Bakery Working On Warm
Relationship
Story &
photos by SPC Charles Ames
It's common for the relationship between
National Guard units and the community in which they are located to be close and friendly.
However, one Poulsbo business has gone out of it's way to make the local Guardsmen
feel welcome. Says MAJ Diane Williams of the 341st Military
Intelligence Battalion (Linguist), "I can’t pick another organization that has
been more supportive than the Liberty Bakery & Cafe, but the community of Poulsbo, on
the whole, really likes the Guard!"
One of Washington's most popular tourist attractions is the distinctly Norwegian town of
Poulsbo, located in the Puget
Sound, overlooking Liberty Bay. Near the end of Front Street, the town's main shopping
district, sits the Liberty Bay Bakery and Caf.
Decorated in classic Bavarian style, this
popular local eatery is owned and operated by Mr. Hans Ebke and his small staff of bakers.
Hans came to America in 1964 and was promptly drafted into the U.S. Army. "That was
actually good because I learned the customs, I learned the language, and it’s how I
got started". During his tour he spent a year in Vietnam.
"When we first came to town, there was a world-famous bakery just down the street.
People thought we were crazy". Undaunted by competition, Hans set about winning over
the locals. "We started sending our 'day-old' pastries to the Sons of Norway (a local
Norwegian cultural community group), and to the towns senior citizens." Business
slowly began to improve.
With his
recent connections to the Army, he turned his eye to the local Washington Army National
Guard Armory, and the men and women of the 341st
Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist). "The people up there (the armory) are
super. It’s a small community and in a small community you get a lot of support and
help for the things you do".
Hans began to send pastries up to the Armory on drill weekends. As you
might expect, the Guardsmen immediately warmed to this unexpected European delight. It is
the nature of the National Guard that any given unit is comprised mostly of citizens local
to the area, and the 341st is no exception.
Word of mouth did the job, and the
reputation of the Liberty Bay Bakery and Caf grew.
"Almost every weekend drill, he provides doughnuts, bread, and other stuff to the
unit" said SFC Holly Allen, of the 341st. "On our Family Activities Day, Hans
and his wife Pat brought a pasta salad, and his employees, Carrie and Katie, provide
babysitting services to some of us. They’re really supportive of everything and
anything we do. We try to tell him we have to watch our weight! Hans replies with a grin
"Yes, but you also need to keep up your energy."
