Memorial Day 2025: Triumph Over Tragedy

On behalf of the KMHS Board, we wish all our members and readers a safe and meaningful Memorial Day Weekend as we pause to honor the U.S. service members and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country.

As many of you know, over 50 KMHS members participated in the Kassel Mission 80th Anniversary trip to Norwich, UK, and Friedlos, Germany last September. With this being our first Memorial Day since that journey, I wanted to share a few reflections.

Memorial Day is built on both triumph and tragedy. The Kassel Mission—like all battles—was marked by both. The tragedy lies in the young lives lost and the profound loss endured by their families. These personal sacrifices form the very foundation of what Memorial Day represents. But there was triumph, as well, as their efforts were not in vain. We honor them through our memorials, VA cemeteries, and the many commemorative events held across the country every year on the last Monday in May.

During our visit to Tibenham last fall— the wartime home base of the 445th Bomb Group—and Friedlos, Germany, I was deeply moved by the enduring gratitude expressed by the local communities. In Tibenham, the appreciation for what our fathers accomplished still lives on. It is one of the great triumphs of the 445th, that their legacy continues to be remembered by the locals and at the old air base. We are forever grateful to the Norfolk Gliding Club for their work preserving the Tibenham base and honoring the 445th’s legacy, including Eric Ratcliffe’s efforts to retrieve, preserve, and display artifacts from the battle.

Surprisingly, we also witnessed similar sentiments in Germany. Many locals voiced their respect for the Americans— not just in helping defeat the Nazi regime, but also in the postwar rebuilding of Germany with empathy and a continued commitment to peace and cooperation. It was not lost on me that every triumph for the 445th often meant tragedy for the German people. The Kassel Mission raid itself, a heartbreaking loss and tragedy for the 445th, was a triumph for the Luftwaffe—though they, too, suffered losses. Nonetheless, the spirit of the value of reconciliation was often the theme of conversations.

Still, through the shared tragedy of war, the importance of remembrance has also persisted. Remarkably, many of the efforts to honor the Kassel Mission have been initiated by Germans themselves. The Kassel Mission Airmen’s Memorial, built jointly by Americans and Germans in 1990, remains a powerful symbol—commemorated every year on September 27th.  The Memorial is, in every sense, a triumph over tragedy.

The continued interest in remembering these events—both in Tibenham and in the Werra River Valley of Germany— is itself a powerful triumph. And, just recently since our fall visit, we now have new opportunities to establish additional Kassel Mission memorials in Germany.

While Memorial Day has, for many, become just another long weekend, it is—at its heart—a time for gratitude and to recognize the triumph over tragedy. Gratitude for the individuals and families who gave so much. For those connected to the Kassel Mission— the pain of that day has, over time, become a legacy of remembrance, resilience, and shared triumph. We will never forget our Kassel Mission crews!

Once again, on behalf of the KMHS Board, we wish you and your families a reflective and meaningful Memorial Day.

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