speeches
CARE 60th Anniversary
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.
Bremen
July 6, 2006
Minister President Bohrnsen,
President Weber,
I would like to thank you for your hospitality and for the opportunity to visit your historic city.
The ties that bind Bremen and the United States go back centuries. Waves of immigrants departed Bremen and Bremerhaven in the 19th century for a new beginning in the United States. My ancestors were among those immigrants. My family originates from Tarmstedt, a small town just outside of Bremen. In the year 1838, they shipped out from the port of Bremerhaven bound for distant America. In many ways, this trip is a return home for me. I am looking forward to visiting the new Emigration Center in Bremerhaven later today. It will be another step in my personal discovery of my roots.
Today the port of Bremerhaven is one of the focal points of a very active transatlantic trade relationship. We have also seen the establishment of strong scientific and educational ties.
There has been cooperation in our space and satellite industries, highlighted by the work done here in Bremen on the International Space Station module which was delivered recently to NASA. In 1999, the International University Bremen was launched in conjunction with Rice University in the United States.
The importance of this relationship is also underlined by the presence in Bremen of our Consular Agent, Ms. Cheryl Weise, and through the ongoing efforts of the Bremen-U.S. Center. Thank you again for your strong support both of Ms. Weise and of the Center.
I will be able to view the full range of this relationship over the next two days. I look forward to my discussions with representatives of political, business, educational, and cultural institutions.
I am also here to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the first CARE packages from the United States in Germany.
In 1945, 22 American relief and social service organizations formed the “Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe” -- or “CARE” for short. Their goal was to provide Americans with a way to send relief packages to friends and families in war-ravaged Europe. For a $10 contribution, a package was delivered. On July 15, 1946 the freighter American Ranger arrived in Bremen with 35,000 packages. The program quickly expanded so that packages were sent not only to specific recipients, but to all those in need. Between 1946 and 1949, over 5 million packages were sent to Germany. CARE also played an important role in the Berlin Airlift, with over 60 percent of the private help coming from the 200,000 CARE packages that were delivered by plane.
The story of those CARE packages underscores the direct and personal ties that continue to be the bedrock of German-American friendship.
Today Germany and the United States are partners in CARE International. CARE continues to help people rebuild their lives, delivering emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, but also tackling the underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient. CARE's work extends to the world's most remote areas. All CARE projects begin at the local level but there are many opportunities for people to get involved. I for one can think of no better way to celebrate this anniversary than to join CARE in the fight against global poverty. CARE and the people it serves depend on all of us.
Thank you.
As prepared for delivery.
