Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Death of John J. McCloy
Berlin, Abgeordnetenhaus
March 11, 2009
Chargé d’Affaires John M. Koenig
Herr Momper, it is an honor to join you today in commemorating the achievements of John Jay McCloy. John McCloy was very proud of the honorary citizenship conferred on him by the City of Berlin. The entire free world, he said, had been inspired by the strength and the civil courage of Berliners.
Over the years, John McCloy received many honors in addition to the honorary citizenship that meant so much to him. Former Federal German President Richard von Weizsäcker said he was the “godfather of the new Germany.” He was described at times as “the most influential private citizen in America” and “the conscience of America.” John McCloy, however, would have said that he was merely part of a team.
His three-year mission in West Germany was, he said, the most interesting and challenging of his long career in public service. Looking back at that career at 80, Mr. McCloy said, “I saw my public service in terms of getting things done. 'The question I asked myself in the various jobs I had was, ‘What should we do to solve the problem at hand?’ Then I tried to proceed accordingly.” When he was appointed U.S. High Commissioner for Germany in 1949 to serve as the top U.S. official in the defeated nation, his “goal was to transform Germany from an occupied enemy into a trusted and reliable partner.”
Americans are proud of the role he and others played in supporting Germany in its efforts to adopt democratic principles. This year as Germany commemorates the 60th anniversary of its federal constitution, those achievements take on particular significance. John McCloy’s vision of a Germany and a Europe united in cooperation has become a reality. As we commemorate the achievements of the 20th century, however, it is important that we look forward and address the challenges of the 21st. Today there is once again a “can do” spirit in American government that John Jay McCloy, who served under nine U.S. Presidents, would certainly have approved of.