Obama to apologize for American “atrocities” in World War II?

I read a piece on Pamela Geller’s excellent blog Atlas Shrugged,where she links a piece by John Rosenthal on Obama’s upcoming visit to Germany and the rife speculation that he will apologize for American atrocities, most notably, the fire-bombing of Dresden in mid-February, 1945.

According to reports in the German media, President Obama is planning a trip to Germany in the first week in June. The Germany trip would precede Obama’s June 6 participation in ceremonies in France marking the 65th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy.

That Obama would be planning a trip to Germany in connection with ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Normandy invasion is already rather odd. Following the turning point represented by the Battle of Stalingrad, the invasion was, after all, the crucial event that all but guaranteed Germany’s defeat in the Second World War.

But when one considers just where exactly in Germany Obama is headed, then the significance of the visit becomes more clear. There is some talk of Obama visiting the Buchenwald concentration camp outside Weimar, in whose liberation Obama’s great uncle Charlie Payne is famously supposed to have taken part. But the Buchenwald visit appears not to be the main event and indeed it can be presumed to have been included in discussions as something of an alibi.

The latest German reports suggest Obama’s principal German destination will be Dresden. According to an article in the local paper Die Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten, representatives of the German and American governments met in Dresden last Wednesday to discuss preparations for the visit. An American security detail is reported to have already scoped out sites in the city: presumably for a public speech.

The symbolic significance of a visit to Dresden by the American president — especially one undertaken in connection with a D-Day commemoration in France — may be missed by some Americans, but it is absolutely unmistakable for the German public. For Germans, Dresden is the symbol bar none of German suffering at the hands of the Allies. The city was heavily bombed by British and American air forces in February 1945, toward the end of the war. According to the most recent estimates of professional historians, anywhere from 18,000 to at most 25,000 persons died in the attacks. These numbers come from a historical commission established by the city of Dresden itself. But far higher numbers — ranging into the hundreds of thousands — have long circulated in Germany and beyond. The bombing of Dresden is commonly described as a “war crime” in German discussions.

[…]

It is virtually unthinkable that Obama could give a speech in Dresden and not allude to the bombing of the city. Most of the city’s historical monuments — which Obama’s advance team were apparently inspecting — were severely damaged or destroyed in the bombing and had to be rebuilt. Moreover, for Obama to visit both Dresden and Buchenwald would suggest precisely the sort of outrageous parallels that have become commonplace in Germany at least since the publication of Friedrich’s The Fire.

(As so happens, although tens of thousands of persons died there, Buchenwald was not one of the camps specifically devoted to the extermination of Jews. But far be it from Obama to know that. When, during the election campaign, he first referred to his Uncle Charlie’s WWII exploits, he said that his uncle had helped to liberate “Auschwitz.” Moreover, Charlie Payne did not really participate in the liberation of Buchenwald either, but rather in that of Ohrdruf: a lesser-known, affiliated camp some sixty kilometers away.)

I shamelessly lifted the pics below from Pamela’s piece. It is a great way to remember our sacrifice to liberate Europe.

1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne, France. A total of 2,289 of our military dead. We apologize.

Memorial day france

2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium. A total of 5,329 of our dead. We are so ashamed of our arrogance.

Memorial daybelgium

3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France. A total of 4,410 of our military dead. Excuse us.

Memorial day brit4

4. Brookwood, England American Cemetery. A total of 4,680 of our dead. We are such an evil country.

Memorial day eng 4

5. Cambridge, England. 3,812 of our military dead. What on earth were we thinking?

Memorial day eng 5

6. Epinal, France American Cemetery. A total of 5,525 of our military dead. Please forgive us.

Memorial france6

7. Flanders Field, Belgium. A total of 3,680 of our military. We are so sorry.

Memorial day belgium 7

8. Florence, Italy. A total of 4,402 of our military dead. We are a bully nation.

Memorial day ital 8

9. Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. A total of 7,992 of our military dead. They deserved what they got.

Memorial belgium9

10. Lorraine, France. A total of 10,489 of our military dead. FDR and Truman were lying war criminals.

Memorial france10

11. Luxembourg, Luxembourg. A total of 5,076 of our military dead. Arrogant oppression, pure and simple.

Memorial day lux 11

12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 1,4246 of our military dead. Just think of how many civilians they killed.

