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In 1968 I was 12 YO and living in Nuremberg Germany (Dad was assigned to the 1-94th FA, 4th Armored Div.) We took the Troop Train to Berlin. The train departed after dinner and took all night. We were in sleeper compartments where the seats turned into beds and the wall sort of pulled out. A porter came and made up the beds. (AMTRAK has nothing on European train travel!) The first thing I remember was waking up in the middle of the night, and going into the hall and watching East Germany go by. Each rail crossing had a guard post. I'd wave, and the guard often waved back. . . as long as they were alone. The second thing I remember was walking along the wall and seeing the memorials to the East Germans who had been killed trying to cross. Fresh flowers and pictures. Very graphic for a 6th grader. Third thing was taking a tour of the city and part of it was on a lake. That part of the border ran through the middle of a lake seemed so odd. Our boat was shadowed by a similar small boat. One of the East German guards dropped his hand to the water-line and waved to me. I started to raise my hand and Dad said, "Don't do it, he'll get in trouble." Last significant memory was passing through Checkpoint Charlie (leaving Dad behind, he wasn't allowed to go) and visiting places in East Berlin. It seemed very dingy and parts were hardly repaired. We visited the Soviet War Memorial. It was amazing and it seemed so "in your face, Germany".
The wall seemed so permanent then. When I went back in 1979 on AD I had no desire to return to Berlin. But I did see the Inter-German Boarder (IGB). I looked at that and knew it would always be there until the Soviets knocked it down on their way to Frankfurt and Bonn.
Ten years and a two new Presidents (but I give all the credit to President Reagan) it fell like cards to civilians.
Last thing, it is so appropriate that a section is located at the Reagan Library.
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