Victory and Defeat

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"I went with the G.I.s at night, and they all picked up girlfriends along the way.

Another rather interesting experience I had during this time period was a trip I made to Hameln with a young neighbor lady who was concerned for her family living there. We rode our bicycles to Hameln, but the bridge had been blown down and no civilians were allowed to cross over using the military pontoon bridge. The guard there offered to negotiate to allow her to cross the bridge if she would satisfy his sexual needs. This was very awkward for me to translate since I was 16 at the time and was not that worldly yet."

Editor's Note: During his time working for the American Army, Eugene was put in some uncomfortable situations as he witnessed the ways in which the occupying forces hoped to trade favors with the local people.