German-Russian Received Medals after 65 Years

“If we are to heed the past to prepare for the future, we should listen to the voices of those who speak to us of duty, honor, sacrifice and accomplishment.  More of their stories should be preserved and cherished as reminders of all that we owe them and all that we can learn from them.”    Tom Brokaw

On Veteran’s Day, November 11, 1985, my brother, Albert Elenberger, was presented with the Bronze Star Medal.  It came 40 years after he left the service.  The medal was authorized by executive order August 24, 1962, but no one knew why he had not received it.  The certificate was addressed to Technician Fourth Grade Albert Elenberger, U.S. Army for “meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy during World War II in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. 

Albert received the Purple Heart Medal on April 28, 1945, when he was wounded.  He was hit by shrapnel about 10 miles outside of Munich.  Albert was unattached, meaning he did not have a division so he was sent as a replacement and caught the tail end of the Battle of the Bulge.  They crossed the Maginot and Siegfried lines, both of which had land mines and other obstacles to overcome.  Albert told me, "Infantry casements were a problem for the troops, with forces bunking inside and firing anti-tank and twin-machine guns.  The Rainbow Division was waiting for massive concrete barricades to be torn down on the Siegfried line.  These barricades, called Dragon's tooth, were tank traps that made crossing the field in the heavy, armored vehicles impossible."

Albert shared more of what he remembered with me.  He told me, "I remember the dense barbed wire that had to be crossed once the tank traps were out of the way."  It was difficult for my brother to continue with the story, but he went on.  He spoke of crossing fields, swimming half the Rhine, and the Blue Danube which ran red with the blood of lost men.  "I was a Corporal in The 42 Infantry Division known as the Rainbow Division.  We passed concentration camps and prisons, freeing people as we went.  When our infantry came to the small town called Leitzing, I was hit with shrapnel."
  

Albert was then transferred to the traffic division and became a Sergeant. He began escorting American, French, and British Generals.  Once when he escorted General Eisenhower his bike would not start at the airport.  The General heard of the problems with the bikes and provided a contact number and information to replace them.  Albert also escorted General Patton into France and back out again.  A few days later, the jeep Patton was riding in was in an accident in Germany and he was killed. 

 

This photo was taken in the annual VJ Day parade in France. The parade went around the Arc de Triomphe at Champs-Elysees, the Arch of Triumph.  In the middle of the arch is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Albert remembers relighting the torch when it was America's responsibility to do so.  

Christmas Eve, 2010, my brother received the following medals from U.S. Army TA-COM, 65 years after the end of WWII:  

Bronze Star Medal (November 11, 1985)

Purple Heart (April 28, 1945)

Good Conduct Medal

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 bronze service stars

World War II Victory Medal

Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp

Combat Infantryman Badge lst Award

Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII

Sharpshooter Badge with Rifle Bar 

I am proud of my brother, Albert, and thank him and all who have served our country.

AHSGR Headquarters - Lincoln, Nebraska

“The mission of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia is to discover, collect, preserve, and disseminate information related to the history, cultural heritage, and genealogy of Germanic settlers in the Russian Empire and their descendants.”

On October 4, my husband and I took the Self-Guided Tour of AHSGR Headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.  This is a photo of me in front of the Germans from Russia Immigrant Family Statue which depicts the typical German-Russian immigrant family as they arrived in the United States, Canada, and South America.  Pete Felten’s sculpture portrays the faith, hardship, and endurance of the Germans from Russia.

The American Historical Society of Germans from Russia International Headquarters was built in Lincoln, in part because of the concentration of the German Russians in the capitol city.  In the 1930’s and 1940’s, German Russians made up 40 percent of the population of Lancaster county.  This means that four out of every ten people you might meet on the streets of Lincoln would be of German Russian Heritage.

This photo is of the AHSGR/Jake Sinner Headquarters building located at 631 D Street in Lincoln.  It houses a small exhibit area, a library, A.A. Flegel Genealogical Research Center, bookstore, gift shop, and museum, upstairs.  Here are a few of the photos I took in the museum.

Other buildings to tour are:  the All Faiths Chapel, the Summer Kitchen, the Barn and Manger, the Robert Kincaide Blacksmith Shop, and the General Store. 

