Six-tenths of a percentage point changed Roger Garlich’s life. For the better, he says.
“In 1961, I had just graduated college and was in the National Guard,” Garlich said. “We were in Wisconsin for our summer camp training and that’s around the time the Berlin Wall crisis blew up and they needed a radar unit. My father was in the same unit as I was and I asked him if he thought we’d be going to Germany.”
kAmv2C=:49’D 72E96C E9@F89E E96J H@F=5[ D@ v2C=:49 :>>65:2E6=J H:E95C6H 9:D 2AA=:42E:@? E@ 8C25F2E6 D49@@= 2?5 3682? AC6A2C:?8 E@ EC2G6= E@ tFC@A6] (9:49 96 H@F=5 92G6[ :7 :E 925?’E 366? 7@C 2?@E96C C252C F?:E DE2E:@?65 :? #2=6:89]k^Am
kAm“%96 8@G6C?>6?E 564:565 E96J H6C6 D:I\E6?E9D @7 2 A@:?E >@C6 AC6A2C65 E92? @FC F?:E[ H92E6G6C E92E >62?D[ 2?5 E96J 6?565 FA 8@:?8 :?DE625 @7 FD[” v2C=:49 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$@[ v2C=:49 >@G65 324< E@ $E] {@F:D 2?5 6?C@==65 :? H92E H2D E96? r6?EC2= |:DD@FC: $E2E6 r@==686 E@ DE2CE 9:D 8C25F2E6 568C66] (9:=6 E96C6[ 96 D2H 2? 25 7@C 2 A2CE\E:>6 ;@3 2E E96 r9:=5C6?’D %96C2AJ r6?E6C 7@C 2 DA6649 E96C2A:DE]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D 9@H E9:?8D DE2CE65 2?5 x ;FDE ?6G6C =67E[” v2C=:49 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C >2C<D v2C=:49’D d_E9 H@C<:?8 7@C H92E :D ?@H <?@H? 2D E96 r6?E6C 7@C wF>2? $6CG:46D[ 2?5 2D 96’D BF:4< E@ A@:?E @FE[ E9:?8D 2C6 G6CJ 5:776C6?E E92? E96J H6C6 H96? 96 DE2CE65]k^Am
kAm“%96 rC:AA=65 r9:=5C6?’D r6?E6C[ 2D :E H2D <?@H? E96?[ DE2CE65 :? `hdd[” 96 D2:5] “(96? x DE2CE65 :? `he`[ E96 8@G6C?>6?E CF=6 E@ 6?E6C D49@@= H2D E92E J@F 925 E@ 36 g J62CD @=5[ E@:=6E EC2:?65[ >@3:=6 — E92E :D J@F 4@F=5?’E 36 :? 2 H966=492:C — 2?5 92G6 8@@5 DA6649] $@ E96 46?E6C 925 4@?EC24ED H:E9 5:776C6?E 4@>>F?:E:6D E@ AC@G:56 2 DA6649 E96C2A:DE[ H9:49 :D H92E >J ;@3 H2D] x 5C@G6 E@ {2 |@?E6 2?5 vC66? #:586[ H@C<:?8 H:E9 <:5D]”k^Am
kAmu:G6 J62CD =2E6C[ v2C=:49 H6?E 7C@> 6>A=@J66 E@ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 r9:=5C6?’D %96C2AJ r6?E6C 2?5[ :? `hee[ DE2CE65 H@C<:?8 H:E9 =@42= 3FD:?6DD6D E@ 4C62E6 E96 7:CDE D96=E6C65 H@C<D9@A :? |:DD@FC:] v2C=:49 D2:5 E96 46?E6C H2D D66:?8 >2?J A6@A=6 H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D 8C25F2E6 7C@> D49@@= H:E9 ?@ C62= EC2:?:?8 7@C E96 ;@3 >2C<6E[ E9FD E96 H@C<D9@A H2D 3@C?]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 2 8C@FA 677@CE[” v2C=:49 D2:5] “%96C6 H2D 2 $E] {@F:D 3FD:?6DD>2? H9@D6 D@? 925 5:D23:=:E:6D 2?5 96 H2?E65 E@ 4C62E6 2 EC2:?:?8 AC@8C2>] $652=:2 925 E96 7:CDE D96=E6C65 H@C<D9@A[ H:E9 ?:?6 6>A=@J66D 2?5 @?6 DFA6CG:D@C] }@H E96C6 2C6 h_ H@C<D9@AD E9C@F89@FE E96 DE2E6 2?5 f[d__ 6>A=@J66D]”k^Am
