Military Review English Edition July-August 2014 | Page 98

defensive in nature. What better way to show that than by sprouting the landscape with “Little Americas”? Another reason for U.S. families being stationed in Germany was to project U.S. soft power by having citizens serve as goodwill ambassadors. Although, on occasion this backfired as cultural differences surfaced between German citizens and U.S. family members. GIs in Germany argues that the real reason for family member presence in Germany was to ensure good order and discipline among U.S. soldiers. By 1950, G.I.s had brought 20,000 war brides back to the United States, and most unfortunate by 1955, there were 37,000 out-of-wedlock German and Austrian children fathered by U.S. servicemen. The U.S. military is comin