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From: thill@ssc-bee.UUCP (Tom Hill)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Bitburg
Message-ID: <336@ssc-bee.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 1-May-85 11:37:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: ssc-bee.336
Posted: Wed May  1 11:37:25 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 3-May-85 03:20:21 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
Lines: 32


President Reagan's visit to Bitburg has obviously been a public relations
boo boo here in the U.S.A..  Many, however, have simply used this as yet
another soapbox from which to lament their untiring hatred for our
President.  The Net postings have shown me just how bountiful the sour grape
crop has become since Mr. Mondale was soundly trounced at the polls.

Why was Reagan even scheduled to place a wreath at Bitburg?  Many would have
us believe that it is because he wishes to honor the SS dead.  The problem
with this is that it ignores the fact that Reagan is to lay the wreath on the
same spot that the Commander of the near by U.S.A.F. base has placed a wreath
each year since 1959!  The visit was originally scheduled, I believe, as
a conciliatory  gesture toward the German people.  How many of you have read
your newspapers close enough to learn that on Christmas Eve 1944 allied
bombers destroyed Bitburg?  When we finally reached Bitburg with ground
troops there were only about sixty people still living in the "town."

The hysteric responses have ruined any chance that this proposed visit may
have had as a gesture of good will.  Next time, hopefully, the President's
scouting party will do their homwork a bit better and hopefully
so will the press.


Tom Hill

P.S.  I despise what the Nazis did and in no way condone any of their
      actions.  

P.P.S.  I find it interesting that numerous postings were made on both the
	Bitburg visit and the News crew who were killed but not a peep was
	made by these very same people when a U.S. Major was murdered by
	a Soviet soldier.