For only 24 hours I was your shipmate aboard USS Ordronaux on April 7th, 1944. To the reunion of DD617, I am sending my best wishes and sincere greetings. In my mind, I am with you in Baltimore.

The first time we met we fought against each other, but warfare at sea has it's own rules. The Australian writer, James Taylor, says in his book, "Prisoner of the Kormoran", (Kormoran was a German raider in WW2): "The brotherhood of the sea is the unwritten code, under which sailors in distress are sustained and helped by their more fortunate fellows irrespective of nationality, politics, and war."

Seagoing people are to have a good conscience. Therefore we are able to meet each other and even become friends when a war is over.

For years I am a member of the "Carl-Shurz gefellfchaft Breveou", which takes care for friendship between USA and Germany. You can be proud of your United States of America and your President Bush.

Fritz Wittenburg
Kommandant U-856
Bremen, 22 July 1991