Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Digital Library Collections This is a PDF from our textual collections. Collection: Speechwriting, White House Office of: Research Office, 1981-1989 Folder: 05/05/1985 Remarks: Lunch at Bitburg Air Force Base, Bitburg, Germany, Josh/Rv (8) Box: 207 To see more digitized collections visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected] Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing ·:--... ""' --~. .- ~ \ \. ';> I ' -·' -\ .. -:,,..\ ' ~ 1: BITBlJFlG Bitburg, county capital of the Southern Eitel, located In the hills iroximity to the Benelux countries, Bitburg offers ideal settlement between the Kyll and the Nims rivers, has been for centuries the opportunities. Located at the intersection of several Federal high­ natural center of this predominantly agriculturally-oriented area. ways at only 27 KM from the central- and university city of Trier, the city will soon have good traffic connections with Antverp, Brussels, Among the many county Liege, and the Rhein-Main/Rhein-Neckar area via Federal Auto­ capitals of Rheinland­ Pfalz, the almost 2000-ynar bahn A-60. With the Beginning of the construction work on the new old Eifel city has an espe­ A-60 between German border and Bitburg, and the soon to follow cially interesting past. Age­ continuation up to Witllich (A-48) this traffic improvement plan has old East-West roads cross entered a decisive stage. here with the most impor­ tant North-South connec­ As the capital of Bitburg-Pr0m County, Bitburg is today the econo­ tion through! the Eifel from mic and cultural c'ent;r of the Southern Eitel. Today's image of the Trier to Cologne and Belgi- city is marked by the world-wide known Bitburg Brewery with al­ um. Already in Celtic ti­ most 600 employees and by the nearby NATO air base. mes, a market town developed at this crossroad point. Even today wall remnants and a Roman villa In the Immediate neighborhood bear witness of the importance of the almost 2 ha-large settlement, The city has approximately 12.500 residents. One has.to add just as constructed around 330 A.D. many members of the U.S. Forces and of a French Garrison. Several wars caused much grief to the city. There was first the hea­ The special importance of vy destructions of the 30-year war, then the county capital was al­ the city as an European most totally destroyed by bombing and artillery fire in WW II. Sub­ and International border sequent to the destruction of Christmas Eve 44, Bilburg was decla­ town is underlined by a lar­ red a "dead city" in the military reports. ge folklore and music festi­ The faster than expected recontruction of the city is proof of the val, which lakes place an­ strong vital energy of this citizens. From the ruins emerged a mo­ nually on the second week­ dern city, especially valued as an attractive shopping town with a end in July. busy economic life. In addition to creating new jobs in industry and trade, housing construction was of foremost Importance. Through farsighted development planning, the necessary prerequisites for obtaining unexpensive construction terrain were met. The efforts Bitburg has a fine reputation as cultural center of the Southern Ei­ for providing additional and maintaining existing and stable Jobs tel. Haus Beda, a cultural foundation by Dr. Hanns Simon, is the are continued. In the past, center of a large. first-rate good results were obtai- cultural program, well ned in this area, especially known beyond the borders after Bitburg became one of the Southern Eitel. For of the cities to be inclµded his great merits on the cul­ in the regional· promotion tural plan, the founder, Dr. program of the Federal Go­ Hanns Simon, was offered vernment. However, more honorary citizenship of Bit­ efforts are necessary to burg in 1979 create new jobs for man­ power becoming available through agricultural re- Because of its perfect location, Bitburg is the ideal starling point structuring. In this respect, the capital of the largest county in Rheinland-Pfa_lz has an important mission to fulfill for its surroun­ for walks and excursions to the Bitburg-Land vacation area, to the ding area. German-Belgian and German-Luxembourg national parks or to the nearby cities of Trier and Luxembourg. In recent years, It was possible to persuade engine and tool manu­ facturers to settle here. Bllburg also has a non-business connec­ ii certainly pays lo get to ted training workshop for metal workers, where 170 apprentices know the Bilburg area with and retralnees are learning their trade. its beautiful landscape. The city is trying to avoid The vacation center In the possible