“Daddy, what’s that,” asked Candace pointing to a large collection of flowers, candles, and hand-painted signs loosely arranged over a large red sandstone fountain.
“Well, that’s a spontaneous display of solidarity with America after the 9-11 attacks,” I replied. The display had sprung up in Wiesbaden the day after the horrifying attacks. Starting with a few flowers and a candle or two it had grown to overwhelm the large fountain. I wondered who carted away the dried and wilted flowers and who replenished them. Months later the display remained fresh and seemingly well tended. It always encouraged me when I passed, this outpouring of support for my country. I clearly remembered watching the towers collapse in the office of the Staff Judge Advocate, knowing that my life would not be the same. That day revealed things. Those desperate hours, as the dust settled across Manhattan, revealed the true depth and strength of our German and NATO allies.
I’d joined the Army in 1981, fully expecting to fight the Soviet hordes somewhere in Germany. As a child of the Cold-War, the seemingly eternal conflict between the East and the West shaped my worldview. As a soldier, I knew that we shared a love-hate relationship with our German allies. The annual Return of Forces to Germany, better known as REFORGER, brought out legions of protestors. They lined the streets near all major military headquarters in Kaserns across West Germany. Small forests of demonstrators pickets sprang up wherever protesters could draw near to maneuver areas. These public displays left the impression of a people surly over long years of “occupation” by Western military powers. It was part and parcel of my military experience. Oddly, one of the most popular protest songs of that era, 99 Luftbaloons by Nena, was quite popular among young soldiers. Of course, Nena’s raven hair and winsome looks drew many of us young troopers. Who knows the number of tracked vehicles which rang with the strains of 99 Luftbaloons patched into CVCs during exercises. Whatever the cause, I assumed that a majority of Germans irrationally resented our presence. And then the wall fell.
In the late eighties, as a young lieutenant, I was stationed in Germany. I watched, astounded, as the great Soviet monolith unraveled and blew away in the space of a few months. The mighty enemy that I’d planned on fighting was suddenly gone, destroyed by interior forces. We had no inkling of the imminent collapse. Suddenly we had very little reason for our continued presence in Germany. I expected most Germans to agitate for our removal. After all, we cluttered up their rather beautiful terrain with our Kaserns, our tanks, our exhaust belching deuce and a halfs and five-ton trucks, our wide HMMWVs, and our rather boisterous soldiers. In the late 80’s you could not move around West Germany without tripping over American soldiers. We were everywhere with all the associated problems soldiers bring...and their strengths as well. Suddenly communities valued their soldiers. Somehow, these goofy, BDU clad, irreverent, and often ill-behaved soldiers had wormed their way into the hearts and minds of the German people. It turned out they kind of liked the hordes of young men and women who traipsed through their villages, castles, and forests. I may be wrong, but I can only remember one city that steadfastly wanted their soldiers out. Their Kaserne hosted an attack helicopter squadron and they were quite ready for all the noisy low-level flying to stop. Over the next few years, some units and soldiers went home, we adjusted to the new world order, and found out there were reasons to stay in Germany. And, the Germans found reasons to keep us around. Time passed.
Eventually, the Army took leave of its senses and promoted me to major and sent me back to Germany. Then 9-11. A few days later the local German Army Region Commander asked for a staff meeting. He was a three-star general. His staff and the 1st Armored Division staff, under the command of Major General Ricardo Sanchez, sat down for a meeting. The German General opened the meeting with the following speech (this is as accurate as I can make it from memory):
“My American friends. Our hearts go out to you in this dark time. We hurt with you. We watched in horror as planes crashed into your buildings, consuming thousands of innocent lives. We stand with you, our American allies, our brothers, and sisters. For over forty years you stood watch over my country. You kept watch on the wall. You kept my nation free. You spent years and untold millions of dollars ensuring the I and my children might grow up enjoying the pleasures of freedom. Now, it is our turn.
We will help you in this dark time. We will not forget the great debt we owe you. If you have any need. Any need at all. Come to us. And (hear he looked directly at his staff) I want you to understand that I am the only one in my organization that has the authority to say no. No one else can say no. They may say, I will get back with you. But I am the sole no authority. We will help you in whatever way we can.
And he was true to his words. The Germans helped us in many ways. Later, when we deployed our tanks to Iraq, they cleared the rails for us, enabling a rapid deployment. The harbor of Bremerhaven was cleared of ships, allowing our ships to move freely. When our MPs deployed to Afghanistan, German MPs took their place, keeping us safe and secure. And these are just a few of the ways the Germans stepped up to help us in those chaotic days. That’s what allies do.
We need allies in this world. We may be mighty. Our military is very strong, the strongest in the world. Yet, we know that a handful of desperate men, well organized, can wreak havoc on our soil. Our economy may be the largest in the world, but we still need places to sell things and there are still things we want to purchase from others. You see, sometimes allies get the better deal. That is the way of things. International relations are not a zero-sum game with only winners and losers. As in any relationship there is give and take. Sometimes we give, sometimes they give, and sometimes we both give at the same time.
Yes, for years we gave greatly to Germany and NATO without getting much back for our investment, unless you count a relatively peaceful Europe. But, when our backs were against the wall our German friends stood by us. Our other friends, the British, the Australians, the French, and even former enemies stood with us. We needed them and they did not abandon us. We cannot go it alone in this world. We need to strengthen our relationships with our long-term friends and allies not bully and belittle them. We never know what dark forces may be arrayed against us, waiting and watching, biding their time until the moment seems right. Then they will strike. And we cannot imagine what help we might need to quell fresh round of violence. So, let us work hard to build bridges, strengthen old relationships, and forge new ones. Allies may be troublesome, but good friends are worth the effort.
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