My name is Olivia Reary and I am a Corporal in the US Army.
After returning from the hot war in Southeast Asia, I am now assigned to the Cold War, here in Berlin. The famous Berlin Brigade, that last defense of freedom in the East, has occupied the American sector of West Berlin since 1945.
We are allowed to proudly boast, Ich bin ein Berliner! (I am a Berliner!)
But, as occupier, we do not control the population ... we protect them from the East. If not for our Brigade, West Berlin likely would have been annexed into the Soviet sphere long ago.
We are surrounded by forces in excess of two hundred thousand. Our Brigade is five thousand strong.
We are confident... unafraid. Wir sind Berliner! (We are Berliners!)
Berlin is ninety miles behind the Iron Curtain. Essentially, this means ninety miles deep within East Germany. After World War II, the treaties assigned West Germany to be free, and East Germany to be "protected" by the Soviet Union sphere of influence. Berlin was partitioned into East and West. West was (and still is as I am assigned here) divided into sectors: American, British and French. We can move freely among the sectors in West Berlin. We can go into the East with approved permissions while wearing our uniforms and having appropriate papers. Easterners cannot come into the West. They will be shot if they attempt it. The Wall around West Berlin is guarded by the East to keep their people from escaping.
I work in a records detachment at HQ—the Air Ministry compound. It is April and I have been here in Berlin only a few weeks.
I am queer. In 1971, however, this statement is interpreted to mean homosexual. But I am not that. Instead, I am a girl who was born in a boy's body. The Army does not agree with me, but I live my true self here in Berlin as much as I can. However, at work, I must dress in male military uniforms and hold myself accountable as a male soldier. But I do push the limits at work, while performing exceptionally. Off duty, I am fully Olivia, though this causes me to frequently deal with harassment or threats, and sometimes even attacks.
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The Wall Crossers
SachbücherStep into the captivating world of "The Wall Crossers," a spellbinding tale set against the backdrop of Cold War-era West Berlin in 1971 and 1972 to the latter half of the 21st century, from Berlin to Bhutan. This narrative weaves together the lives...