The All Faiths Chapel was built by AHSGR in recognition of the strong religious convictions of the Germans from Russia.  This chapel houses the furnishings from the historic St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado. The Summer Kitchen is a replica built by AHSGR, and represents a common German-Russian household.  The barn and manger once stood behind the Amen house.  The barn was in use when it was still possible to have farm animals within the city limits.  The blacksmith shop is typical of a blacksmith shop found in the German-Russian neighborhoods.  Lastly, the general store houses exhibits of items one might find in local German-Russian grocery store.  

   

I highly recommend visiting the AHSGR Headquarters.  You will find the people to be helpful and friendly.

Open Door Cafe - Menno, South Dakota

After Mike’s 50^th High School Class Reunion in Watertown, we headed for home – October 2.   We left California on August 14, with a long list of people to visit and interests to pursue.  After 50 days on the road, we needed a vacation from vacation.

The last stop of our trip was Vermillion, SD, where my High School friend, Ann, lives.  I couldn’t leave South Dakota without visiting her.  Ann told me about an article in the September Issue of South Dakota Magazine.  The article, written by Katie Hunhoff, is about the Open Door Café in Menno, SD.

 “I want to drive you to  Menno.  It is only 61 miles from here.  We could have lunch,”  Ann said.

Menno, population 780, was settled by Germans from Russia.  The café, open seven days a week, is on Main Street.  It is run by Rita and Jerome Hoff who have been serving German specialties since 1986.  Rita makes her dishes from scratch and uses produce from local gardens.  

Tuesday’s menu always includes one or more German dishes.  Fleish Kuchle is the favorite.  Thursdays she bakes Kuchen, and on Sunday they serve a big buffet for the church goers. Weekdays, at three o’clock in the afternoon, the Open Door Café serves food to the Senior Citizens of the town.

Even though it was Monday when we visited the café, Rita fried us some Fleish Kuchle so we could taste it.  She offered  her recipe.

Rita’s Fleish Kuchle

Ingredients:  1 stick margarine, 1 cup warm milk, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, and 4 cups flour.

Melt margarine and cool.  Add milk, baking powder, salt and eggs.  Mix.  Add flour.

Filling: 4 pounds hamburger, salt, pepper, chopped onion. 

        

Mix meat mixture.  Roll out dough to thickness of pie dough.  Cut into 4” x 4” squares.  Put one heaping tablespoon hamburger filling in center.  Fold in half.  Seal edges   Fry in 350 degrees oil for 7 minutes.

Ann and I ate lunch and visited with Rita and Jerome.  Their families came from the Black Sea region of Russia.  We discussed the similarities and differences of the foods from the Volga area and the Black Sea. 

If you are ever in the southeastern part of South Dakota, stop at the café.  Rita and Jerome are terrific people and cook good German Russian foods.

And, “thanks again, Ann.  I would never have discovered this treasure without you!"

Gwen's Schmeckfest

September 15, my husband and I traveled in our 5^th wheel trailer from North Dakota to Minnesota.  We made a stop in White Bear Lake to visit Gwen Cowherd and her husband, Phil.  Over the past two years, Gwen  and I have become email pen pals.  We share an interest in writing, cooking, and we both like to grow a garden.  Gwen and I have a love and respect for our culture and it is important to both of us to pass our heritage down to our children and grandchildren.  While Gwen and I were visiting, she said, “We are both one hundred percent German Russian, you know.”  

The day before we were scheduled to arrive at her house, Gwen told me on the phone that she had prepared some German Russian foods for us to eat.  When I walked into her kitchen, I was astounded!  She had homemade foods for us, all right!.  She had prepared a traditional “Schmeckfest”.

The foods she prepared included:  Knoepfla Suppe, Halupsie, Baked Rice, Cream Cucumbers, Rhubarb Kuchen, Prune Kuchen, and the most delicious Apple Pie. 

 

She fixed sausage she had ordered from Napoleon, North Dakota.  We ate these delightful dishes together to celebrate our heritage.

After a delightful visit, we could not leave without “food to go”.  This is a German Russian tradition.  When you visit someone’s house, you end up well fed and you must take food with you.  Gwen packed up kuchen, soup, homemade watermelon pickles,  red beet pickles, and  homemade salsa.  Oh, yes.  And a grocery bag full of spiral bound cookbooks  because we both have a passion for them.

 

Meeting Gwen was definitely one of the high lights of my trip.  After reading Gwen's story in the Winter 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia,  I felt  connected to her.  Her story, "The Girls of '66", won second Place in the 2009 AHSGR Storytelling Contest.