Battle of the Bulge II

The U.S. Army general said no. The Lord Mayor said yes. The $21,000 question: Was Interpreter Hannelore Nelson wearing a bra at the annual asparagus festival in Mainz, West Germany?

General David Martin, commander of the U.S. Army base near Mainz, had come with his civilian interpreter to join in the jolly burghers' celebration. But, to his dismay, he thought he detected a lack of strategic support on Miss Nelson's person. Though there is no written rule on the matter, the Army sent her a flat letter of reprimand.

She took the case to the local workers' council and then to her union, but the Army remained adamant. So she decided to sue and the Army responded by firing her.

The Lord Mayor and the police chief came to court prepared to say that, as far as they could tell, she had been wearing a bra. Without settling whether a bra should be required, the court recommended that the Army pay $21,000 in retribution, unemployment benefits, court costs and taxes. The Army, in a tacit admission that the affair had grown out of proportion, accepted the settlement. "I don't know what the whole fuss is about," said Miss Nelson. "I never go without a brassiere. It's not my style."

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