably not a good idea to shoot the offending French security guards. French and American relations are strained enough without me adding to the problem, besides I had left my sidearms home for this trip. Carol Mohrlock took charge and got us around the blockage. I think she would have made a great major or colonel at D Day.
By afternoon of Monday, June 23 everyone had arrived safely at the Sofia airport. (People all showed up, but a couple of bags had decided to stay in Paris and enjoy the sights.)
With people and baggage collected we headed by bus to the hotel where we were all registered and lodged by four PM.
Pamela took us on a walking tour of Sofia to briefly show some of the sights that we will visit and study later. Unfortunately she had forgotten to bring her cattle prod, club, or whip, and so we were strung out lagging behind -- some window shopping, some tired, and some limping with a bum knee. Fortunately she did not lose any of us and later we all gathered in a restaurant near the hotel for a meal -- a meal that was stupendous and sat well in our tired stomachs as we drug ourselves back to the hotel and crashed for the evening.
It is not certain whether General Galbraith or General Margaret Holtschlag deserve a bronze or silver star for leading the “troops” to Bulgaria. They certainly deserve some type of commendation for putting this Fulbright trip together and getting us here eager to learn and to experience Bulgaria.
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