U.S., Soviet Vets Embrace at 40th Elbe River Reunion : 240 Gather, Pledge No More War

American and Soviet World War II veterans embraced, slapped one another’s backs and swore “never to wage war again” today in a reunion marking the historic linkup of their armies at the Elbe River 40 years ago that sliced Nazi Germany in half.

The United States refused to send an official delegation to the ceremony to protest the death of U.S. Army Maj. Arthur Nicholson Jr., who was shot by Soviet soldiers near a Soviet military base in East Germany on March 24.

The shooting upset the American veterans, but “this is a commemoration that furthers the cause of reconciliation,” said John Gilman, an Army veteran from Milwaukee.

At a news conference, six Soviet veterans said the lack of official U.S. participation had taken some of the luster off the gathering.

“I can only say it was regrettable that (President Reagan) did not even send us a message. If he had done so, this would have been a further contribution to a better atmosphere between our nations,” Georgi Stetsenko said.

Wreath-Laying Ceremony

The 90 American veterans and 150 former Soviet soldiers shook hands and slapped one another’s backs as they met. Then they laid wreaths and listened to speeches, in solemn contrast to the vodka toasts and dancing of their first meeting 40 years ago.

The American veterans stood with hands over hearts and the Soviets saluted as a band played their national anthems.

The one American flag hanging near a gray, weather-beaten monument was overshadowed by a thicket of red Soviet flags.

About 20,000 people, including scores of uniformed Soviet military officers based in East Germany, crowded a monument overlooking the Elbe to watch the ceremonies and hear speeches by Communist Party officials and American veterans.

Greetings from Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev and East German Communist Party leader Erich Honecker lauding the monument as a “symbol of hope and friendship” were read to the throng. There also were messages from former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Richard M. Nixon.

The ceremony marked the anniversary of the linkup between members of the 69th Infantry Division of the American 5th Army and soldiers from the Red Army’s 58th Guards Division.

No More War

Alexander Goriyev, former commander of the Soviet 175th Guards Regiment, said: “We swore an oath never to wage war again--I hope that oath can be heard again today.

“When we met up in 1945, we spoke different languages but our feelings (about peace) were the same,” Goriyev said.

Torgau, a drab industrial city of 22,000 people situated 75 miles southeast of Berlin, was vacant when the armies linked up. It since has become a manufacturing center for glass and farm machinery.

The American veterans were led by William Beswick, vice president of the Fighting 69th Division Assn.

The crowd cheered when Beswick, of West Point, Va., told the meeting that one primary purpose of the reunion was “to renew old friendships . . . and to make new friends with you, German people, so that we can have an everlasting peace.”