Click on “The ’60s, above, to see preceding posts on the ’60s.
The Man with the Castle
Part of my job as the information services officer was to run the base photo lab and edit the base newspaper. I was also in charge of public relations and dealing with the press.
There was a German photographer, Helmut Haak, who photographed troops on American air bases. He was a big, hearty, outgoing man. He contacted me about setting up photo shoots.
I would line up a fighter plane down on our airstrip, and benches for the military personnel, arranged by unit. There might be 30-40 men and women in each photo.
Helmut made a ton of money selling the color photos. Practically everyone bought one. He drove a big Mercedes and lived in a small castle overlooking the Mosel River. One night he invited us, along with my secretary Inge, over for a light supper.
He served food and white and pink champagne in bottles with his own label. He took us up into a small turret at the top of the castle and as we looked down at the river in the mist, he showed us an exquisite little music box with a moving mechanical bird.
Helmut had a 4-seat Cessna airplane, and he made friends with our base commander, Colonel Simeral (a pilot) by taking him flying. It was a spiffy little plane, and the colonel loved flying it.
F-86 Sabre Dog Interceptor
One day at the base, Helmut took me up. We took off, and were still in the flight pattern when we heard on the radio: “F-86 dogs scrambling,” which meant that at least two of the base’s fighter pilots were taking off in a hurry. Shit!
Helmut was sweating. I was worried. The F-86’s were like rockets with cockpits on top — fast and powerful. Pretty soon, the planes roared past us—phew! — and we came back in.
Helmut told me that one time, when his girlfriend was sailing back to America from Southhampton, he swooped down when the ship was leaving port and dropped a bouquet of flowers for her with a note on the deck. Romantisch!
Before I left Germany, I got word that he had crashed and died in the French Alps, not seeing Mont Blanc in the fog. The report said that he missed the top of the mountain by 3-4 meters.
My father is in one of Mr. Haak photographs of military men in uniform on the benches as you describe in this article. My keepsake is very yellow and starting to crumble. Is there any way to find out if the original exist.
Diane, Any chance you could send me a photo of the photo?
Either to lloyd@shelterpub.com or 415-710-8365…
Yes. I will send to the email address