Dear President-Elect Trump:
I told you about our son who attended West Point. He’s now a First Lieutenant, deployed in Germany as support personnel to our troops who are in far more dangerous locations. He had last Sunday off, and it happened to coincide with our return to the United States from Latvia. We had a stopover in Germany.
I saw quite a few soldiers, deployed along with our son. I wish that I could call their parents and give them a first-hand report on their sons and daughters. How proud I am of our sons and daughters in uniform. Thousands of miles from home, they represent us well in both war and peace.
We spent Sunday in Rothenburg, Germany. It’s just a few kilometers from the American base where our soldiers are stationed. The photo I’ve included with this letter is a photo of Medieval Rothenburg as it appears at Christmas time. As you can see from the photo, it is delightful. I’ve been blessed to see many beautiful parts of the world. But I’m a real Christmas aficionado and loved Rothenburg as much as any other place I’ve been.
Upon our return, I told my neighbor, Nick, about Rothenburg. His face lit up. He’d been there too. Then he said: “Do you know the WWII history of Rothenburg?” I was not aware of it. He briefly told me it’s WWII history.
Allied forces bombed Rothenburg on March 31, 1945. However, it was an overcast day, and the entire medieval city was not visible from the air. The allied forces were able to destroy 40% of the city, including 306 houses, six public buildings, nine of the town’s ancient towers and more than 2,000 feet of the historic wall. Yet, much of the historic center endured.
After the bombing campaign ended, the Allied Army was scheduled to invade and destroy the city. However, these plans were thwarted by Assistant Secretary of War, General John McCloy.
McCloy had a fondness for Rothenburg because his mother had once visited the city. She brought back a painting of Rothenburg which hung in the living room and was always telling McCloy stories about how beautiful the city is. It was this love for Rothenburg that led McCloy to instruct General Jacob L. Devers to negotiate with the Germans rather than continue to bomb the city.
The night before the scheduled invasion, American General Devers met with the Nazi officer in charge of defending the city. They negotiated and agreed that the German soldiers would leave the city in return for an American guarantee that the city would be spared further bombing. McCloy was later named a patron and honorary citizen of Rothenburg in gratitude.
Cooperation among warring nations preserved a historical gem for future generations to enjoy.
What cooperation are we willing to have with our foes to benefit our future generations?
Sincerely,
David O. Leavitt
