The national commander provided OCW donations to wounded servicemembers at Landstul and visited with officials at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin.
It was only fitting that American Legion National Commander Brett P. Reistad begin his tour of Europe by stopping in the Berlin office of the German Marshal Fund of the United States on Memorial Day.
“For the next two weeks I will be visiting troops and paying my respects at American military cemeteries in Europe,” Reistad said. “General George Marshall was a warrior. But he was also a great peacemaker and the Marshall Plan was desperately needed for Europe to recover from the most destructive war in history. I am grateful that Marshall Fund Vice President Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff shared with our delegation his analysis of the world stage and the shared views of both of our organizations that a safe and strong Europe is in the best interest of the United States. It is in perfect step with The American Legion pillar that America maintain a strong national defense. This is a message that we will never waver from.”
National security was also high on the agenda of officials at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, where Reistad attended a briefing just steps from the Brandenburg Gate. “We have about 34,000 U.S. military members stationed in Germany,” said Eric Flohr, minister-counselor for management affairs. “Our top objective is to see Germany spend two percent of its GDP on defense. There is some disagreement as to whether they will get to that goal and how long it would take. But we are going to keep working with them and encouraging them to achieve it.”
Concern over Germany’s light military budgets was also a point highlighted by Bill Williams, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Army Europe. “The Germans haven’t been as focused on readiness as we are,” Williams told Reistad’s delegation during a visit to U.S. Army Command in Weisbaden. “We’re not at war with Russia and we want to be friends, but they’ve been acting out. And although Russia is a big country, its population is about equal to France and Germany combined. But they projected some power. Readiness is our number one priority and we do offer the nations of Europe a conventional deterrent with our forces.”
Reistad presented video games and other gifts as a part of a $28,000 American Legion Operation Comfort Warriors grant that will benefit patients recovering at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the adjacent USO Wounded Warrior Center. The grant will also fund new televisions for the nearby Fisher Houses.
“My visit to the Landstuhl area was another reminder that there are many ways in which military members can be seriously hurt,” Reistad said. “I visited a Navy pilot who was recovering in the hospital from a serious bicycle accident. Just a few minutes later, I was speaking with a Marine who was wounded a few years ago by an IED in Afghanistan. Programs like Operation Comfort Warriors are a great reminder that The American Legion cares about all veterans who are hurting, and we support their families as well. Legionnaires in the area also organize frequent barbecues for these heroes. The American Legion was born in France and we are still doing great things in Europe 100 years later.”
After meeting with NATO and European Union officials over the next week, Reistad will conclude his visit to Europe by attending D-Day observances marking the 75th anniversary of the Normandy invasion.
- Commander