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STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON THE DEATH OF EWALD-HEINRICH VON KLEIST
March 12, 2013
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement on the death of Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist:
“I was deeply saddened to learn that my friend of more than three decades, Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist, has died. Ewald was an exemplary German patriot, well-respected European statesman and staunch Atlanticist. He founded the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy, where we were first introduced by my friend, the late Senator John Tower, and which I have had the privilege of attending since the 1970s.
“As a brave young officer in the Wehrmacht, Ewald worked with the resistance to Nazi tyranny, and participated in two plots to assassinate Hitler. In the first, he was prepared to sacrifice his life by detonating two grenades in Hitler’s presence. The plot failed when Hitler failed to show up for the scheduled appointment. He and his father were participants in the famous July 20th plot to kill Hitler in the Wolf’s Lair and depose the Nazi regime. Hitler survived the bomb blast. Both von Kleists were arrested in connection with the plot. His father was executed. Ewald succeeded in covering up his resistance activities and escaped execution. But he was imprisoned in a concentration camp for a time before being ordered to the Eastern Front.
“I learned a great deal over the years from Ewald’s wise counsel and statesmanship. I enjoyed the great pleasure of his company and the privilege of his friendship, for which I will always be grateful.
“He was a devoted husband and father, and Cindy and I send his loved ones our sincere condolences. We share their grief over the loss of this extraordinary man.”
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