John Beyrle, the US Ambassador in Russia: The meaning of Victory Day for me
US Ambassador John Beyrle with his father Joseph Beyrle on Red Square after the parade May 9, 2004, Moscow.
“This weekend I will celebrate Victory Day with you. This day is of particular importance for me, because my father served in the Air landing in the United States Army during the Second World War. He was captured by the Germans, fled in late 1944 and joined one of the Red Army troops which was advancing on Berlin. Then he was injured and while in the hospital he met with Marshal Zhukov, who ordered to issue him a document to travel to Moscow. From Moscow my father returned to the U.S. – long after his funeral in his hometown in Michigan.
My father told me a lot about how Russia suffered greatly during the Second World War and the courage of Russian soldiers, with whom he fought. I also learned from him and he read a lot about what Russia and America could achieve by acting as allies. Victory in the Second World does not belong to any one country. It was the result of the great alliance of countries that were able to overcome their differences for a common goal – the defeat of Nazi Germany.
The main lesson of those events for me personally is that we can achieve much more when combine our efforts, than when we confront each other. If we combine our strength, our imagination and our courage, nothing will be impossible for us.
Our best memorial to veterans of World War II – is the creation of new partnerships that will peacefully resolve any conflicts, build a more prosperous and equitable society and rid the world of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. This is at least a worthy goal for the current generation of Americans and Russians than the defeat of fascism was for the generation of our fathers and grandfathers.
If you want to know more about the military fate of my father, on Thursday at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill opened a small exhibition. There is also a resource in English and Russian devoted to his life. I hope you will visit this exhibition and you tell me about your impressions”.
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