h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: 112 Gripes About the French: Teaching Multiculturalism to the US Army, 1945 - A88021640
Author: Dmitri Gheorgheni - Freshly Vaccinated - U1590784

This is the subedited version from Bluebottle.

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"Unfortunately, the boulevards are now infested with young American GIs."

I once had a post " moderated" (deleted, with a brusque e-mail) for using the expression "occupied" to describe the American presence in this part of Germany from 1945-1989, which I thought was a fair description, albeit a little as it was an ostensibly friendly occupation, but nonetheless a very visible one.

"Infested" seems to me an even stronger word, so it may be that this violates site rules. Of course, the goal posts have probably been moved or even completely dismantled since then.

I'm not a moderator but I think it is fair to call 1.5 million soldiers an infestation as well as saying that Germany was 'occupied' - there were something like roughly around 250 US military bases in Germany, where US personnel lived - which as you say is a very visible presence. A soft occupation is still an occupation, even if they were there more to face East as the years progressed than control those in West Germany.

Also, 'Occupy' means 'to reside or have one's place of business' and the US personnel definitely resided and had their workplace in Germany.

<BB<

When I lived in Germany in the 70s and 80s, I heard it referred to as an 'occupation' many times, and the US and British and even Belgians (who marched around in the woods near our dorm in Cologne) as 'occupying forces'. They weren't allowed to wear their uniforms in town, though. I may be wrong about the Belgians - maybe they were only part of NATO. But having a formation of them come up the path behind you on your way to uni was startling for all parties. I scrambled out of the way and then watched them march up to the traffic light and wait politely for it to change.

'Infested' was intended to be as well as a comment on the way the French saw them. That's what the pamphlet was about - to get them to behave better so they didn't irritate people.

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