Waffen-SS graves didn’t stop Reagan from keeping his word

Reagan defied allies, critics, even his wife. He kept his promise to visit a German cemetery despite learning it included Waffen-SS graves

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Donald Trump may be the most controversial American president in my lifetime, but he’s far from being the only one. Forty years ago, another conservative president sparked global outrage, not with his words, but by keeping a promise. In 1985, Ronald Reagan’s decision to visit a German cemetery where members of the Waffen-SS were buried drew fierce criticism. But unlike Trump’s headline-grabbing chaos, Reagan’s storm revealed something deeper: a refusal to break his word.

The Bitburg episode revealed a defining trait of Reagan’s presidency: an unwavering commitment to personal integrity, even when it meant political pain. It was not a failure of judgment but a conscious, principled stand. In an age of transactional politics, Reagan’s insistence on keeping his promise to West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl stands out as a rare example of character-driven leadership.

Reagan was no stranger to controversy. Much of it stemmed from perceptions of his foreign policy. To critics, he was an anti-communist zealot with an itchy trigger finger. Some even feared he welcomed the prospect of nuclear Armageddon.

The critics were half right. Reagan’s anti-communism was intense, arguably more so than any postwar American president. But he was also unusually skeptical of nuclear weapons. He considered the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction, a cornerstone of NATO policy since the 1950s, fundamentally “immoral.” Eliminating nuclear war—whether by reducing arsenals or developing defensive technologies—was one of his key goals.

That effort required European cooperation, particularly from West Germany. The road to disarmament ran through a Europe still caught in Cold War tensions, making strategic diplomacy with Kohl essential. One early test was the Soviet deployment of SS-20 missiles in Europe. Reagan responded by deploying Pershing II missiles in West Germany, a move that relied heavily on Kohl’s support despite vocal opposition from the country’s peace movement.

Kohl, in turn, wanted something symbolic in return. To reinforce postwar reconciliation, he asked Reagan to visit a German war cemetery during his 1985 trip to Europe for the G7 summit in Bonn and the 40th anniversary of VE Day. The plan was for Reagan to lay a ceremonial wreath. The chosen site was Bitburg.

Then came the discovery: more than 40 of the 2,000 graves at Bitburg belonged to members of the Waffen-SS. On April 19, the controversy exploded during a White House ceremony in which Reagan awarded Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel the Congressional Gold Medal. Wiesel implored the president—some would say scolded him—to cancel the visit. Reagan sat silently, with no choice but to absorb the rebuke.

Pressure came from every direction. Nancy Reagan, Secretary of State George Shultz, both houses of Congress and even British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher urged him to cancel. But Reagan had given his word to Kohl, who made it clear he expected the visit to proceed.

For Reagan, the commitment to Kohl wasn’t just diplomatic courtesy; it was a test of character. This quality had been remarked on before. Bob Moretti, a California Democrat who clashed with Reagan during his governorship, described their welfare reform negotiations as tough, but said once Reagan gave his word, he kept it.

Whether that was innate or learned is open to debate. Reagan’s time as a trade union leader negotiating with Hollywood studios on behalf of the Screen Actors Guild likely reinforced the importance of honouring commitments. Break your word, and future talks become nearly impossible.

Privately, Reagan fumed at what he saw as unfair criticism. Letters and diary entries show how deeply it hurt to be accused of insensitivity to the Holocaust or of equating Nazi perpetrators with their victims.

As the controversy intensified, one unexpected offer of help came from Gen. Matthew Ridgway, a 90-year-old war hero and the last surviving four-star general to have served in Europe. He had commanded the 82nd Airborne in Italy and Normandy and led U.S. forces during the Battle of the Bulge. Ridgway called the White House with a direct offer: “I am a soldier and I have never done anything political in my life. But it appears to me that my commander-in-chief is in trouble, and I would like to help. I would like to lay the wreath in Bitburg for him.”

Reagan declined but agreed they would lay it together.

On May 5, 1985, Reagan visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and delivered a solemn speech. He then travelled to Bitburg, where, in a brief eight-minute visit, the wreath was laid jointly by Reagan, Kohl, Ridgway and Johannes Steinhoff, a former Luftwaffe fighter ace who later became a general in the postwar German and NATO militaries.

Reagan’s popularity dipped during the controversy, but by early July he had rebounded to 63 per cent in the Gallup poll. Sometimes, it pays to stick with who you are.

Troy Media columnist Pat Murphy casts a history buff’s eye at the goings-on in our world. Never cynical – well, perhaps a little bit.