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.

[SandRat]

Thanks German Navy. At least you didn't give us the finger like the French... No they didn't! And in their own way, they gave the finger to the French.

[Michael81Dus]

German soldiers are told that all soldiers of NATO-countries should be considered as comrades. And indeed, if it comes to a war to defend the NATO-territory (thank God this is very unlikey), we don´t know any nationalities (within our rows) anymore: there are just NATO-armed forces and our enemies!

[Michael81Dus]

No, this is not a hoax and
yes, it is an offical website of the government.
http://www.germany-info.org is the information website of the Germany Embassy in D.C.

[Bonaparte]

" But in reality it was the stupid German civilians that elected Hitler."

Hitler never won an election in Germany. In fact, he was crushed by Hindenburg twice when he ran against him. He came to power by stealth.

[longjack]

Here's a refreshing sight this morning from "Spiegel". Almost like fresh, warm Brötchen from the Bäckerei:

---

SPD voters regret their decision

Not only in Bavaria, the SPD is losing approval nationwide, also. In a poll, only 28 per cent would vote for the social democrats. More than a quarter of the SPD voters even regret having put a check by Schröder's party in the parliamentary elections.

Hamburg - In a Forsa poll for the magazine "Stern" and RTL [TV / radio station, lj], 28 per cent of the people regretted having put their 'X' on the SPD in fall 2002. With that result, the social democrats have disappointed considerably more supporters than the other parties. 17 per cent of the FDP voters wouldn't vote for their party any more, either, 12 per cent of their former supporters would turn their back on the PDS.

The voters of the Greens and the CDU/CSU stand by their vote far more often, according to the survey: Only eight per cent of the Greens and six per cent of the CDU/CSU supporters would vote differently now.

Only 28 per cent would vote for the social democrats at the moment. This is two percentage points fewer than in the previous week and the worst result since the beginning of the internal party quarrel about agenda 2010, on the other hand,. the union added a point to 47 per cent. The Greens stayed at 11 per cent, the FDP at 7 per cent, the PDS went from 3 per cent to 4 per cent.

Forsa questioned a total of 2502 people from September 15th to 19th.

"Der Spiegel"....SPD-Wähler bereuen ihre Entscheidung

© SPIEGEL ONLINE 2003

translated by longjack

[Imal]

ET1 Imal, formerly of the United States Navy, proudly returns the salute to the Deutsche Marine.

May God be with you on the high seas.

[longjack]

aaahh! "Spiegel" is on a roll this morning:

---

"Schröder and Bush will never be friends"

Reutlingen - The chairman of the German -American parliamentarian group, Hans Ulrich Klose, expected no breakthrough in personal relations from the discussions between Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and U.S. President George W. Bush. He thinks that their personal relationship "will be repaired, professionally" during the meeting Wednesday, the SPD politician said in the " Reutlinger General-Anzeiger "."But I don't think that they will ever become good friends. They are too different for that to happen. They say the American President he has a very long, enduring memory."

Klose, moreover, renewed his criticism of the strong German dependency on France. He "doesn't welcome this", if it occurs at the same time as a demarcation with the USA. Germany needs the "balance" between Paris and Washington. Klose also expressed doubt at the German demand to quickly install an Iraqi government without U.S. control in Iraq: He recalled that in Germany it took four years after 1945 until the Federal Republic came about - even though proven democrats stood at disposal at the time.

"Der Spiegel"...."Schröder und Bush werden nie Freunde"

© SPIEGEL ONLINE 2003

translated by longjack

[longjack]

Re: Post #67:

Klose also expressed doubt at the German demand to quickly install an Iraqi government without U.S. control in Iraq: He recalled that in Germany it took four years after 1945 until the Federal Republic came about - even though proven democrats stood at disposal at the time.

Hans Ulrich must have read your last essay :>)

longjack

[Erasmus]

Commander Bernd Kuhbier of the FGS Niedersachsen .[...]

MMMMMMM! Kuhbier!!

Uh-oh, wait a minute... "Kuhbier" == Milch?!

[longjack]

"Kuhbier" == Milch?!

Not the right color.

It may be the other stuff :>)

longjack

[CatoRenasci]

The relationship of the German Army (Heer) to the Nazis was rather more complicated. In the 1930s, most of the Army was happy enough to have Hitler in power, even if they rather disliked the Nazis and considered them their social inferiors. There were some senior officers who were very sympathetic to the Nazis, and some who detested them. Beck and von Fritsch in the later 30's come to mind as those who were strongly anti-Nazi. General von Fritsch, a former chief of staff, was so disgusted that he insisted on going to the very front lines during the Polish campaign in 1939 and, it is said, deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire as an honorable way of expiating his guilt at his early cooperation with the Nazis.

[Paulie]

I was quite moved just reading about this - I can only imagine the emotions these guys felt in real time.

Not to take anything away from our servicepeople, but I wonder, how much of that show of respect was attributed to the respectability of our Commander-in-Chief? Much more than Dan and Katie will ever admit I bet.

[Piquaboy]

It is sad to think what the French would have done. Or do they have a ship?

[hoosiermama]

Leni, wanted to make sure you saw this!

[AnAmericanMother]

They have a ship, but it's back in drydock for repairs.

Again.

[Congressman Billybob]

I gather that Germany has done a pretty good job of mandating that its schools teach its own history in Wrold War II. This is in sharp contrast to Japan, which has not yet faced up to its atrocities in WW II, in its text books.

Also, Klose has probably heard the stories from his parents and other relatives. What I wrote in my previous column is well known in Germany. It would be well-known here, too, if our reporters were competent thinkers, honest writers, and used history books on subjects like war.

Congressman Billybob

Previous column, "Lessons for Iraq from General Washington, Major Andre, and Der Fuhrer Adolf Hitler," discussion thread on FR. Article is also on ChronWatch.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I believe both the German Army and the major industrialists of the time thought they could use Hitler, and found out it was the other way around. Hitler always felt the army was a potential rival, and detested the largely Prussian officer corps, a hangover from his lowly days as an Austrian coporal in the Bavarian Army.

To seal the Fuhrer's power the chief of staff of the army was eliminated in the mid to late thirties. I don't recall his name, but I think he was arrrested on bogus charges, which damaged the army's reputation, and also executed, which sent a signal to other generals. The Waffen SS, far from being a special forces unit, had complete armored divisions and was seen as a new German Army remade in the mold of the perfect Ayrian killing machine, absolutely ruthless and loyal to the regime to the end.

[Alter Kaker]

Hitler never won an election in Germany. In fact, he was crushed by Hindenburg twice when he ran against him. He came to power by stealth.

August 19, 1934 - 88% of Germans vote to support Hitler assumption of dictator power in plebiscite. You seem to promote myth - very popular after May, 1945 - that there were never Nazis in Germany. Everybody was tricked. Sorry, but overhwleming majority German people supported Hitler.

[blackie]

Good stuff ~ this old Navy guy likes it!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks for the post and ping. This is awesome:

...on September 11, 2003, the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the US....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.

Allied troops.

 Thanks, Tonkin!

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