Back from Germany- overview, part 1

posted 5.3.10 at 12:00 am
 Last week I had the honor of being flown out to Frankfurt and Kaiserslaughtern Germany, to draw and raise morale of US troops overseas, courtesy of the USO.
This was my second USO tour this year (read about the previous USO trip to San Antonio here), and when they asked me to go to Germany, I jumped at the opportunity.  Also along for the ride were fellow NCS cartoonists Bruce Higdon (Army cartoonists and caricaturists), Ray Alma (Mad magazine, caricaturist), Rob Harrell (comic strips Big Top and Adam@Home), Mason Mastoianni (B.C.), Chad Carpenter (comic strip Tundra), Dave Mowder (licensing artist for Warner Bros, Disney and Peanuts), Tom Stiglich (editorial cartoonist), and Stephen Silver (Kim Possible and Danny Phantom creator and caricaturist).  Steve and Ray were old friends of mine going in to this trip, and by the end, the entire group felt as if we'd be been best pals for a lifetime. 


The tour began on Monday, April 26th, in Washington DC.  That day we went to Walter Reed and Bethesda Medical Centers.  (as of this post, I don't have any pics from this day.  We had an official USO photographer in Germany, though!)
As soon as we arrived we went right to work.  These facilities are occupied mostly by soldiers who are just back from Iraq and Afghanistan either because of their injuries or are simply in transition back to home life.  The majority of troops we dealt with here were the severely injured, who needed morale boosting the most.  
How it worked was, groups of 3 or 4 us would go from room to room, with a USO representative leading the way, and basically introduce ourselves and simply draw funny pictures.  Myself, I would draw caricatures either of the wounded as they were, or their families if the soldiers requested.  The other guys all drew what they were good at, both caricatures and their respective strip or characters, all the while talking and sharing stories, all for the purpose of putting a much needed smile on the face of a soldier who's life has been turned upside down by the brutal reality of war.

For a tour opener, this was the equivalent of diving right in to the deep end of the pool.  Some of the soldiers we met were in very rough shape, had been there only for a few days, and in some cases the family had just arrived that day or the day before and had just begun the healing process.  
My original feeling was that cartoons and caricatures would be the LAST thing these men and women would be interested in while lying in pain in hospital beds, but it turns out just having a group like us show up and show concern and support for them and their families was much needed and indeed very much anticipated by most.  Some of the soldiers I met were still in shock from what happened to them and, in most cases, from the loss of good friends from Afghan sniper fire and various nasty types of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).  I cannot even begin to comprehend how some of these guys could even begin the coping and healing process; many are permanently disfigured, having been burned or lost limbs.  It was an honor to get to meet and talk with these young soldiers.  My life as an artist and the occasional gripes it entails is really put in perspective after witnessing up close and personal the bravery of these young soldiers.  Not only with the courage they use to cope with memories from oversees, but the optimism many have for the future in lieu of their new physical and mental challenges resulting from what they've been through. 

Needless to say, this was a full day, not to mention mentally draining, and by the end of it, all of us were pretty beat.  Just in time for a red-eye flight to Frankfurt!

The next morning (Tuesday), we arrived in our base town of Kaiserslautern, Germany.  That day was an easy day; they decided to give us a day to recover and get to know the town that was hosting us.

That night we basically kicked back with some fine German beer (and some Jägermeister!) and got mentally prepared for the next day.

The next morning, our first stop was the Kaiserslautern military commissary.  (Up at 06:30!  Yikes!)  The commissary is the soldier's grocery store.  Tables were set up for us to draw at, and thanks to the announcement on the local Armed Forces Radio (starring a few in our group for interviews!), the crowds rolled in almost instantly.  This stop was more military families, and I drew lots of little kids and babies.


Next stop was the Kaiserslautern Military Police Station.  


Then, off to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Landstuhl, Germany.


The last stop of the day was to the USO Warrior Center at Landstuhl.  The USO center is a home base for the USO, and a haven for soldiers to come out, relax, eat, watch movies, play video games and basically kick back and get a taste of home.
Local USO volunteers came out and put together a wonderful pasta bake for us, complete with homemade garlic bread and a few cakes! 


That's it for day one.  Tomorrow I'll do a roundup of the remainder of the trip!

*Photos courtesy of Jaime Goloyugo.  Thanks Jaime!


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