www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/988161/posts?page=1,50
The German frigate FGS Niedersachsen went above and beyond this normal gesture of respect when it asked to come alongside the USS Doyle on September 11, 2003, the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the US. On this day, as the two ships approached and passed, the entire crew of the German vessel stood top-side in full dress uniforms, holding their hats over their hearts. And as the ultimate gesture of respect, the FGS Niedersachsen was flying the United States flag from its main mast. A US Naval Officer, in an email that also reached the German Embassy in Washington, told of how touched the US crew were by the classy and emotional presentation by their German counterparts. In an interview on National Public Radios All Things Considered on September 14, Commander Bernd Kuhbier of the FGS Niedersachsen explained this extraordinary act. When you are on a warship, you dont fly a foreign flag on the top mast, Commander Kuhbier told host Steve Inskeep. But we thought the occasion was suitable to do that, so thats what we did. The unexpected gesture touched the US sailors, Vice Admiral Timothy LaFleur described in an unclassified email: From their main mast they flew our flag and they held their covers over their hearts. Needless to say, the whole crew was choked up and a few tears formed in our eyes. Both ships stayed next to each other in silence for about 5 minutes. The FGS Niedersachsen and the USS Doyle are both part of NATOs Standing Naval Force Atlantic STANAVFORLANT, a permanent peacetime multinational naval squadron composed of destroyers, cruisers and frigates from the navies of various NATO nations.
I agree many of them were honorable people, but alot of them left a trail of blood in every nation they stepped on. The problem with the modern Germans is that they have not learned the lessons of that war. They think patriotism and the military are the cause of Hitlers rise and atrocities. But in reality it was the stupid German civilians that elected Hitler. Honorable people, elect honorable leaders and have honorable military forces. Honorable nations stand for freedom of other people, not just for themselves. Germany owed it to humanity, not the US, to help free Iraq and any other nation under the boot of tyrants. They were rescued from invaders twice in one century and still dont know how to say thank you.
Post Reply Private Reply To 1 View Replies To: dinok Amen: Other German ships did this right after 9-11 as well. And German soldiers lined the streets to salute the wounded from Iraq last spring as the ambulances went by. Their chancellor is an idiot, but the German military are a different breed.
He objected vigorously to a German officer doing the Nazi salute in the film. He said that a German officer would never anything but the traditional military salute. I think a lot of German WWII military atocities were commited by Waffen SS, not regular army units.
Veisen bier, bitte 41 posted on 09/23/2003 9:43:34 PM PDT by Delta 21 Blindly posting without reading the entire article or even one post since 1998. German police, military and even civilians who I personally know are not morons like Schroeder. When they showed the demonstrations against the Iraq war in Berlin, one Million people attended. Thanks, to read stuff like that makes me as a native German feel better.
And as the ultimate gesture of respect, the FGS Niedersachsen was flying the United States flag from its main mast. A US Naval Officer, in an email that also reached the German Embassy in Washington, told of how touched the US crew were by the classy and emotional presentation by their German counterparts Its a great gesture, but what makes you think they just arent happy to be on the winning side for a change?
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