Ahhh, the Germans, yes, let us celebrate!
Posted on 10/06/2005 1:45:00 PM PDT by Michael81Dus
German-American Day, 2005
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
German Americans have played an important role in establishing America as a land where liberty is protected for all of its citizens. Each year on German-American Day, we celebrate the contributions the millions of Americans of German descent have made to our great Nation.
Among the early German immigrants, many saw America as a beacon of religious freedom and an opportunity for an improved standard of living. German immigrants helped pioneer the first American colony at Jamestown. Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg served as the first Speaker of the House of Representatives; in this role, he certified the final version of the Bill of Rights.
Throughout our country's history, men and women of German descent have worn the uniform of the United States military to defend our country's freedom. Among these were Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet during World War II, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who went on to become one of America's Presidents of German ancestry. Today, German-American troops continue to serve proudly in our Nation's Armed Forces.
German Americans have enriched many other aspects of American life. Albert Einstein's advancements in the field of physics help define our understanding of the universe. Theodor Seuss Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss, has captivated the imaginations of children for generations with his timeless classics. Baseball great Lou Gehrig's courage on and off the field continues to inspire the American spirit more than 60 years after his death.
On German-American Day, we also honor the important friendship between the United States and Germany. Our nations share beliefs in human rights and dignity, and on this day, I join all Americans in celebrating the bonds that tie our two nations and in reaffirming the importance of our continuing friendship.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 6, 2005, as German-American Day. I encourage all Americans to celebrate the many contributions German Americans have made to our Nation's liberty and prosperity.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Viva Patton
My goodness, man, what are you trying to do? I do not need a blast like tht to the ticker.
Wow, a special day for me! Danke!
Ahhh, the Germans, yes, let us celebrate!
My mother's name was Weissenborne. My grand-mothers's name was Meyer, On the Davis side, we were Davis's, Jeffries, Churchill, and Lee. My wife 's side of the house is Fritz and Diechmann.
My point is that we do not hyphenate our heritage.
Chill.
(shaking head & rolling eyes at morons)
Zwei Bier Bitte. :-)
"I think most Whites in the USA are of German origin (at least partly)"
It seems to me that I ran across a figure of 60% somewhere.
Michael, thanks for posting this. You got a good response. Ciao!
With my grandparents being German-born, you better know I'm spoofing! AND, I don't have to preview this 'cause I'm Irish on Mom's side.
I identify myself as American. Most of us born in the good ol' USA do likewise. The only group I ever hear use a hyphen prefer to describe themselves as African-American.
In a conversation I had with two black women, they adamantly insisted they ARE NOT African-Americans. They are Americans.
Why do you care if people know their heritage and their history, and even, for whatever reason, take some pride in it?
With all respect, maybe you should chill.
I thought you would get a kick out of this story. In the 1870's, my GGG Grandfather Heinrich came to American from Germany to farm. His cousin had come ahead and settled in Iowa (still completely wild prairie territory at the time).
He was from right near the border with Denmark, and left his fiance, Sophia Margaretha, in Germany. We have photos taken of her and her family before she left. There was a photo of her (by herself), and a photo of her brother and parents...both taken at a city studio. It is obvious from the photos that they were quite well-off city folk.
After he arrived in Iowa, he sent for her to join him. She was 20 years old; and traveled by herself from Germany to the East Coast and then to Iowa. Once she arrived they were married and started farming in the most primitive part of Iowa. She lived in a little "shack" in Indian territory, in the middle of nowhere. We figure the "separate pictures" were symbolic of the fact that she was leaving...KNOWING that she would never see her family again. Can you imagine?
What a love that must have been...and what a gal she was! We still have some of the things that they brought with them.
Irish-Americans? Polish-Americans? Italian-Americans? There are parades in NYC! Ever hear of Little Italy? China Town?
My point is/was that we are ALL Americans (if we are here legally).
Cheers from a German-American.
Signed, Mark Davis (English-American too).
What´s your problem? That the President has proclaimed October 6th to be German-American Day? Just look up the comments on this thread: most people commented it as a positive moment to remember their heritage and show pride for it. That was not always a matter of course for Americans with German ancestry. Sure you are 100% American, but the diversity is what makes (and made) you strong.
Impressive, and an example for so many thousands! All they had was the hope for a better life, a life without princes and kings, but also with hard work and faith in God. I pay them respect for having had the strength to make this journey and building up this country.
Speicher Geschäft? Uhm, I don´t know, what do you mean? :)
You better had checked the previous replies. dfwgator had the same idea... :-)
Funny, the first search that came-up under Google Images was a link (now dead) referring back to this website. [chuckle]
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