Memorial dayMeuse-Argonne.12

13. Netherlands, Netherlands. A total of 8,301 of our military dead. They were murderers.

MEMORIAL DAY NETHERLANDS13

14. Normandy, France. A total of 9,387 of our military dead. Baby killers, one and all.

Memorial belgium normandy14

15. Oise-Aisne, France. A total of 6,012 of our military dead. They were torturers, too.

Memorial belgium oise 15

16. Rhone, France. A total of 8,61 of our military dead. Remorseless killers doing the bidding of an evil nation.

Memorial rhone

17. Sicily, Italy. A total of 7,861 of our military dead. What can America ever do to redeem itself?

Memorial day sicily 17

18. Somme, France. A total of 1,844 of our military dead. Arrogant war-mongers of an arrogant nation.

Memoiral somme 18

19. St. Mihiel, France. A total of 4,153 of our military dead. War criminals.

Memorial stmihielr=france 19

20. Suresnes, France. A total of 1,541 of our military dead. Oh, God in heaven, please forgive us for being such an arrogant country.

Memorial day france20

The total number of Americans buried at the cemeteries above is 104,366 — a mere fraction of those who died liberating Europe — and yet an American president who confuses arrogance with leadership feels the need to apologize in Europe for the country he obviously holds in contempt.

Memorial Day is Monday. Remember our fallen from all the wars…

24 thoughts on “Obama to apologize for American “atrocities” in World War II?”

  1. Same mentality as the ones from the little pelosies who say dropping the A-Bomb on Japan was a war crime.

    These wanks don’t know history and certainly don’t appreciate it.

  2. The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, the Brookwood American Cemetery and Memorial, the Flanders Field, Belgium Cemetery, the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, the Oise-Aisne Cemetery, the Somme American Cemetery and Memorial Bony (Aisne), France, the St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in France, and finally, the Suresnes American Cemetery, all pictured above, have nothing to do with liberating Europe from Nazi Germany or provide any moral relativity with respect to firebombing Dresden. While we’re berating people for not knowing their history, you might want to take note. But other than that, sorry for being a jack-ass, I agree that any official apology by the President would be outrageous.

  3. World War I memorials notwithstanding, I think she (and I) made the point that America has sacrificed a whole hell of a lot. The “war effort” from 1941-1945 was not limited to one or other service, nor was it limited to one or other campaign, nor was a there a difference in the minds of Americans between the ETO, the PTO, or the CBI. The fire-bombings of Dresden and Tokyo were part of the same war. Our dead, whether dying in the snows of Bastogne, or dying from flak over Dresden or Tokyo, or being sunk in the Pacific by Japanese torpedo bombers or submarines, were fighting the same war. As for the “moral relativism” so popular today among America-haters, I say fuck them. The Romans never considered apologizing to the Carthaginians. Get my drift? You win a war by winning it. We won. Period. End of discussion.

  4. And by the way, it’s an impressive collection of photos in its own right, whether were talking about Dresden or not(which again, B.O. should NOT apologize for). Thanks for reminding us of the sacrifices made in Europe by our armed forces.

  5. There’s plenty of Americans buried in Europe – far too many – whether pictured or not. And they’ve received scant thanks or recognition for their investment from the euro-ingrates. I hope all you hardened vet bikers out there,& everyone that pilgrimages to the memorials each year, take notice of Obie’s comments if he dares trash us again with another apology tour in Europe. And I hope you do something about it.

  6. They’ll apologize for going to war with Germany because we were never attacked by Germany

    (they forget Germany declared war on us after we declared war on Japan) but that’s just a technicality…

  7. Is it Memorial Day or Veterans Day in the USA that you folks remember the fallen, why they’ve fallen, and the freedom gained from this? we have only the one in Canada, “Remembrance Day”… sometimes referred to as “Poppy Day”.

    In any case… can’t wait to hear what B. Hussien has to say regarding this. I really don’t get the part about the apology for winning. Who’s side is this guy on? er… never mind.

  8. The women and children burned alive in Hiroshima and Dresden had nothing to do with the war. Ike, Mac Arthur, Admiral “Bull” Halsey, Admiral Nimitz (not exactly bleeding hearts) all opposed those bombings.

    “I do not believe that this indiscriminate bombing of towns is worth the ammunition. It is unnecessarily cruel to civilians.”

    Those sentiments came from a bleeding heart named George S. Patton.

  9. The strategic bombing of Germany was effective. No less a figure than Albert Speer has stated that the round-the-clock bombing campaign hastened the end of the Third Reich. Read his two books of diaries (Inside the Third Reich and Spandau: The Secret Diaries) and the fascinating Albert Speer: His Battle With Truth by Gita Sereny.

