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The Heidelberg military community will celebrate more than 60 years of German and American friendship and service during the “Farewell Heidelberg” celebration June 1 to 9 in Heidelberg.
Officials from U.S. Army Garrison Baden-Württemberg and local businesses like the Heidelberg Print Media Academy have collectively sponsored and organized the week-long event to mark the garrison’s deactivation this summer and the end of the U.S. military’s presence in Heidelberg.
Organizers have been planning the event for close to a year and see it as an opportunity for community members past and present, to share their memories and to say goodbye to the beloved city.
“Heidelberg seems to have had an effect on the people who were stationed there,” said J.R. Orlando, marketing assistant for Heidelberg Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
“They seem to have this connection and it only seems fair to give somewhere as special as Heidelberg, the send-off that it deserves and a lot of people feel it deserves, ” he said.
Orlando is one of many USAG Baden-Württemberg employees who have recently relocated from Heidelberg to the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Despite the change, Orlando’s ties to the city remain strong.
“I just think Heidelberg has been a very special place for me. My family has been there since basically 1994. People have very special memories of Heidelberg and I think that the week of events that we’ve put together really are a great way to cap off the U.S. Army’s time in Heidelberg. I’ve gotten to see some of the exhibit and I’m very excited about it. There are pictures there that are absolutely surreal,” Orlando said.
“Robert Kennedy visited in the ‘60s and there are pictures of people running alongside the road and waving at his car. There are pictures of General Patton and Elvis Presley. The exhibit is absolutely fantastic and the video is going to be special as well,” he added.
The Farewell Heidelberg events kick-off 11 a.m. this Saturday at the Village Pavilion Community Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Farewell Heidelberg multi-media exhibit on Patrick Henry Village. The exhibit will run 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday to June 8 and feature historical photographs, videos and memorabilia showcasing the Heidelberg military community.
Other events include a golf scramble, local USO tours, Rhein Neckar river cruise, festival, fun run, formal social, Heidelberg Castle illumination and more.
Farewell Heidelberg events are open to all community members. Former and current Heidelberg residents are also encouraged to attend. For more details on ticket prices and a full listing of events, visit heidelberg.armymwr.com, the Farewell Heidelberg Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Farewell-Heidelberg and the Information, Tickets and Reservations office located in the Village Pavilion Community Center Bldg. 4507 on PHV in Heidelberg, 388-9438, or 06221-3389438.
