Observation Post Alpha – now called just Point Alpha – was the forward-most U.S. Army observation post in Germany, where WW3 would have started on a moment’s notice. Located in the state of Hesse near Fulda, Point Alpha is now a monument and museum where only a fence and two observation towers – one East German and one U.S. – tell the story of what happened during this forty-year confrontation. Exploring this venuewith our German guide taught me a great deal about a part of history with which I was unfamiliar. The spring history courses on the Grand Alliance and World War II provide me a solid foundation on the Second World War, but the Cold War was new territory for me. Seeing Point Alpha opened my mind to another part of history with which I’ve become fascinated.
The Iron Curtain – here at Point Alpha literally an iron fence and not a cement wall – stayed up for forty years and progressively got more dangerous. The East Germans added motion detectors that fired robotic guns at anyone trying to scale the fence, as well as an electric fence and mines that prevented most escapes. More than two-thousand guard dogs were ready to tear into the flesh of anyone straying into their territory; after the Iron Curtain fell these dogs had to be euthanized because they were too vicious to be adopted as pets.
This border became a cruel reality for many East Germans who desired to emigrate to the West. It was surreal to me seeing how small the gap was between the Warsaw Pact and NATO sides. So close to freedom yet so far for so many East Germans; they were locked in a national prison. Taking a deeper look, this isn’t much different to what’s happening today in North and South Korea at the 38th parallel. During the Cold War tourists visited the border and peered at the other side of a world that was alien to them. It was definitely very devastating for me that people were locked up within their own communities, and that too many continue to be shut in today around the world.
Guard Dog and Electrified Fence Used at Border
In sharp contrast to the fortified border, the American forces installed a flag pole that did not touch the ground, but was attached to four supports. The U.S. troops wanted to raise the American flag every day in the border camp, but they wanted to make the point that they were not occupying Germany but rather defending it.
