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After completing the Haverjwandring I stayed at AnneMarie's along with Dick
Wright in Boxmeer, Holland, about 20 kilometers from Nijmegen. The rest did
me good. I slept for most of the time and on Sunday (two days before the
Nijmegen) we had a BBQ and met members of a German marching unit of which
AnneMarie's boyfriend is a member.
Sunday afternoon I reported to Camp Huemensoord where the military members
are bivouacked. The camp normally houses upwards of 6,000 personnel. In
the "good old days" there were something in the neighborhood of 8,000
military personnel housed here, including 1200 Americans. This year there
were around 6,000, with 600 Americans mostly participating as individuals.
Financial slashing has had its toll on the support the American contingents
enjoyed earlier, and now many attend as individuals.
I checked in at the liaison office, and by now had become a familiar face,
and they gave me a tent and room number and let me register the following
morning. Monday morning I registered at the main office, paid my fees, had
lunch, and being more experienced by now, made my way to the medical tent to
have my feet taped.
The medic who took me to the preparation room was new, her first year. I
felt badly for subjecting her to the experience she was about to have. I
sat on the elevated stretcher and removed my shoes and socks, and lay back.
She took one step forward to tape my feet, then stepped back again as if she
encountered an alien. She stared at my feet, the product of the
Haverjwandring, and declared I could not march on those feet. I explained I
did well enough over 300 kilometers and intended to leave the gate the next
morning. She summoned another medic who I knew from the previous year, and
he stared for some time. I explained my venture from last week, and he also
stated I could not be allowed to start. I told them if they wouldn't tape
my feet I would get help from the German team. So they got the senior
medic, and they talked, looked at my feet, talked some more, and the
decision was the same. I was not to be allowed to start. I told them of my
desire to have the Germans tape my feet, and they went to get the doctor.
He looked, then all four conferred, looked again, and the doctor decided I
could not start. Once again I mentioned my going to the Germans. There was
no one else to appeal to, and they discussed it further, and at the end the
doctor shook his head and walked off. They made it clear my marching on
those feet was not their responsibility, and I agreed. They used "liquid
skin" to fill in the gaps on my feet and taped me with thin strips of mole
skin, and off I went.
Next page > Day 1 > Intro, 1,
2, 3, 4
Photos
copyright 2001 Gary Nelson
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