General Honoured At Farewell (Press, 28 March 1984)
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Summary: General Honoured At Farewell (Press, 28 March 1984)
On 28 March 1984, General Guenther Kiessling, a deputy Supreme Commander of NATO, retired amidst a political scandal that his dismissal had ignited. The retirement ceremony took place at the Ernst Moritz Arndt Barracks in Marburg, West Germany, where Kiessling previously served as a battalion commander. The event was formal, with a military band and torch-bearers present, and included Defence Minister Dr Manfred Woerner, who had dismissed Kiessling in December. The controversy surrounding Kiessling stemmed from allegations that he was a homosexual and posed a blackmail risk, claims that were primarily based on a discredited report by Military Counter-Intelligence. According to this report, Kiessling allegedly compromised his security by visiting homosexual bars in Cologne. However, the situation escalated when, out of four witnesses initially presented by Counter-Intelligence, three retracted their statements, leaving only the testimony of a convicted East German spy to support the allegations. Dr Woerner, during the reception prior to the ceremony, expressed regret over the ordeal Kiessling faced. He acknowledged the difficult situation they found themselves in and offered an apology, stating, "You have had to suffer a lot and I regret this deeply." In response, Kiessling displayed a calm demeanor, stating to reporters, "It is not without a certain bitterness that I leave. I hope this will remain a unique case and I will contribute all I can to make sure that it is." The retirement ceremony marked the end of an intense chapter in Kiessling's military career, where he was at the centre of a scandal that questioned not only his integrity but also the handling of sensitive issues surrounding orientation and security within the military establishment.
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