German Heroes

Munitions blast kills six Afghans, two Germans

KABUL (Reuters) - A truckload of munitions exploded in northern Afghanistan at the weekend, killing six Afghan civilians and two German soldiers from the NATO-led peacekeeping force, officials said. (...)

Sixteen German peacekeeping soldiers have now been reported killed in Afghanistan, including four in a June 2003 suicide attack on a bus filled with German troops headed to an airport on their way home.

They died in the line of the battle against terrorism.

They gave their lives for our freedom.

Comments

[LouMinatti]

If no one else says it, I thank them for their service and support of the cause and extend my sympathy to their families.

[Steve Moran]

I am sorry for the death of the 2 German soldiers trying to bring stability and freedom to that critical part of the world. My heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones. Their deaths were not in vain.

[Del Hoeft]

God bless them and their families.

[Michael]

My heart is thankful for the soldiers that gave their lives. I understand why it it is difficult from a political perspective for Germany to field its army outside the nation's borders. It seems to me that Germans think of nationalism as an idea that has led to great evil. But that need not be the only result of nationalism. I hope that the people of Germany will in the future set aside the past with its guilt and join with all who value freedom and democracy.

[Michael]

My heart is thankful for the soldiers that gave their lives. I understand why it it is difficult from a political perspective for Germany to field its army outside the nation's borders. It seems to me that Germans think of nationalism as an idea that has led to great evil. But that need not be the only result of nationalism. I hope that the people of Germany will in the future set aside the past with its guilt and join with all who value freedom and democracy.

[lemmy]

Very, very sad. My heart-felt sympathices to the families of the soldiers and also to the German nation.

:-(

[mamapajamas]

My heart goes out to the families of these great men. I hope that some day the world will understand that they sacrificed thier lives to help freedom thrive in the Middle East. There is no greater cause than freedom.

[Sock Puppet of Doom]

These men died with honor doing a job that is important for the every day people of Afghanistan. The German peoples can be proud of their sons who died making Afghan women and children safe from the massive ammounts of mutions left over from too many years of war and destruction. I share in the sorrow of these brave men's families.

"...There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

[amiexpat]

These Germans died to provide freedom to others...
God bless them

[Tom Penn]

I would to add my condolences to the families of these men who died working to give 25 million Afghanis an opportunity for freedom and a representative government. God bless them and those they shared their lives with.

[Simon]

This is interesting.I'm a reserve soldier in the German army, and I'm closely following the public discussion about military affairs in Germany. Never did I hear anyone in Germany honouring the fallen American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I hope that many Germans read your comments and blush with shame when they compare your decent and honourable statements with the anti-American rhetoric here in Germany.

[Paul from Florida]

Simon,
Good for you being a reserve soldier. Germany is and Germans are decent people, and soldiering is a honest profession. Obviously the world is full of tin horn tyrants who ruin the economies and people around them with their ever novel notions of political 'leadership'. All of these thugs and those that profit from them, will not cease unless forced out, something all the lawyers and politicians in the world can not do, only the soldier can, at cost of his life. So, two German citizens have now paid, as they knew they might have to, and they went into harms way. May they rest in peace.

[Christian L.]

I don't know whether it's good that German soldiers are in Afghanistan. Probably it really is. I've never really bothered thinking much about that.

What I can say is that if we have decided to send German soldiers to Afghanistan, we have to accept that not all of them might come home again alive and well. Being a soldier means having a higher security risk than others. If you can't accept that, you should not become a soldier.

However, I know that this is a loss for the families and I'm not talking about. My heart goes out to everybody who loses a family member. May these families find comfort.

[Hartmut]

God bless them.

It's such a shame we hear so little about our Soldiers in Afghanistan. They do a good job there, and the "unbiased" media only reports when they die.

[Don Miguel]

Godspeed to the two German soldiers and condolences to their families.

[Simon]

@Christian L.:
"we have to accept that not all of them might come home again alive and well. Being a soldier means having a higher security risk than others. If you can't accept that, you should not become a soldier."

