A delegation of city officials from Kaiserslautern, Germany, spent the afternoon of Sept. 6 touring Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., during its four-day visit to neighboring Davenport, Iowa. The group was in the United States to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Davenport and Kaiserslautern's relationship as sister cities.
Maj. Gen. Yves Fontaine, Army Sustainment Command commanding general, hosted the group, and ASC historian George Eaton led the historical tour of the island. Following the tour, the group rode to the commander's quarters for dinner.
The German delegation consisted of Lord Mayor of Kaiserslautern Dr. Klaus Weichel, Kaiserslautern city officials and representatives of Deere and Company European Technical and Innovation Center. Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba accompanied the group.
The two cities began their special relationship in 1960 as part of President Eisenhower's "People to People" initiative. The concept was to forge partnerships between cities and provide citizens a way to explore other cultures and create an atmosphere where communities can share ideas on economic, educational, and municipal development.
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