May 17, 2013
Kaiserslautern American
Page 13
Kindergraves keep children’s memories alive
T
he annual Kindergraves memorial ceremony will take place Saturday at the Kaiserslautern main cemetery (Waldfriedhof). From 1952 to 1971, American infants who died at birth or shortly after birth at the American military hospital at Landstuhl or at nearby civilian hospitals were buried in the Kaiserslautern main cemetery in an area designated as the “American Kindergraves.” The Kindergraves serve as the final resting place for 451 American children of service men and women serving in Europe during the Cold War. Since 1961, members of the German-American and International Women’s Club and the Ramstein Area Chiefs’ Group maintain the gravesites. Parents, siblings and other family members have been coming to Kaiserslautern to visit the memorial site ever since. During Saturday’s ceremony, KMC officials will offer speeches and lay wreaths. Attendees will meet at 9:45 a.m. at Daenner Chapel on Mannheimer Strasse in Kaiserslautern. The Air Force JROTC Color
File photo
Each year, wreaths are placed at the Kindergraves at Kaiserlsautern’s cemetery during the annual Kindergraves memorial ceremony.
Guard will lead the procession to the gravesite where floral wreaths will be placed at the front monument. A candle lighting ceremony will also be held in memory of the children.
The memorial ceremony is a public event open to the entire community. After the ceremony, there will be a reception in the chapel. For more information regarding
the ceremony and the history of the Kaiserslautern Kindergraves, visit http://Kaiserslautern-kindergraves. org. (Courtesy of Ramstein Area Chief’s Group)
Corps of engineers waives recreation site fees for military WASHINGTON — Service memseas contingency operations. bers assigned to the KMC who are To qualify for a camping fee waiver planning stateside moves or vacations at a USACE-managed campground, a this summer have free use of U.S. member or dependent must present the Army Corps of Engineers-managed Interagency Military Pass or CAC and recreation sites. The corps recently a copy of their mid- or post-deployannounced it will continue to accept ment (reintegration) leave orders. the America the Beautiful Federal Camping fees are waived on a Recreation Pass Program’s Interagency walk-up and space available basis, Annual Pass for Military (military as well as for reservations made pass) at its more than 2,500 locations through the National Recreation nationwide. Reservation Service call center at Initiated last year, service men and 1-877-444-6777. However, fees will women — Army, Navy, Air Force, not be waived for online reservaMarines, Coast Guard, and activattions made through the online www. ed National Guard and Reserves — recreation.gov website. and their dependents who present the Acceptance of USACE fee waivers Interagency Military Pass will receive is encouraged, but not required, at the Courtesy photo a fee waiver to USACE-managed daymore than 1,800 nationwide recreation Service members vacationing in the states can use U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-managed use areas (boat launches and swimming areas managed by other entities on recreation sites without charge. areas). USACE lands. The Military Pass, which is free, may be present a Department of Defense identification card “Our military service members and their families obtained in person at U.S. Forest Service, National or Common Access Card to receive the day-use fee sacrifice so much for our country. The waiver of Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of waiver at USACE-managed day-use areas. day-use fees at USACE lakes and recreation areas Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife In a separate effort, USACE will continue to will make it easier and more affordable for them Service facilities. waive camping fees for active-duty military mem- to get to the great outdoors with their families and Additional information on the Federal Recreation bers and their dependents on mid- or post-deploy- relax,” said Maj. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, USACE Pass Program is available at http://store.usgs.gov/ ment leave from duty in a hostile fire zone, includ- deputy commanding general for civil and emerpass/annual.html. ing Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi gency operations. Military members and their dependents may also Freedom, and other deployments in support of over(Courtesy of USACE)