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Col. Ray Graham Jr., commander of U.S. ArmyGarrison Wiesbaden, center, and USAGHessen Command Sgt. Maj. JoseFontanez,left, sheath the colors of USAGGiessen, held by Craig Brichard, the garrisonmanager.MICHAEL ABRAMS / S&S

Curtain, flag drop on GiessenBy Kevin DoughertyStars and StripesPublished: September 29, 2007

GIESSEN, Germany — The nine-man Army detaillowered the American flag at the Giessen Depotabout an hour before noon Friday, an unusual timeof the day to retire Old Glory.

“There’s only one way to fold it,” Staff Sgt. RobertBlalock, a member of the detail, later said of theU.S. flag, “and that’s the right way.”

It had to be right on Friday, given the crowd andthe occasion.

“Today’s ceremony marks the end of thetransformation process for U.S. Army GarrisonGiessen and the end of the official presence of ourmilitary in this community,” Col. Ray Graham,commander of USAG Wiesbaden, said during themorning closure ceremony.

“Looking back,” Graham continued, “it was on 27 and 28 March, 1945, when Americantroops first came to Giessen as an occupational force. What they found was a city vastlydestroyed through the bombardments of the last year of WWII, including a militarybase, formerly occupied by German air force units, which was in shambles.”

In the years that followed, both the city and the base were cleared of debris and rebuilt.Giessen became a main supply and support hub for the Army. Even the Army and AirForce Exchange Service used Giessen as a major distribution center.

Friday’s ceremony was in front of the old 1st Engineer Brigade, 1st Armored Divisionheadquarters building. Once a bustling block of activity, the hallways now have adistinct echo and many, if not all, of the rooms are empty.

Taking part in the ceremony “means a lot, with all the tradition,” Blalock said.

Besides the engineers, the military community was home to soldiers in artillery, signaland support battalions. But the community extended well beyond the city of Giessen toinclude Friedberg, Butzbach and Bad Nauheim. Friedberg, headquarters of the 1st AD’s1st Brigade Combat Team, lowered its flag earlier this year after returning from a tour inIraq.

When U.S. Army Europe announced in May 2003 that it would close its Giessen-areabases by 2008, there were roughly 3,400 soldiers and some 5,000 family members inthe various communities.

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“The U.S. Army Garrison Giessen has always played a major role in supporting soldiersand their families,” said Craig Birchard, the garrison manager who has been overseeingthe closure.

Many of people who attended Friday’s event were Germans who have worked for theArmy for years. There weren’t many smiles. Given Giessen’s remote location, most willprobably not work for the Army again.

During the invocation, Chaplain (Col.) Larry Robinson asked civilians and soldiers aliketo “be thankful for having traveled through these hallowed gates.”

After the speeches, the USAREUR band played and the detail went to work on theAmerican flag, which never looks as large as when it is lowered to the ground.

“Today,” Graham said, “we stand on historic ground as we close the U.S. garrison andreturn the facilities to our friends in the German host nation.”

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