kAmv2C=:49 D2:5 96 36=:6G6D E96 36DE C6923:=:E2E:@? E@@= 7@C 25F=ED H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D :D E@ 7:?5 2 ;@3]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D @FC ;@3 E@ >66E E96:C ?665D 2?5 7:?5 @FE H92E E96J H2?E65 E@ 5@[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 8@@5 H@C< E96 r6?E6C 5:5[ :E D@>6E:>6D DECF88=65 E@ 4@>6 FA H:E9 7F?5D[ v2C=:49 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“q24< E96?[ H96? x E@@< @G6C[ H6 925 2 Scf[___ 3F586E[” 96 D2:5] “(6 5:5?’E 92G6 2?J DE2E6 @C 7656C2= 5@==2CD 4@>:?8 :? E@ 96=A FD 3FE H6 5:5 92G6 E96 DFAA@CE @7 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 =@42= 5@?2E:@?D] x C6>6>36C E96 7:CDE E:>6 x E@@< E96 A2JC@== E@ @FC A6CD@??6= 56A2CE>6?E[ E96C6 H2D 2 D9@6 3@I 2?5 2 C64:A6 3@I 2?5 @FC A2JC@== A6CD@? DE2CED 7=:AA:?8 E9C@F89 E96 C64:A6 3@I D2J:?8 ‘~z[ E9:D 5@?2E:@? H:== 36 4@>:?8 :? D@@? 2?5 E9:D @?6 :D @? E96 H2J]’k^Am
kAm“p?5 D96 =@@<D 2E >6 2?5 D2JD[ ‘w@?6J[ H6’C6 ~z] (6 42? >2<6 A2JC@== E9:D >@?E9[’ ” v2C=:49 D2:5 H:E9 2 =2F89] “x H2D ;FDE D@ C6=:6G65[ x >62?[ x 5:5?’E C62==J <?@H H92E x H2D 5@:?8[ x 925 ;FDE E2<6? @G6C] x DE:== 92G6 E92E D9@6 3@I E@ C6>:?5 >6 H96C6 H6 DE2CE65]”k^Am
kAm%96D6 52JD E96 46?E6C’D 3F586E :D 2C@F?5 S`g >:==:@?[ 2?5 H9:=6 E96C6 2C6?’E H@CC:6D 23@FE >2<:?8 A2JC@==[ E96 46?E6C :D DE:== 4@?46C?65 H:E9 6IA2?5:?8 :ED AC@8C2>D]k^Am
kAm“p7E6C E96 H@C<D9@A 8@E 8@:?8[ H6 H@C<65 @? 9@FD:?8[ 6:E96C 8C@FA 9@>6D @C 2A2CE>6?ED[” v2C=:49 D2:5] “p?5 ?@H E96 7@4FD :D 6>A=@J>6?E H:E9:? E96 4@>>F?:EJ] %96C6’D 2=H2JD D@>6 AC@;64E E96 46?E6C :D H@C<:?8 @?]”k^Am
kAmv2C=:49 E649?:42==J C6E:C65 :? a__h[ 3FE E92E 92D?’E DE@AA65 9:> 7C@> H@C<:?8] rw$ rt~ p?? vC277[ H9@ 92D <?@H? v2C=:49 7@C b_ J62CD[ D2:5 v2C=:49 H@C<D 2D 2 4@?DF=E2?E @? DA64:2= AC@;64ED]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 8@E DF49 2? 6IA6CE:D6 23@FE E96 AC@8C2>D 2?5 H92E rw$ 5@6D[ 96’D 2 H@?56C7F= 2DD6E[” D96 D2:5] “!=FD 96’D 23@FE E96 D>2CE6DE 8FJ x <?@Hj :E’D 8C62E E@ 92G6 9:> 2G2:=23=6 96C6 6G6? A2CE\E:>6 E@ 96=A 46CE2:? AC@;64ED >@G6 7@CH2C5]”k^Am
kAm{:<6 v2C=:49[ vC277 H2D 2? 6>A=@J66 H:E9 rw$ 367@C6 364@>:?8 :ED rt~] vC277 4C65:E65 96C @=5 3@DD H:E9 96=A:?8 96C >@G6 FA :? E96 3FD:?6DD]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D[ 2?5 :D[ >J >6?E@C[” D96 D2:5] “x DE2CE65 H@C<:?8 H96? x H2D AC6EEJ J@F?8[ >J 9FD32?5 2?5 x H6C6 9@FD6 A2C6?ED :? 2 8C@FA 9@>6] p?5 #@86C C62==J D6E FA >J A2E9 2?5 96=A65 >6 A=2? H92E x ?66565 E@ 5@ E@ >2<6 :E E@ E96 E@A]”k^Am
kAmvC277 D2:5 v2C=:49’D H@C< :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ 6DA64:2==J H:E9 96=A:?8 7:?5 6>A=@J>6?E 7@C E9@D6 H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D[ 92D 366? 2 “8@5D6?5]”k^Am
kAm“pD 2 86?6C2= CF=6[ A6@A=6 H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D 92G6 2 >F49 9:896C F?6>A=@J>6?E C2E6[ 6G6? H96? E96 64@?@>J :D 8@@5[” D96 D2:5] “$@ E@ 92G6 #@86C[ H9@ 92D >2?J 4@?E24ED :? E@H? 2=C625J[ :E’D 366? H@?56C7F=] %9:?8D E6?5 E@ 92AA6? 72DE6C :7 96’D H@C<:?8 @? :E]”k^Am
kAmv2C=:49 D2:5 96’5 4@?E:?F6 H@C<:?8 2E rw$ “7@C 2D =@?8 2D E96J’== 92G6 >6]”k^Am
kAm“(96? x 7:CDE DE2CE65[ E96 E9@F89E @? A6@A=6 H:E9 5:D23:=:E:6D H2D >@C6 >65:42=] xE H2D ‘(6’C6 E2<:?8 42C6 @7 J@F[’ ” v2C=:49 D2:5] “%@52J H6 92G6 2 5:776C6?E >:?5D6E] xE’D ‘H92E 42? H6 5@ E@ DFAA@CE J@Fn’ 2?5 x’> AC@F5 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E92E]k^Am
kAm“*@F <?@H[ d_ J62CD :D 2 =@?8 E:>6[ 3FE x’> DE:== 92G:?8 DF49 7F?[ E96J’5 92G6 E@ 5C28 >6 @FE @7 96C6]”k^Am
