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German sailors render extraordinary honors to US at sea
German Embassy, Washington, D.C. ^ | Sept. 15, 2003

Posted on 09/23/2003 8:52:15 PM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2ndanniversary; army; fgsniedersachsen; germansupport; germany; goodnews; marines; navy; oldglory; sailors; thankyougermany; tribute; usaf; usn; ussdoyle
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To: dinok
Considering the circumstances the German military preformed very professionaly in WWII considering they had to fight almost everyone. Rommel was never a Nazi.
21 posted on 09/23/2003 9:06:40 PM PDT by Husker24
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To: Ready4Freddy
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.

22 posted on 09/23/2003 9:08:24 PM PDT by dts32041 ("Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proved innocent."--RAH)
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To: dts32041
Could you please put the last sentence of your post into some kind of earth language.thanks
23 posted on 09/23/2003 9:10:07 PM PDT by novacation
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To: Gorilla44
People who like good beer and sausages can't be all bad. :-)
24 posted on 09/23/2003 9:14:59 PM PDT by Flashman_at_the_charge
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To: Gorilla44
I think this is a shot of the HMS Lutgen manning the rail on 9-11.

Sailors know whats goin' on.

25 posted on 09/23/2003 9:16:45 PM PDT by Delta 21
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To: Flashman_at_the_charge
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
26 posted on 09/23/2003 9:18:06 PM PDT by Husker24
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To: Gorilla44
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.
27 posted on 09/23/2003 9:20:31 PM PDT by Dr.Zoidberg (I've been making fine jewelry for years, apparently.)
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To: Delta 21
9/14/01, wasn't it?
28 posted on 09/23/2003 9:22:27 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy (Veni Vidi Velcro)
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To: Husker24
"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.
29 posted on 09/23/2003 9:24:11 PM PDT by dinok
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To: Ready4Freddy
tagline appropriatly in place.

HA !

30 posted on 09/23/2003 9:25:08 PM PDT by Delta 21 (Blindly posting without reading the entire article or even one post since 1998.)
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To: Gorilla44
Didn't the German Navel Officer only give the standard Navel Officer sulute, other then the "Heil Hitler" salute?
31 posted on 09/23/2003 9:27:43 PM PDT by JOE6PAK (Proud member of the "Right Wing Wrecking Crew".)
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To: Gorilla44
BTTT
32 posted on 09/23/2003 9:31:17 PM PDT by TXnMA (No Longer!!! -- and glad to be back home in God's Gountry!!)
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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.

33 posted on 09/23/2003 9:31:57 PM PDT by GOPJ
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To: Piquaboy; blackie
Stoß
34 posted on 09/23/2003 9:32:02 PM PDT by shaggy eel
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To: Delta 21
LOL, Delta! :)
35 posted on 09/23/2003 9:33:05 PM PDT by Ready4Freddy (Veni Vidi Velcro)
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To: JOE6PAK
....during WWII of course!
36 posted on 09/23/2003 9:33:55 PM PDT by JOE6PAK (Proud member of the "Right Wing Wrecking Crew".)
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To: Gorilla44
*BUMP*!
37 posted on 09/23/2003 9:34:45 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Read Sun Tzu: The Cold War Never Ended)
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To: americanbychoice; An.American.Expatriate; a_Turk; austinTparty; BMCDA; CatoRenasci; demlosers; ...
German ping :)
38 posted on 09/23/2003 9:36:08 PM PDT by Mon
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To: Husker24
I think the sauerkraut is to keep you drinking to get rid of the taste. :-)
39 posted on 09/23/2003 9:39:59 PM PDT by Flashman_at_the_charge
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To: JOE6PAK
"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.

40 posted on 09/23/2003 9:40:04 PM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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