German sailors render extraordinary honors to US at sea

German Embassy, Washington, D.C. ^ | Sept. 15, 2003

[Gorilla44]

Military vessels routinely render honors to military ships of other countries when they pass at sea by dipping their flag, as a sign of respect. 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 Radio’s All Things Considered on September 14, Commander Bernd Kuhbier of the FGS Niedersachsen explained this extraordinary act. “When you are on a warship, you don't 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 that's what we did. We were proud to do so.”

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. These are the days that remind me why I joined the Navy.”

The FGS Niedersachsen and the USS Doyle are both part of NATO’s Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT), a permanent peacetime multinational naval squadron composed of destroyers, cruisers and frigates from the navies of various NATO nations.

[Husker24]

Considering the circumstances the German military preformed very professionaly in WWII considering they had to fight almost everyone. Rommel was never a Nazi.

[dts32041]

I don't know if that was the official german web site, after all they started their invasion of poland saying the poles attacked them.

I will admit it is more likely the frog government would try something like this, but you never know.

[novacation]

Could you please put the last sentence of your post into some kind of earth language.thanks

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

People who like good beer and sausages can't be all bad. :-)

[Delta 21]

I think this is a shot of the HMS Lutgen manning the rail on 9-11.

Sailors know whats goin' on.

[Husker24]

People who like good beer and sausages can't be all bad. :-)

Yeah, but that nasty ass sourkrout more than makes up for it....lol

[Dr.Zoidberg]

A hopeful sign that once you get above the level of politician, decent people exist 'almost' everywhere.

We can only pray this is a sign of things to come.

[Ready4Freddy]

9/14/01, wasn't it?

[dinok]

"Considering the circumstances the German military preformed very professionally in WWII considering they had to fight almost everyone. Rommel was never a Nazi."

Let's not re-fight WWII...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 Hitler's 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.

But if any one owes it to humanity its the ungrateful French. They were rescued from invaders twice in one century and still don't know how to say thank you. I know my uncle is turning in his grave in that French cemetery.

[Delta 21]

tagline appropriatly in place.

HA !

[JOE6PAK]

Didn't the German Navel Officer only give the standard Navel Officer sulute, other then the "Heil Hitler" salute?

[TXnMA]

BTTT

[GOPJ]

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.

[shaggy eel]

Stoß

[Ready4Freddy]

LOL, Delta! :)

[JOE6PAK]

....during WWII of course!

[ex-Texan]

*BUMP*!

[Mon]

German ping :)

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

I think the sauerkraut is to keep you drinking to get rid of the taste. :-)

[SoCal Pubbie]

"Didn't the German Navel Officer only give the standard Navel Officer sulute, other then the "Heil Hitler" salute?"

Adoplh Gallant (sp?), a German WWII ace and later West German Air Force General, was a technical advisor on the film "The Battle of Britain". 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.