Photo By Spc. Nathaniel Gayle | U.S. and German Soldiers carry symbolic wreaths to honor fallen Soldiers during the...... read more read more
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PEGNITZ, Germany -- Americans and Germans gathered for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crash in Pegnitz, Germany, Aug. 18, 2021.
On Aug. 18, 1971 a chinook crashed in Pegnitz, Germany, killing 37 American Soldiers. Most of the Soldiers were assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry and the others were assigned to the 4th Aviation Company, 15th Aviation Group.
Over a hundred people from the United States and Germany attended the event. Of those in attendance was Peter Kearny, brother of Arthur Kearny, who lost his life in the Chinook 50 years ago.
“There’s not enough thanks that I can give to Andreas Bayerlein, who helped organize this event. It’s an honor to me and my family that the City of Pegnitz still remembers my brother and the others who lost their lives.”
Andreas Bayerlein, the archivist for the City of Pegnitz, worked tirelessly to track down and arrange pictures, letters, and other memories from the lives of the 37 soldiers before the accident. He helped organize the event by inviting several of the surviving family members to the memorial.
Pegnitz Mayor Wolfgang Nierhoff hosted the memorial and spoke about the horrific day.
"Many can still remember where they were and what they were doing when the helicopter crashed. They can still remember what they thought and felt at the time."
Nierhoff also reminded the crowd that the crash is the worst American training accident to ever happen on German soil.
Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria's Interior Minister, also spoke at the event.
“This commemoration is a strong sign of our close ties and solid friendship with America. The German-American friendship has deep and firm roots: historical, economic and human.”
As Herrmann stepped away from the podium, Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Hilbert, commanding general for the 7th Army Training Command, stepped up to address the crowd.
“We have 37 of our own Soldiers standing in the field to represent those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. They stand as a remembrance that what we do for our nation is inherently dangerous.
Next to them are 37 German soldiers to symbolize the unshakable bonds of our alliance. To symbolize our friendship moving forward, that has been there for over seven decades.”
Hilbert’s speech was followed by a wreath laying ceremony to honor those who will not be forgotten.
Earlier this year the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade presented the City of Pegnitz with a Chinook rotor blade to display on the memorial for the fallen soldiers. The blade was erected in front of a stone memorial that has been at the crash site for several years.
| Date Taken: | 08.18.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.18.2021 10:22 |
| Story ID: | 403408 |
| Location: | PEGNITZ, BAYERN, DE |
| Web Views: | 953 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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