    The question remains, should civilian targets be targets in a total war?

  10. My Dad and I will smoke a cigar in honor of these fine men, and women who died trying to protect our rights, and our freedoms. This selfless act of sacrifice to our great nation in such trying times should never be forgotten.

  11. I’m sorry, but politically correct, I’m not.

    I shit on all these political correct assholes that we have in our government today (including our Marxist, “Messiah”, Commander- In-Chief, as far as I’m concerned, he can go and kiss my Cuban ass) that have the audacity to degrade our great nation and the great sacrifice their citizens have made all over the world for the last one hundred and eleven years.

    Since the Spanish-American War of 1898 all what America has done is to send their sons and daughters to die in places far distant from their native soil so others can enjoy the same freedoms that we enjoy here in the great USA.

    GOD BLESSS AMERICA!!!

  12. If the United States wants to apologize for an atrocity, let it be for possibly the most evil of all atrocities… the rape and slaughter of America, it’s land and native people. We came here, because we were to spineless to fight our own battle in our own land. We overpowered a society that was willing to help us, and we repaid their misguided generosity with one of the most heinous acts of genocide in history.

  13. Great post George. I totally understand the point you’re making, even if others seem confused. Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Dresden are reflective of an extremely savage war that was NOT started by us, but degraded to such a degree that such actions became an ugly tool in its termination.

  14. The Japanese Imperial Forces during W.W. II kidnapped and held as sex slaves thousands of teenage Asian women they called “comfort girls.” Some of these victims are still alive today. The government of Japan steadfastly refuses to acknowledge the crime nor apologize or compensate for it. In Manila, there are monuments to the 100,000 Filipinos who died in one month during the liberation siege of the capital in 1945.
    http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/manila-memorials.htm
    In Fort Santiago, Manila, there is a plaque in memory of the “600 Filipinos and Americans who were victims of attrocities during the last days of February 1945. The appearance of their bodies suggested starvation and possible suffocation.”
    http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/ft-santiago/ft-santiago-28.gif

  15. TerryL

    That’s a very flawed line of thinking. The north American continent was sparsely populated and was not a nation state. Those tribes waged war on each other. The history of the world has be filled with conquerers and conquered. Applying your 21st century logic to the 16th and 17th centuries doesn’t work.

  16. Thank you Blackfive.net for bringing us the stories of Uncle James and those so many others who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the right to property,and the pursuit of happiness. To those that wish to denigrate the cost of freedom as you will find out problably sooner rather than later, it’s very steep.

    And thank you to Babalu for never giving up on the fight to bring freedom to our Cubans brothers and sisters.

    The older folks many who have fought in past wars deserve our upmost respect,consideration and protection.

    Any disrespect,abuse, (IRA)Involuntary Redistribution of Assets perpetrated upon the older folks is an affront on all of us.

    God Bless to all and Happy Memorial Day ………..

    Ray Fernandez
    Editor
    ElderAbuseHelp.Org

  17. Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death

    Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775.

    No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

    Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

    I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free– if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending–if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained–we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

    They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable–and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

    It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace– but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
    LIVE FREE or DIE!!!!! It’s that simple!

  18. Jose,

    So stirring was Henry’s oratory:

    Then Henry got to his knees, in the posture of a manacled slave, intoning in a low but rising voice: ‘Is life so dear, our peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!’ He then bent to the earth with his hands still crossed, for a few seconds, and suddenly sprang to his feet, shouting, ‘Give me liberty!’ and flung wide his arms, paused, lowered his arms, clenched his right hand as if holding a dagger at his breast, and said in sepulchral tones: ‘Or give me death!’ He then beat his breast, with his hand holding the imaginary dagger.

    There was silence, broken by a man listening at the open window, who shouted: “Let me be buried on this spot!’

    The man IS actually buried on that spot.

  19. Unbelievable, Unthinkable, and Definately Unamerican! I am astounded that he would apologize for getting involved in the war with Japan and Germany. We were attacked on our own soil and some men still entombed in Pearl Harbour. Japan lied to our face about peace talks and then pounced. For bleeding hearts out there, there is always collaterol damage. Do you know how many died in Pearl Harbour that were not servicemen and women? Next thing you know he will apologize to Osama Bin Laden for the terrorist acts against us on our own soil again on 9/11. Give me a break! If he follows through with this notion, there will be many of us ashamed to be an American that day. I served along with many and though I did not die, others did. Let us not forget the fallen.

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