Honoring History and Host-Nation Friendships: Life Scout Alana Kaley Restores 8th Panzer Regiment Memorial

BÖBLINGEN, Germany -In the middle of a parking lot on Panzer Kaserne, Böblingen, a piece of local history was fading away. The 8th Panzer Regiment Memorial was exposed to the elements for years and it showed with its overgrowth and weathered engravings that once described what the monument stood for.

That is the case no longer. Now the monument stands refreshed to its original glory, thanks to 15-year-old Alana Kaley, a Troop 44 Eagle Scout Candidate.

Acting as a focal point for an annual joint reef laying ceremony by honoring German and American partnership, Kaley recognized that the weathered monument did not reflect its historical significance, so she took on the challenge to restore it.

"It just didn't look very great, and I thought it didn't well represent what the memorial stands for," she said.

Unlike typical volunteer work, an Eagle Scout project requires managerial organization. Assistant Scoutmaster and Eagle Scout himself, Richard Galeano emphasized the scale of the effort.

"The scope is huge; it took months of coordination with USAG Stuttgart Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Installation Coordinator Jerry Rush," said Richard Galeano. "The paperwork alone is very difficult and time-consuming, but it makes the scout think and plan a project out."

Kaley also coordinated and presented her plans to community partners to finance the parts of the project that DPW could not provide due to funding.

"I asked for a grant of $800 from the Veterans Foreign Wars, and they were very generous and gave me the grant," Kaley said.

Kaley led a team of nearly 20 youth volunteers and five adults investing over 200 volunteer hours into the project.

"In the weeks leading up, I had to contact DPW and just work around getting all the materials that we needed," Kaley said. "A couple of weeks before the actual project, I went and did painting in the engraving of the stone to make it pop because it was all faded. On the actual day (Sept. 19), we picked all the weeds, put soil in, and then we just worked on putting boxwood hedges around the perimeter and also planting flowers."

The effort to bring the monument back to life was also a huge physical undertaking.

"It was probably close to three and a half to four tons of dirt that you physically moved, two truckloads full of dirt," Richard Galeano said. "Which was backbreaking. It sounds easy, but it was a lot of work."

This project also highlights Troop 44, a combined family troop operating out of Panzer Kaserne and the first of its kind in the Stuttgart community as well as how Kaley's accomplishment highlights the changing landscape of Scouting America (previously known as Boy Scouts of America), which only began welcoming girls into its legacy programs in 2019.

Troop Training Chair and Transatlantic Council Vice President of Communication Katrin Galeano emphasized this milestone.

"We were actually the first family troop in the area, and now the remaining troops followed us.," she said. "Kaley had the position of Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), which is the top youth leadership position. She was elected by her peers to lead them, which is a pretty big deal."

Only about 6 percent of all scouts achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, making Kaley's upcoming advancement even more impressive. She had previously taken part in a high-intensity leadership training, by completing a 100-kilometer trek in Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Kaley reflected on her leadership journey and the skills she acquired during this trek.

"At Philmont, I had to learn to be more of a follower," she said. "I was used to being Senior Patrol Leader of my troop, and someone else was crew leader so I was being a follower. Having a bunch of people that are all aching is stressful, and you have to act as a group to stay strong."

Kaley and her family have been taking care of the monument ever since, watering and caring for the plants. The completion of the project is especially significant, as the German Bundeswehr and USAG Stuttgart leadership were scheduled to gather at the restored monument on Panzer Kaserne for their annual joint ceremony the coming Sunday.

Katrin Galeano considers the restored monument to be a representation of the friendship between both nations.

"The monument looked very much like the weather last year, very gray, just kind of lifeless, and now, Kaley has breathed life into it," Katrin said. "She is showing care for preserving history but also celebrating the friendship between these two countries."

For Kaley, who is preparing a speech for the ceremony, the ultimate reward for all her hard work will be seeing the reaction of the German and American military community.

Restoring the memorial has enabled it to share its original message, however the act of restoration has given it another meaning of friendship and respect between Germany and the U.S.

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