My Son's Stars & Stripes Mag. Cover/Hitler's Eagle's Nest

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Wyatt Burp

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My son is a Marine (discharged around 2006) and is now a private contractor in Germany. Photography is his hobby so the general he works under asked him to take pics of a Purple Heart ceremony on base. Made it on the cover of S&S magazine. Also, he went to Austria for the weekend and I said go to Hitler's Eagle Nest. He did, and here's some pictures of it. These are just phone pics. I don't have the other ones yet.








 
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Back in the '70's the US military operated the Berchtesgaden complex as a R&R facility for service personnel and their families. Went with my Boy Scout troop many times to ski in the winter, and church retreats in the spring and summer. IINM they called/renamed the main facility the General Walker Hotel.

Bought a map to the underground tunnels in the hotel gift shop, and my brother an I overlayed it on to topographical maps and found the entrances out in the woods and explored a lot of the bunkers with flashlights. All the good stuff was gone.
 
Kernel Crittenden said:
Back in the '70's the US military operated the Berchtesgaden complex as a R&R facility for service personnel and their families. Went with my Boy Scout troop many times to ski in the winter, and church retreats in the spring and summer. IINM they called/renamed the main facility the General Walker Hotel.

Bought a map to the underground tunnels in the hotel gift shop, and my brother an I overlayed it on to topographical maps and found the entrances out in the woods and explored a lot of the bunkers with flashlights. All the good stuff was gone.
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Or rusted beyond collectability.
 
A good friend's father was with Fox Company, 504th PIR along with Easy Company (Band of Brothers) when they went into the Eagle's Nest.

I visited my friend in South Carolina a few years ago. Talk turned to his father. He said, "Come on upstairs, I want to show you something." He said his father had brought back a rifle from Eagle's Nest.

He pulled a soft rifle case out from under the bed. I was expecting some sort of old beat up clunker rifle maybe. Was I surprised.

It's a presentation grade bolt action rifle. I don't remember the caliber. It looked almost pristine and appeared to be unfired.

I'm holding this rifle in my hands and he says, "Turn it over."

Inlaid into the stock was an elaborate Nazi crest and inlaid under that, in what I can only assume is gold, are the initials "AH".

I'm pretty sure they aren't Andy Hardy's initials.

I may have talked about this on this forum before, I can't remember. But I was almost speechless.

I can't remember the manufacturer's name, but I believe they're still in business today, just not making firearms now.

My friend did some research, found their address, and wrote them a letter, asking for any information they might have about the gun.

They did reply. I read the letter. They stated in no uncertain terms that they would not discuss the rifle or any of their wartime activities.

The rifle is now in the possession of his son-in-law in North Carolina. Next time I visit my friend and his wife down in the South Carolina low country, I'll ask him if he has the letter with him, and if so, I'll copy it.
 
WATCHDOG said:
A good friend's father was with Fox Company, 504th PIR along with Easy Company (Band of Brothers) when they went into the Eagle's Nest.

I visited my friend in South Carolina a few years ago. Talk turned to his father. He said, "Come on upstairs, I want to show you something." He said his father had brought back a rifle from Eagle's Nest.

He pulled a soft rifle case out from under the bed. I was expecting some sort of old beat up clunker rifle maybe. Was I surprised.

It's a presentation grade bolt action rifle. I don't remember the caliber. It looked almost pristine and appeared to be unfired.

I'm holding this rifle in my hands and he says, "Turn it over."

Inlaid into the stock was an elaborate Nazi crest and inlaid under that, in what I can only assume is gold, are the initials "AH".

I'm pretty sure they aren't Andy Hardy's initials.

I may have talked about this on this forum before, I can't remember. But I was almost speechless.

I can't remember the manufacturer's name, but I believe they're still in business today, just not making firearms now.

My friend did some research, found their address, and wrote them a letter, asking for any information they might have about the gun.

They did reply. I read the letter. They stated in no uncertain terms that they would not discuss the rifle or any of their wartime activities.

The rifle is now in the possession of his son-in-law in North Carolina. Next time I visit my friend and his wife down in the South Carolina low country, I'll ask him if he has the letter with him, and if so, I'll copy it.
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Was this a hunting rifle? Can you describe it? Do you know enough to tell if it had a Mauser or a Mannlicher-Schoenauer action? Did it have one trigger or two?

Might the maker be Waffenfabrik Steyr? Mauser? You said they no longer make guns. A Swedish firm called Husqvarna?

Most interesting. I wish you knew more about rifles! Sure would like to see that letter! Could you call this man and see if he'd make a copy of the letter for you? And post it here?

This rifle may well have major historical importance and be of great value. I hate to think it may be in the hands of someone unqualified to maintain it right or who may be unaware of what he has.
 
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Wyatt Burp said:
My son is a Marine (discharged around 2006) and is now a private contractor in Germany. Photography is his hobby so the general he works under asked him to take pics of a Purple Heart ceremony on base. Made it on the cover of S&S magazine. Also, he went to Austria for the weekend and I said go to Hitler's Eagle Nest. He did, and here's some pictures of it. These are just phone pics. I don't have the other ones yet.








Click to expand...

If you read the article, it only took the poor kid 11 years to get a PH!. Better late than never I guess. Stuttgart is where European Command (EUCOM) is located. Spent almost 5 years there and loved every day of it, especially the subject of the last frame.:)
Chuck
 
29-1 said:
If you read the article, it only took the poor kid 11 years to get a PH!. Better late than never I guess. Stuttgart is where European Command (EUCOM) is located. Spent almost 5 years there and loved every day of it, especially the subject of the last frame.:)
Chuck
Click to expand...
Yeah, Octoberfest coming, too. My son just SKYPED me earlier in his car. He's on a day trip through France. He probably works right where you used to, a place we shall not mention specifically.
 
All I can say is many will be singing: Ja auf dem Oktoberfest--in beer tents in Bavaria. :-))
 
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