US-Soviet Elbe River (East Meets West) Link-Up (69th Infantry Division) Memorial
Details:
Just south of the Elbe River Ferry (Strehla Fahrstelle) Monument
The memorial includes a large brass sculpture mounted to a river wall with a corresponding plaque, and three large information signs made form inscribed brass. A flagpole designed by a soldier of the 273rd Infantry Regiment displaying the flags of the US, Russia and German, stands at the entrance to the memorial park.
From the 69th Infantry Division Association Website:
Kotzebue Patrol 11:30AM. At this farmhouse courtyard near Leckwitz, Germany stands 1st Lt. Albert L. Kotzebue, Co G 273rd Inf Rgt with one of his men, where at 11:30 AM, April 25, 1945 elements of his patrol met a lone Soviet cavalryman from Kazakhstan.
See this website, Site Torgau for another East Meets West Memorial.
Monument Text:
The text on the plaque next to the sculpture is written in English, Russian and German. The English reads:
SPIRIT OF THE ELBE
IN RECOGNITION OF THE COOPERATION BY AMERICANS, SOVIET, AND
ALLIED ARMED FORCES DURING WORLD WAR II. THIS MARKER
SYMBOLIZES THE LINK UP OF SOVIET ANF AMERICAN ELEMENTS AT THE
ELBE RIVER ON APRIL 25, 1945
IN TRIBUT TO THE PARTNERSHIP TO BATTLE AGAINST TRYANNY
The brass informational plaques are written in English, Russian and German. The English reads:
TWO FIERY BILLOWS MOVING
FROM THE EAST AND WEST JOINED
HERE SYMBOLIZING BY THAT EVENT
THE FINAL STAGE OF FIGHTING
ACTIONS IN EUROPE IN
WORLD WAR II
ON APRIL 25, 1945 AT 1:30PM
NEAR THE TOWN OF STREHLA, THE
HISTORIC LINK-UP OF THE ALLIED
ARMIES TOOK PLACE.
THE FIRST WERE THE RECONNAISSANCE GROUPSOF THE
58TH GUARDS INFANTRY DIVISION OF THE
RED ARMY AND THE 69TH DIVISION
OF THE AMERICAN ARMY UNDER
THE COMMAND OF LIEUTENANTS
GRIGORY GOLOBORODKO AND
ALBERT KOTZEBY