Photo By Senior Airman Regan Enriquez | Wreaths rest against a fence before being placed on a memorial in honor of the...... read more read more
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Under somber gray skies, Germany commemorated National Day of Mourning on Nov. 17, honoring the victims of war and tyranny across the world. Observed annually on the second Sunday in November, this day serves as a solemn reminder of the cost of conflict and the importance of peace.
From Kaiserslautern to Baumholder, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz honored the memory of those lost by participating in ceremonies and laying wreaths at various memorial sites.
At Kaiserslautern’s Hauptfriedhof, the main cemetery, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Commander Col. Jeffery Higgins, Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond Wrensch and senior leaders from Ramstein Air Base laid wreaths to pay their respects.
In Germersheim-Sondernheim, Defense Logistics Agency Commander Lt. Col. Michael Zdrojewski placed a wreath at the local cemetery, remembering those who have died due to war and oppression.
Petra Lessoing, the garrison’s host nation advisor, emphasized the significance of remembering the victims of war and violence.
“This national holiday demonstrates how important peace is, especially nowadays. It is heartwarming to see elderly people, who lost relatives and friends in World War II, come to the ceremony, mourn them and pay their respects,” she said.
In Baumholder, the 16th Sustainment Brigade’s Col. Matthew Alexander and Sgt. Maj. Jason Towns joined Baumholder City Mayor Guenther Jung, District Mayor Bernd Alsfasser, Assistant Commandant of the German Military Training Area Command Capt. Frank Zimmer, and other senior leaders to lay wreaths at the Baumholder City Center Cemetery.
Following the city ceremony, participants gathered at the District Memorial in Erzweiler. This site holds the collected memorials of villages formerly located in the Baumholder Training Area, preserving their history and honoring their losses.
“Now is the time to reflect and remember in silence all those who served and died in war and tyranny,” said Alsfasser. “At the same time, we remember those who today suffer war, violence, and serious violations of their human rights all around the world.”
The National Day of Mourning was proposed by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. in 1919. The first ceremony was held in March 1925.
U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz serves, supports, and secures the total force community enabling power projection for the European Theater.
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2024 09:01 |
| Story ID: | 485915 |
| Location: | KAISERSLAUTERN , RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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