rural-exodus ten­ Prom valley with the Bit­ dencies of manpower by burg "Stausee" and the settling of additional indu- Sportshotel S0deifel, as stries in the approximately well as the Gondorf deer­ 20 acres large industrial park, also deserve special area where good develop­ attention. ment possibilities exist. Because of its central lo­ cation in the European communities and its close OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY BUREAU OF EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF STATE I Terrence 0. Olson 492 EAST 450 SOUTH • OREM, UTAH 84058 April 12, 1965 President Ronald Reagan The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. Deor Mr. President, I request thot you reconsider your refusal to visit Oachou during your trip to Germany. Mony survivors of the Holocaust consider themselves left behind as witnesses. They toke every opportunity to teoch the rising generations obout the horrors of the past, that we might work together to avoid them in the future. There is no reason not to visit the cemetery of the German war dead. But there are compe11ing reasons to visit Dachau. We fought for principles which were denied six . mi11ion. Your visit would give a quiet affirmation that we stand for the same freedoms today as the ones we fought for then. My faJher gave his life os an Air Force bomber pilot over Germany six weeks ofter I was born. If your visit to · ~onor German war dead can be done in a spirit of mutual heaJing between the two countries, then why can't o visit to Dachau be done in a spirit of mutual sorrow? I believe my father fought in the name of freedom and justice, and I hold no molice toword Germany. A visit to Dachau, not in memory of any combatonts, would be a_ remembrance of the innocent who d_ied. --~ I am familiar with the work of_ ~c,oul Wa11enberg .. It r •·. would be fitting, that in o month where a movie catalagues ·,,., the life of a man who gave his all to save thousands, you would be willing to take a moment to remember millions. We remembe.t ·_ the dead precisely . because we hold a reverence for _life. Please reconsider. Arrange to visit that place of past horror, that you may affirm o realistic hope for the future. Monika Roberts 1285 Autumn Wood Circle Manchester, Missouri 63011 Phone: (314) 391-6917 April 18, 1985 ( 311-fJ J'lS--bif-s- rb-f'.I?) u,vli/ w~,1s_ //2e,u .fl:_d/Y\ ~ /4/, fi/,J,{/- President Ronald Reagan The White House t:?/V Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Reagan: I note with interest that the press is attacking you in regard to your planned visit to the Bitburg Cemetary in Germany. As a fellow American (I immigrated to the United States 23 years ago), I feel compelled to tell you a story that may offset some of this criticism. My father, Adolf Dressler, is buried at Bitburg. He was a farmer in his late thirties, not a member of the Nazi Party, when he was drafted into the infantry from our small community close to Koblenz. During his tour of duty, he saw action initially on the Russian Front and missed the Leningrad Siege by just a few weeks. As the war was coming to an end, he was assigned to an infantry regiment fighting in Luxembourg. On January 19, 1945 (see attached copy of grave marker), he was killed in Luxembourg. A nineteen year old German soldier wrapped my father's body in a blanket and carried him on his back for three days to assure him a burial on German soil. Through the young soldier's help, my father's remains were located several years later and moved to Bitburg. I consider it an honor that my President plans to visit the last resting place of my father. President Ronald Reagan April 18, 1985 Page Two Only a handful of SS-Troopers are buried at Bitburg. The rest of the graves are those of many Germans like my father, who were forced to serve under the Nazi regime. If this correspondence can be of any assistance in supporting your visit, feel free to make reference or have your staff contact me for further details. Sincerely yours, cc: Mr. Larry Speakes Press Secretary The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Senator John c. Danforth 490 SR0B Washington, D.C. 20510 background •oocru~ Japan United States Department of State May 1983 Bureau of Public AJJairs PROFILE (Clean Government Party), Japan Communist Party (JCP). Suffrage: Universal over age People 20. Flag: Red slin on white field. Noun and adjective: Japanese. Population (1982): 118,450,000. Annual growth rate: 0.8%. Ethnic groups: Japanese; Korean Economy 0.6%. Religions: Shintoism and Buddhism; GNP (1982): $1.046 trillion. Real growth Christian 0.8%. Language: Japanese. rate: 2.5% 1982, 4.0% 1972-82.