Readers Remember

I was in the first grade at a Jewish school in Cologne, Germany, having been ejected, because I was Jewish, from the Catholic school across the street from my parents’ house where they both practiced medicine. On the way home from school on my bicycle I was knocked off the bike and beaten by a group (four or five) of uniformed Nazi youths. As I lay on the ground, defending myself as well as I could, I looked up and saw a police officer in full uniform benignly watching, with his hands clasped behind his back. This is my memory of the German justice of the time.

GUNTHER H. SCHIFF

Beverly Hills

*

It was Feb. 20, 1962. The day carried an anticipation of adventure and excitement that was different from most.

I was 10 years old and, along with the rest of my fourth-grade class in Arcadia, walked single-file into our school cafeteria. In the front stage area was a small, black-and-white television with a newscaster (probably Walter Cronkite, though I didn’t know it at the time!) mouthing silent words until one of the teachers hushed the gathering and turned up the volume.

We heard the countdown and huddled together to get a better view of John H. Glenn Jr. as he blasted off into space and orbited our planet three times. The entire mission lasted less than five hours. We all sat silent and amazed, wishing that we were he.

NANCY KEVORKIAN

Arcadia

What do you recall most about the 20th century? In 200 words or less, send us your memories, comments or eyewitness accounts. We will publish as many as we can on this page until the end of the year. Write to Century, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or e-mail century@latimes.com. We regret we cannot acknowledge individual submissions. Letters may be edited for space.