Gerhard Schröder is first German head of state to attend D-Day ceremonies

[lebkuchen]

He is the first German head of state to be invited to the event, and he has done so, amidst protests of veterans in attendance.

I appreciate and respect the Chancellor's attendance, especially in light of his refusal to drag Germany into another god-forsaken war, in Iraq.

President Bill Clinton was the first US head of state to visit Vietnam since the end of the war there 29 years ago. It was his last scheduled foreign trip as US president, back in Nov. 2000, commemorating the 25th anniversary since the war's end.

Such actions on behalf of these distinguished leaders are heads above the amateur theatrics and childish, churlish, chauvanistic behavior demonstrated by Bush Junior to date.

[lebkuchen]

1. I just watched the very moving ceremony on CNNI

I hope the D-Day ceremony is broadcast in the US in its entirety. The vets from 14 countries marching in formation, Chirac pinning medals on them, each country's bands doing a march past and their fighters fly-bys...very moving.

Christiane Amanpour even said that a vet was interviewed on the US' attack of Iraq, and he said he thought it was a huge mistake. Nice to have a WWII D-Day vet validate, in the strongest terms, the obvious.

BTW, was Bush chewing gum during the ceremony? Sure looked that way. He also appeared bored and aloof. What a pity that he was the US representative attending this important occasion. He had no hopes of relating to it, nor pretending to.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

2. Im afraid DDay has been upstaged by Ronald Reagans demise.

In any case, I did find it a bit odd that Schroder was there.

Also, how do you get that umlaut over the o? Does your keyboard have umlauts.

[Kellanved]

3. a great gesture

I find it quite interesting that Chirac invited the Chancellor, not the President.