In the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Navy's newest guided missile destroyer, USS Winston S. Churchill, sighted the Lutjens, a German warship. One of the Churchill's officers gives this account:

"As [the Germans] were making their approach, our conning officer announced that they were flying an American flag. As they came even closer, we saw that it was flying at half-mast.

"The Lutjens came up alongside and we saw that the entire crew of the German ship were manning the rails in their dress blues. They had made up a sign that was displayed on the side that read, 'We Stand By You.' Needless to say, there was not a dry eye on the bridge as they stayed alongside us for a few minutes and we cut our salutes. It was probably the most powerful thing I have seen in my entire life, and more than a few of us fought to retain our composure.

"The German Navy did an incredible thing for this crew, and it has truly been the highest point in the days since the attacks. It's amazing to think that only a half-century ago, things were quite different."