You are spitting on the graves of those who died while protecting you. You probably think that you are very smart person, but your childish indifference just stinks. Sometimes I regret to have served for people like you. Maybe you will learn when your life is in danger and there is no one to protect you.

[Wachtmeister]

I salute the fallen soldiers who were fighting for freedom, be they German (none killed in combat so far), American, Iraqi, Afghan, British, Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Bulgarian or French (yes, French soldiers served and died in Bosnia).

I salute those brave Muslim dissidents who are killed for speaking out against islamist tyranny.

I salute the martyrs of the secular Arab opposition, whose lives are threatened by islamists and Arab fascists.

I encourage all of you to continue fighting. Sixty years some people said that Germans would never be peaceful democrats because of their culture. Sounds familiar? They said the same about the Japanese and the East Europeans. Just wait and see.

[Chicago Guy]

To Simon, and in a very simplistic way, to the German people....but above all the brave fallen German soldiers and the families they left behind....from a grateful American.

I found the following American-penned tribute to our fallen coalition troops in Iraq and Afganistan.

"We salute you, dear friends. Because of your sacrifice we enjoy the freedoms and promise America and her Allies extend to all. We pledge enduring gratitude and honor to your self-sacrifice. The heroes of every war are not the generals or politicians. They are the extraordinary men and women, the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors, willing to risk their lives for the cause of freedom for all. The lives of our fallen coalition heroes who heeded the call of duty reflect the highest qualities God has put in man. Their lives teach us courage, endurance, patriotism, loyalty, true nobility and self-sacrifice. The Bible tells us that a man can possess no greater love than the willingness to lay down his life for his friends. We pay humble and grateful tribute to those who have made the supreme sacrifice, obeying the call of their country, laying down their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We bow our heads in reverence and respect of our fallen heroes, American and Allied.

Heavenly Father, we put our arms of prayer and consolation around those who mourn in this hour. Grant them Your great grace and comfort. Gather these fallen heroes into Your arms and let them take their places among the great cloud of witnesses. By faith in the eternal promise of life in Christ Jesus release these brave warriors into Your abiding rest.

We also ask for Your mercies to extend also to Iraqi and Afghan civilians who have suffered the loss of loved ones prior to and during this conflict. Grant them comfort, hope and swift deliverance...."

On a more personal note, below is part of an email I received from a very dear German friend of mine in Frankfurt that was sent to me on 09/11/01 after he and his wife frantically tried for hours to reach my cell phone, but were unsuccessful as the telephone circuts were overloaded. They thought I was in New York City that week, but got the dates wrong; I was scheduled to be there the following week on business. Although neither of us are particularly religious, they wanted to somehow express their sorrow for the American people and that they griefed with us. I think it was fitting then and it is fitting in this instance as well.

"Der HERR ist mein Hirte, mir wird nichts mangeln.
Er weidet mich auf einer grünen Aue und führet mich zum frischen Wasser. Er erquicket meine Seele. Er führet mich auf rechter Straße um seines Namens willen. Und ob ich schon wanderte im finstern Tal, fürchte ich kein Unglück; denn du bist bei mir, dein Stecken und Stab trösten mich. Du bereitest vor mir einen Tisch im Angesicht meiner Feinde. Du salbest mein Haupt mit Öl und schenkest mir voll ein. Gutes und Barmherzigkeit werden mir folgen mein Leben lang, und ich werde bleiben im Hause des HERRN immerdar." Ein Psalm Davids

[Doug]

My gratitude to those who lost their lives establishing a free society thousands of miles from home, and my condolences to the people at home who have been deprived of them.

[Don Miguel]

Simon,

Thank you for your service. I would like to let you know that there are Germans who do honor the American service men and women. One is a lady named Willie Aufmkolk, a German "Soldier's Angel." You can read about her at Blackfive at the following link:

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2004/11/the_german_sold.html

[Simon]

And don't forget this one:

http://community-2.webtv.net/hotmail.com/ggrickssr/THEGERMANNAVYS/

[Don Miguel]

Thanks, Simon. I had read the story before, but those are the first pictures I have seen.

