adopted sons (a timeline draft)

(Special BW note: Although the POD in this TL is 1891, nearly all events take place in the 20th century so I have opted to post it in after 1900)

An important assignment (prolouge)
That's all a man can hope for during his lifetime - to set an example - and when he is dead, to be an inspiration for history - President William McKinley

The Riech's chancellory October 1891

The chancellor of the German empire Chlodwig Prince of Hohenlohe summoned the officer into his office. Handing out ambassadorships and assignments was one of the more pedestrian parts of the job, but at least it could be done at the slower pace that the old prince could keep up with.

The officer in front of him was a power player regardless of rank, descended from the legendary Brochwisz/Lewisky/Manstein family which had produced Prussian generals for generations including a corps commander in the Franco Prussian war 20 years before.

Good afternoon Oberst, you have been summoned here for an important task. You are being assigned as our military attache to the United States. This posting will be effective in January at which time we will be dispatching you to Washington. Make all the observations you can to the foreign office and to your own command... we will be placing our trust in your judgement

I will have many arrangements to make, thank you your highness

The foreign office will make those arrangements for you Oberst, you just get your family ready for your new service

On January 4th 1892 Georg Von Manstein, his wife Hedwig and his adopted 4 year old son Erich sailed aboard the steamship Lubeck with the port of New York as their destination. As they reached the harbor, passing by the statue of liberty and seeing the many tall buildings both established and under construction, Georg told his son that he would see many new and interesting things in America and that they where amongst the foremost builders and thinkers in the world. Young Erich's eyes where swallowed up by the skyline of the big city, a stark contrast from his parent's quiet and peaceful Prussian estate home, the fear and doubt of leaving his home vanished behind those tall buildings, and his curiousity was fired up to it's highest levels. He hadn't set foot in America yet, but he already was amazed by it

to be continued...

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Georg Von Manstein military attache to the United States

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Chlodwig who sent the Manstein family to the united states

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Rapidly rising buildings in New York captured young Erich Von Manstein's imagination
 
Mixed blessings (Chapter 1) - “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” - General John Pershing

New York City June 1917

The two captains shook hands just before Eric Bush boarded the British ship which would take him to France to fight against his former homeland.

Captain George Patton who was serving as a personal aide to commander of the AEF General John Pershing bore the other end of that handshake. Patton had set up many of the travel arrangements for the 1st infantry division and was seeing them off from New York City just before boarding his own ship with the AEF staff

Patton liked Bush, they had both graduated from West Point, albeit due to Bush's earlier graduation they where not quite contemporaries but it was close enough. Bush had commanded a cavalry company during the punitive expedition against Mexico where he impressed his superiors by launching a daring encirclement against a detachment of Pancho Villa's bandits which killed 8 of the enemy and captured 5. This bold action had caught the attention of Patton and Pershing, so it came as no surprise that when troops where cobbled together to create the new 1st infantry division that Bush was cherry picked to command the 3rd battalion of the 16th infantry regiment.

For Bush the deployment was one of mixed feelings for sure. America was his home, he had lived here his whole life except for his first 4 years; the sudden death of his father created serious uncertainty for his future. Little Erich as he was known then was beloved in the German embassy where he had romped for years as a child whilst his father traveled extensively. His mother discussed with her sister and brother in law (The Lewinsky's Erich's birth parents) the thought of bringing the family back to Germany; but Edourd lobbied for the Manstein's to stay in America and to not disrupt Erich's life any more than it had been already due to Georg's death.

So it was meant to be, Erich's mother remarried not long after a major industrialist named Samuel Prescott Bush; who had lost his wife in a tragic train accident; This gave Erich two new step sibblings which gave him a healthy break from being an only child, Prescott Bush and Robert Bush. With both parents guidance, Erich became an American citizen and Americanized his name to Eric Bush in conjunction with being legally adopted by his stepfather. His step father's money and connections saw him attend the prestigious Virginia Military Institute and later West Point where he graduated in 1908 2nd in his class and received commission into the US army.

Erich Bush, had hoped against all hope that there would not come to be war between the United States and Germany; he had numerous family members serving in the German armed forces, including two biological brothers who had been killed on the eastern front; but at the same time, America was his home and he had adopted his home as much as it adopted him and he would follow his orders in total. His deployment was eased in one way though, his step brother Prescott sat across from him on the transport, commanding an artillery battery in the same division, if it was going to be difficult to fight against the nation of his birth, at least he wouldn't be alone.

to be continued...

thoughts?
 
He's an adopted son, and you can't be president unless you're a natural born citizen (although if your adopted father was one you could argue ...)

Anyway I'm looking forward to the Obamaesque shenanigans in the 50s
 
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