Thought that you folks might appreciate this email..

This is an e-mail from a young ensign aboard USS
> Winston Churchill (DDG-81)
> to his parents. (Churchill is an Arleigh Burke class
> AEGIS guided missile
> destroyer, commissioned March 10, 2001, and is the
> only active US Navy
> warship named after a foreign national.).
>
> Dear Dad,
>
> We are still at sea. The remainder of our port visits
> have all been
> cancelled. We have spent every day since the attacks
> going back and
> forth within imaginary boxes drawn in the ocean,
> standing high-security
> watches, and trying to make the best of it. We have
> seen the articles and the
> photographs, and they are sickening. Being isolated, I
> don't think we
> appreciate the full scope of what is happening back
> home, but we are
> definitely feeling the effects.
>
>
> About two hours ago, we were hailed by a German Navy
> destroyer, Lutjens,
> requesting permission to pass close by our port side.
> Strange, since we're
> in the middle of an empty ocean, but the captain
> acquiesced and we prepared
> to render them honors from our bridgewing. As they
> were making their approach, our conning officer used
> binoculars and announced that Lutjens was flying not
> the German, but the American flag. As she came
> alongside us, we saw the American flag flying
> half-mast and her entire crew topside standing at
> silent, rigid attention in their dress uniforms. They
> had made a
> sign that was displayed on her side that read "We
> Stand By You." There was not a
> dry eye on the bridge as they stayed alongside us for
> a few minutes and saluted. It was the most powerful
> thing I have seen in my life. The German Navy did an
> incredible thing for this crew, and it has truly been
> the highest point in the days since the attacks. It's
> amazing to think that only half-century ago things
> were quite different. After Lutjens pulled away, the
> Officer of the Deck, who had been planning to get out
> later this year, turned to me and said, "I'm staying
> Navy." I'll write you when I know more about when
> I'll be home, but this is it for now. Love you guys.

Yeah I saw that. Imagine our grandfathers were killing their grandfathers not so long ago. Hope they are as tough as they once were.

I just check it on snopes.com and they said TRUE. [url]http://www.snopes2.com/[/url]

WooHoo!!

I figured this one just had to be false.

Thank you Kriegsmarine!

To think that we bombed their civilians and then occupied their country while we created a new Gov't for them - all the things we have been told we should NOT do with Afghanistan.
Things that make you say "Hmmm".

There's a pic of the German ship, with sailors manning the rails & Flying our flag at half mast, floating around somewhere. A friend of mine claims to have it. I'll get him to send it to me, and I'll pass it along to somebody who can post it (and actually make it work).

Thanks Germany, that sort of brotherhood means a lot to everyone, either in the service or here at home.[img]www.flags.net/elements/small_gifs/GERM001.GIF[/img][beer][img]www.flags.net/elements/small_gifs/UNST001.GIF[/img]

I can tell you that I feel a WHOLE LOT better with Germany on our side.  They are a great nation full of great people.

Ich ein Berliner. Even though JFK said it improperly I think it is still appropriate.

[>(][>(]
Aw man.......


[img]www.flags.net/elements/small_gifs/GERM001.GIF[/img][img]www.flags.net/elements/small_gifs/UNST001.GIF[/img]



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[uzi][img]http://www.flags.net/elements/index_gifs/c1.gif[/img][flag][flag][sniper]

The Lutjens is a good ship. I sailed in a battlegroup with them a few years ago during a SNFL cruise, those guy's can party!  A good bunch of guys as I recall and damn good to have on your side. This story is indicative of how honorable their navy is.