[F4andF1]

The Germans (except those directly involved) do not register these events and do not care about them.
Just like they did not take much notice of the tourists at Jderba.
If anything they, will tend to say it is because of the US and / or Israel that they died.

[Wachtmeister]

F4 and F1: Unfortunately, you're right, but don't forget that are minority of about 10% is still resisting the wave of madness.
We are inspired by Andrew Jackson: "One man with great courage makes a majority." We just refuse to give in. Sooner or later the rest will understand. Schroeder's anti-American excuses for his own failure are already wearing thin. After September, Germany will have a pro-American government again.

[Christian L.]

@Simon:
If you didn't want to protect people like me, you should never have served. I would never tell the families of the killed soldiers what I tell this forum. They have lost a beloved person and they probably didn't make the decision that their sons, brothers,... would give their lives for Germany if they have to.
But you have to accept that in a democratic society there might be different opinions about anything. I find it great that Germany helps with building up Afghanistan again. We have been built up by other nations ourselves only 60 years ago. But why are these soldiers heros any more than a business man who's killed in Iraq while trying to build up a factory? What makes these people heros for me is that they have done their best for the people around them be it in Afghanistan be it in Iraq. I think differently about if they protected me or not and I have the right to do so any time because I'm living in a democratic country.

[Trish]

My thanks to the young men and their families and friends.

[Gabi]

"Bereits heute macht das beständige Eintreffen der Toten- und Verletztenmeldungen das leise Hintergrundrauschen der amerikanischen Politik aus. Wird dieses Rauschen lauter, dürfte es schon bald alle anderen Geräusche übertönen. In Flaggen drapierte Särge werden in der Dover Air Force Base die Laderampen der Frachtmaschinen hinuntergeschoben und für ihre letzte Fahrt auf die Friedhöfe von Amerika vorbereitet. In irgendeinem Teil des Gehirns lösen diese Särge bei jedem einzelnen Amerikaner, bei jeder einzelnen Amerikanerin die Frage aus: Ist die Freiheit des Iraks das wert? Es gibt nichts Schlimmeres als das Gefühl, der eigene Sohn oder die eigene Tochter, der Bruder oder die Schwester, Vater oder Mutter seien umsonst gestorben. Selbst wer von Anfang an gegen den Krieg im Irak gewesen ist, selbst wer glaubt, die Hoffnung auf das Einpflanzen der Demokratie habe Amerika in einen verbrecherischen Irrsinn hineingelockt, möchte den Gestorbenen nicht nachsagen, sie hätten ihre Leben für nichts gegeben. Das ist der Punkt, an dem Jeffersons Traum funktionieren muss. Der Sinn dieses Traums für das Leben der Amerikaner besteht letztlich darin, Verluste erträglich zu machen. Er besteht darin, Opfer vor Vergessen und Vergeblichkeit zu bewahren.

Die wirkliche Wahrheit über den Irak ist: Wir wissen ganz einfach – noch – nicht, ob der Traum diesmal seine Wirkung tun wird. Das ist die düstere und unbeantwortete Frage, mit der die Amerikaner am 4. Juli ihren Nationalfeiertag begehen werden."

http://www.zeit.de/2005/27/Essay_Ignatieff?page=5

Mögen diese deutsche Soldaten nicht umsonst gestorben sein, und mögen es die amerikanischen Soldaten auch nicht. Möge man ihrem Tod Respekt entgegenbringen, ihrem Dienst für die Menschen. Gleiches wünsche ich mir in Deutschland für die amerikanischen Soldaten.

Ich danke allen Soldaten der Welt, die sich für Freiheit und Demokratie und für meinen Schutz einsetzen.

Ein deutscher Soldat konnte es nicht mit seinem Gewissen vereinbaren, daß seine Kenntnisse eine Unterstützung des Irakkriegs darstellen könnten. Möge diese deutsche Verblendung unterstützt durch deutsche Justiz sich nicht weiterverbreiten. Mit großem Schrecken ist mir das Ausmaß deutscher Blindheit klargeworden.

Mein Dank an die anderen hat sich dadurch vervielfacht. Wenn alle so wären wie dieser Verweigerer, was dann?