75th Anniversary Memorial Dedication Speech

September 27, 2019

Guten Morgen meinen Damen und Herren.  Mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut, des halb muss ich heute auf Englisch sprechen.

On behalf of KMHS, I would like to share our thank you to the community of Friedlos, Burgermeister Hagemann, and all the Families here today to remember and honor those who sacrificed here 75 years ago today.

Kassel Mission Historical Society’s charter is to perpetuate and promote the memory and history of the Kassel Mission of September 27th, 1944.  We are grateful and honored to be part of today’s events at this significant monument.

I am Jim Bertram, son of Lieutenant Frank Bertram, who first visited this area in 1944. It was not a pleasant first visit -  but if Frank were here today he would certainly share with you how well he was treated by this community as well as the many wonderful experiences he had in his subsequent visits to Germany. From his travels with my mother Mary in the late 70s and early 80s to his remarkable reunion with Walter Hassenpflug in 1986, (which ultimately lead to the creation of this memorial).  Then many subsequent visits he made through the years rekindling friendships with his war time comrades and making new friendships with his former adversaries. My father cherished all the friendships old and new and loved his visits with the German people. Thank you for being his friend.

This is my fourth visit to this memorial since the first dedication in 1990.   I am back as a descendant of a survivor of that historic day.  All of us here today are the fortunate ones, here essentially as survivors.... and we are present because of the sacrifices of those that perished in fighting for us that fateful day.

Today I would like to share 3 things that we should take away out of respect for this remarkable memorial.

• Be Grateful
• Be Humble
• Be Hopeful

First – We should all be Grateful for the creation of this Airmen’s Memorial and the men, the women and the communities that had the foresight to conceive, plan and build it, led by Walter Hassenpflug and William Dewey.  Especially grateful that this memorial is both dedicated to those that perished but to also celebrate the reconciliation of former foes. We all should be forever grateful to those who attend every year to pay their respects to those that perished that day in 1944.

We should certainly be especially grateful for Walter Hassenpflug -  the man behind the creation of the memorial and for Liesel Hassenpflug who supported and encouraged Walter! A man who lost his own family as a consequence of this war - yet was so forgiving - that he could dedicate so much of his life to relentlessly researching and documenting all that happened on that fateful day.  All this for the generations to come to have this vivid reminder of war and of reconciliation, ….we should forever be grateful.

2nd, We should be Humble coming here amongst the shadows of those brave men who fought that day  - as part of their duty – 75 years ago today. Humbled by those that perished and by those that survived …..as well as by the courage and sacrifice of all those families who gave so much during those difficult years. Our challenges and personal problems that we all might experience today in our lives pale in comparison to what they experienced.  We should be humbled by the forgiveness and reconciliation this memorial represents.  And, as always, we should be humbled by all Veterans past and present - serving for their countries at their own personal peril.

And finally in the spirit of this memorial we should be Hopeful. Hopeful that a small memorial such as this can have a bigger impact on the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation.

It's ironic that so many memorials are built about actions that we all wish had never happened! This memorial is no different except that it is a unique memorial dedicated to both sides of a tragic conflict!  It’s unique because it does not represent a victory, but the grand notion of reconciliation.

Coming here in the serenity of these woods, it's difficult to not consider the families who never were. Their hopes and dreams that never were.  Thinking of those men who, because of war, because of this Kassel Mission air battle left no descendants. Descendants that might otherwise would have been here today, were it not for the misfortunes of those that did not survive. Men who would otherwise might have had a chance on their own journey of life and who would have made their own impact in our world.

It’s is hard to be here on this day and not Imagine for a moment the spirits of the men who did not survive and that, just maybe, those spirits are sitting right next to you.    I sense that “those families that never were” also have a message to us all. We need to listen hard for that message - a message of hope for us.

I am a fortunate man - Frank Bertram survived. And because of such Providence I have the privilege of being part of this earth and now with a blessed life and a wonderful family, many of whom are here today - including all of Frank Bertram's great grandchildren -  Jackson, Kirby and Reilly Gilliland, Carly Townend and Everett Bertram.  3 more generations here, because Frank was spared on that day and properly treated by the people of this very community. 

But for every son and daughter, every descendant here today, there are sons and daughters that never were - that’s the true consequences of war.  We can build back the cities, build back the roads, our communities and build back our industries, but we cannot build those families back into existence. And though this beautiful memorial is in memory of those that fought and those that perished, of reconciliation and friendship, let us all take back the message to our families and friends of that other tragic consequence of war - to the families that never were  - and their message of hope for a better world.

So, in closing –

• Let us all be reminded by this memorial to be thankful, to be humble and to be hopeful.
• Let this memorial remind us that reconciliation is very important but peace is the superior imperative.
• Let this memorial remind us to teach ourselves, our families and our colleagues to embrace and practice tolerance -  it is always best to align - not alienate - with all our brothers and sisters.
• And, Let this memorial continue to be a peaceful place of pilgrimage to pay reverence to those who sacrificed so much 75 years ago today. 

Thank You and God Bless You All. Vielen Dank und Gott segne dich.