By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
SEPT. 25, 2020 | An original pencil drawing of former President John Kennedy is on the back wall of my office. It’s 60 years old, and has been on every office wall I have had all these journalistic years. There’s a story that goes with it about the way governmental bureaucrats anywhere get around regulations.
When in the Army for 3.5 years, I served in Germany as a commissary, Class I and Class VI officer. My first commissary was small, with two cash registers in Bad Nauheim, Germany, a delightful “kur” town. Later I was transferred to the larger post commissary 20 miles north in Giessen, an industrial town. A sergeant and PFC worked with me, and we employed about 50 German civilians at the commissary and Class I (bulk food for the troops) operation. (Class VI is liquor, and two German civilians ran that operation.)
The Giessen commissary was a former horse barn, finished with easy-to-clean terrazzo floors. Ten feet off the ground were tall windows all around the space. It was not an inviting facility. The German employees convinced me they could make it more hospitable…..by hiring an artist.
There was a problem: we were not authorized for an artist. The German employees had among them some long-time bureaucrats, just as in any government. And they knew their way around problems.
Soon we put out an invitation for a warehouseman’s job, where we had one vacancy out of about four staff people. Eventually, the employees found a young applicant for the job. After I interviewed him, he was pleased to sign for the warehouse position.
This new warehouseman had one unique qualification: he was basically an artist, pleased to get any job. When heavy shipments arrived, he pitched in and helped unload trucks, as his job description required.
However, most of the time, our warehouseman charged directly ahead in artistic endeavors, making this grocery store much more attractive. His first finished works were two 6×24 foot oil paintings, one over the vegetable counter, high on the wall, of a scene from the German Alps. Over the meat market, across the aisle from the vegetables, was another 6×24 foot painting, this time an enticing Rhine River scene. These and other projects made the store area more pleasing. Our customers recognized the improvements with compliments.
By the way, his “studio” was hidden to snooping dignitaries. At the far end of the warehouse, maybe 100 feet from the unloading dock, were more stacks of canned goods. But on the back row, behind the cases, was his space where he did his art, away from prying eyes.
Prior to the 1960 election, I showed him a photo of Jack Kennedy in The New Yorker magazine, by Yosuf Karsh of Ottawa, the famous portrait photographer. Richard Nixon’s photo had appeared in the magazine the week before. These full page photos were advertisements for the photographer.
When we were talking I told our artist how I admired Kennedy. “Let me make you a drawing from that photo,” he volunteered. A few days later, he was back with an original drawing, in pencil, an amazing likeness of the photo. It showed even the highlights in Kennedy’s hair. It was superbly done, and I immediately framed it.
The artist (warehouseman’s) name was Ulial Wuidlaud, then perhaps 22-24 years old. He was still making the commissary more appealing when I completed my Army tour. I have since lost all contact with those loyal German employees.
Those German bureaucrats getting around those staffing regulations gave me an original keepsake which I cherish to this day.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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