FORT BENNING, Ga., (Nov. 26, 2014) -- Fort Benning honored German and Italian prisoners of war who are buried at the Main Post Cemetery Nov. 19 during the German and Italian Memorial Day ceremony.
The annual ceremony is held with full military honors to remember the 44 German and seven Italian soldiers buried at Fort Benning. All served in World War II and became prisoners of war after they were captured by the Allies between 1943 and 1946. Most of them died of accidental or natural causes while prisoners either in Missouri, South Carolina or Georgia POW camps.
"There is a strong community of support for German and Italians in the area," said Maj. Jens-Uwe Rohrmoser, German Infantry liaison officer for the Maneuver Center of Excellence. "I think it is very important to celebrate this, and come together to think about our respective nations."
Thomas Wulfing, deputy consul general of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Southeastern United States, said the fallen soldiers made sacrifices for many freedoms that exist today.
"I think the world we are in today, despite the various conflicts, is a better world than the world we had years ago with the threat of nuclear war and total destruction," he said.
"Our lives are under the sign of hope of reconciliation between people and nations, and our responsibility is to promote peace among people at home and worldwide," said Lt. Col. Massimiliano Bar, Italian liaison officer. "May God give us the necessary strength to continue to do our profession as soldiers and give comfort to our families. May God bless our fallen soldiers, our families and nations."
The ceremony concluded with a wreath laying, playing of Taps and the U.S., German and Italian national anthems.
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