[Ramcat]

Our young people continue to impress me. My guess is that the only reason they didn't originally fly the colors was that they were told not to and were showing respect to their supervisors.

[Jaysun]

Our young people continue to impress me. My guess is that the only reason they didn't originally fly the colors was that they were told not to and were showing respect to their supervisors.

They're going to surprise a lot of people. The majority of them are quite conservative and decent.

[PeteB570]

All pilgrams from the United Sates were warned not to fly the American Flag?

I wonder who did the warning.

[muawiyah]

Years ago I worked with a fellow who led the wing that had Den Dom as its primary target. He said they made several passes at the place, and there were many dead hits. (NOTE: Den Dom was adjacent to the Main Bahnhof).

However, according to ground observers reporting back (however that piece of espionage was done), all they'd succeeded in doing was tearing up the earth around the base of the Cathedral (thereby revealing Roman ruins) and knocking the statuary out of its niches.

An article I read a number of years later pointed to a hole in the roof as well.

A message?

[muawiyah]

There's a to 1/3 scale model of Den Dom in Indianapolis. I believe it's called St. Mary's.

[ncountylee]

warned not to display their flag because it might make them targets of political hatred.

Thanks Gerhard...glad that you don't scare teens from my old High School (go Blue Devils).

[livius]

Actually, I saw a picture of taken on Thursday and I wondered why there were so few Americans - I saw all sorts of other flags, but no American flags. Now I realize that it was because our kids had been told not to show our flag.

Stupid decision. Yes, there are a lot of hostile Germans - I spent a couple of months in Europe last year and got used to being verbally attacked by Germans, as soon as they learned I was an American - but pretending we don't exist just encourages them.

Good for these kids!

[Popman]

[raybbr]

But all week they had seen thousands of people from lands as diverse as Tahiti and Sweden proudly displaying their national colors. They had spotted a few American groups also flying large flags, with no apparent ill effects.

[hombre_sincero]

As per the article - send all questions/comments to:

(Ann Rodgers can be reached at arodgers@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1416.)

I want to know WHO told the Americans not to show the flag - I want NAMES!

[the invisib1e hand]

Our young people continue to impress me

Just when I think there's no hope, I'll meet some young professional with a heart and a conscience. It's invigorating. We have a responsibility to them.

[gdc61]

It would be interesting to know WHO warned them. I have a few guesses.

[Unam Sanctam]

All pilgrims from the United States had been warned not to display their flag because it might make them targets of political hatred.

The mere fact of being an American is absolutely nothing to apologize for. It is ridiculous that we should allow others' unfair and irrational hatreds and prejudices to govern our lives.

[Getsmart64]

From my understanding...Koln has an enormous muslim population...maybe that might be part of the reason to not show the flag...

[Fudd Fan]

How sick is the world when waving the American flag is an act of bravery more than pride? Unbelievable. Bless these young Americans and all the pilgrim youth, and God bless Pope Benedict.

[America's Resolve]

Any place where our flag and citizens would be met with hatred shouldn't be protected by American forces or influence.

PULL OUR BASES FROM EUROPE AND PULL US OUT OF NATO, THE UN, WTO AND ALL THESE OTHER FOREIGN ENTANGLEMENTS, NOW!

[Rightfootforward]

I'm beyond tired of Americans being told NOT to display the flag. The same warnings were made repeatedly both before and during the Olympics in Greece. Enough of that.

If it's true that it's too dangerous to be known as an American in this or that country, why would we honor them with our tourist dollars? Why would we want to be anyplace where we had to play downtrodden, victim-y roles? I have no need to shove my Americanism in anyone's face, but it's for darn sure I'm not interested in vacationing as a closet case either.