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6  Remembering the Dead together!  Passage of the Victims

The capturing of the Bridge at Remagen by American troops and the collapse of the Bridge 10 days later caused deaths on both sides.  A special German court had four German officers sentenced to death and executed on charges of “cowardice” and “violation of duties”.  A civilian was killed in the American advance upon Erpel,  on the opposite side of the Rhine.  And 28 American soldiers, who were in the process of making repairs to the Bridge, were killed when the Bridge collapsed on March 17th, 1945.
War paraphernalia from all parties taking part, collected in Remagen – helmets, boots, empty cartridges, etc. – lie “buried” together in shared niches in the walls.

All of these deaths are to be remembered.  Peace is only possible when we reflect together upon the ravages of war.

 

The Stars and Stripes
On March 7th, 1962, veterans met for the first time at the towers of the bridge.  Since 1978, numerous meetings have been organized.  The Stars and Stripes from the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. was handed over in 1992 by J. S. Kimmitt, who had crossed the Rhine at Remagen as a soldier in 1945.