This is a fascinating account of your life growing up in post-War Germany.

They were not die-hard nationalists or programmed cyborgs, but ordinary people, lower-ranking soldiers who wanted to feel at home in the environment to which they had been sent, without being suspected or constantly sent hostile signals from the besieged ones.

The German soldier underwent massive amounts of regimented training that made them effective and efficient but also very rigid. The allied soldiers had a more "just-doing-my-job-so-I-can-go-back-home" kind of attitude. Not refined but flexible. Even the American generals were very informal, fraternizing with lower-ranking soldiers in ways that were unthinkable in the Germany army. I know it's difficult to generalize cultural behaviors because every person is unique, but from your experience, have you noticed other differences between Germans and Americans?

Excellent article and very interesting to read.