WIESBADEN, Germany -- A ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the 4th Infantry Division crossing the Rhine River in Worms, Germany, was held March 29.
The Rhine River crossing 70 years ago in Worms, as well as the many other Rhine crossings, headed towards the final defeat of the Nazi terror regime. It also marked a new beginning for Germany and its population.
In his speech German Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal, chief of staff, U.S. Army Europe, thanked the United States for the courage and determination as well as for the restoration of freedom and self-determination in Europe and Germany.
"We must not forget that World War II unleashed by Germany claimed more than 50 million casualties," Laubenthal said. "More than 400 thousand of them were American Soldiers who lost their lives during the liberation of Europe and Germany."
At the background of the new security situation in Europe, the 4th Infantry Division has now returned to Europe and is again an important military contribution for the security cooperation within NATO.
During its mission, the division is the command level between the USAREUR headquarters in Wiesbaden and American units in Eastern Europe. Thus, the division builds a new bridge in and for Europe.
The bridge in Worms has re-established a bond between Germans and Americans, which has increased in strength and structure over 70 years.
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About us: U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51 country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance global security.
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